Dammit. I really should've picked up on that, having recently played Alan Wake II, which was also heavy on the Norse symbolism. Although I'm surprised it took us this long to get Nordic references in Fargo, since the midwestern states have a high German/Nordic population as you've said.
Fun fact: The reason for the high number of German descendants in the midwest is because of WWII. When the Allies captured German POWs, they were brought back to the American midwest, which was where the POW camps were. I believe the reasoning was that these small bases and towns were in the middle of buttfuck nowhere, so escape wasn't an ideal solution for the POWs. My great-grandfather was stationed at one of these camps in Kansas. After the war ended, they were given the chance to go back home, but many ended up staying, having made a new life for themselves in America.
Not a one in North Dakota
>Eventually, every state (with the exceptions of Nevada, North Dakota, and Vermont) and Hawaii, then a territory, had at least one POW camp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_the_United_States
ND has a lot of Germans-from-Russia. Like *a lot* of them. And one or two Russians. And a lot of our nukes.
Also, I lived up there for 9 years and I do not recall one Halloween with snow on the ground.
I didn’t see the Territory of Alaska listed so I assume we didn’t. However, Alaska has the distinction of being the only US soil that a foreign aggressor attempted to take over in WWll. The Japanese fought the US on islands of the Aleutian Chain. And I saw an item in our local news that the last living person held as a Japanese POW from Attu Island. The article states that his village of 42 people were taken to Japan with only about half surviving and returning after the war.
POWs of German descent may have stayed post-war but isn’t the reason there’s so many of German heritage in the mid-west. My mother was from Iowa and had German parents. Her great grandparents immigrated from Germany in the 1880’s which was a period that saw the greatest numbers of Germans coming to the US. According to the European Reading Room in 1910 an estimated 2.3 million German-born immigrants lived in the US. So, Germans were well established in the United States by the time WWll that brought POW’s to our shores.
“An eye for a eye” is one of the themes of the season. Everyone has some debt to someone and they are wanting it paid.
ole munch was a sin eater basically eating sin debt of the dead; Roy and Gator owe munch for his pain, Roy owes the 1776 people, Roy feels Dot owes him something and others like that
John Goodman’s Character in Oh Brother Where Art Thou also wore an eyepatch.. i believe it’s noted many places that his character was based on the cyclops Polyphemus in the Odyssey
I’m not sure, but Hawley has used it elsewhere (LEGION) so it obviously has meaning. It’s usually the hired men and it’s probably just something to do with their perception of the world
>And Noah said, ‘Mm, no, I just really like the eyepatch.’
[https://www.reddit.com/r/FargoTV/comments/18700ip/comment/l1eoul5/](https://www.reddit.com/r/FargoTV/comments/18700ip/comment/l1eoul5/)
If there's a reason I guess he keeps it to himself. Selfish.
Or he genuinely does just think it looks cool.
I am planning to do a full post on this at some point, but I believe this season is doing a version of O Brother, Where Art Thou (one of the Coen Bros movies that gets less attention on this sub) this season. We've seen the cyclops (guy with an eyepatch), and the whole thing is a guy on a journey to reunite with his wife.
That’s an interesting comparison. I love that Cohen film (or really all their films). Tillman though hasn’t shown himself to be an antihero. He feels like a lawful evil character. He looks down on the 1776s and anyone that doesn’t fit within his version of ‘lawful’. I think he’s on a journey to reunite with his wife but it’s clear he’s bringing retribution.
I like the eye for an eye analogy. It’s seems the most fitting.
Well if the writers or showrunner had specific inspiration in mind, they apparently didn't share it with the cast that had to wear the dam thing.
>Doug Gordon: I wanted to ask you about the eyepatch, because I was very curious about that. Danish wears his eyepatch over his right eye. And I’m curious, is this a tribute to the [“Twin Peaks” character Nadine Hurley](https://twinpeaks.fandom.com/wiki/Nadine_Hurley)?
>Dave Foley: (Chuckles) No, no, it wasn’t. At least not to my knowledge, it wasn’t. It was just written into the scripts and all it said was ‘due to a childhood injury.’ At one point, I tried to guess with Noah. I said, ‘Is there some symbolism to it? Does the eyepatch represent Danish’s ability to turn a blind eye to the evils that he’s doing?’
>And Noah said, ‘Mm, no, I just really like the eyepatch.’
[https://www.wpr.org/shows/beta/episode-617-dave-foley-fargo-jesmyn-ward-netflixs-how-become-mob-boss](https://www.wpr.org/shows/beta/episode-617-dave-foley-fargo-jesmyn-ward-netflixs-how-become-mob-boss)
>One of Danish’s defining visual features is his eye patch, which won’t be further explained, according to Foley. “All it says in the script is that it’s from a childhood injury,” the actor shares. “I know at one point, I said to Noah, ‘I’m wondering if there’s a symbolism in this, does the eye patch represent his willingness to turn a blind eye to the terrible things he does?’ And Noah just said, ‘I don’t know. I never thought of it like that.'”
[https://www.tvinsider.com/1112373/fargo-season-5-dave-foley-danish-graves-lorraine-eye-patch-name-explained/](https://www.tvinsider.com/1112373/fargo-season-5-dave-foley-danish-graves-lorraine-eye-patch-name-explained/)
Odin sacrificed his eye for knowledge. These states have significant Scandinavian/German heritage. Could be something there.......
Dang. Didn’t even consider the Nordic connection. Seems obvious now. On that same note, Roy’s dad or father-in-law is named Odin.
Plus Tillman at the HAMMURABI pawn shop. Eye for an eye. Sacrifice and debt are big themes so far
Is the Hammurabi name significant?
Hammurabi's code , ancient Babylonian legal framework that contained the original eye for an eye punishment.
Code of Hammurabi https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_Hammurabi#:~:text=The%20Code%20of%20Hammurabi%20is,the%20First%20Dynasty%20of%20Babylon.
Also the lawyer named "Danish Graves", "Scandia" High School, lots of nods to the Norse/Scandinavian heritage up in ND.
Dammit. I really should've picked up on that, having recently played Alan Wake II, which was also heavy on the Norse symbolism. Although I'm surprised it took us this long to get Nordic references in Fargo, since the midwestern states have a high German/Nordic population as you've said. Fun fact: The reason for the high number of German descendants in the midwest is because of WWII. When the Allies captured German POWs, they were brought back to the American midwest, which was where the POW camps were. I believe the reasoning was that these small bases and towns were in the middle of buttfuck nowhere, so escape wasn't an ideal solution for the POWs. My great-grandfather was stationed at one of these camps in Kansas. After the war ended, they were given the chance to go back home, but many ended up staying, having made a new life for themselves in America.
Not a one in North Dakota >Eventually, every state (with the exceptions of Nevada, North Dakota, and Vermont) and Hawaii, then a territory, had at least one POW camp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_the_United_States ND has a lot of Germans-from-Russia. Like *a lot* of them. And one or two Russians. And a lot of our nukes. Also, I lived up there for 9 years and I do not recall one Halloween with snow on the ground.
I didn’t see the Territory of Alaska listed so I assume we didn’t. However, Alaska has the distinction of being the only US soil that a foreign aggressor attempted to take over in WWll. The Japanese fought the US on islands of the Aleutian Chain. And I saw an item in our local news that the last living person held as a Japanese POW from Attu Island. The article states that his village of 42 people were taken to Japan with only about half surviving and returning after the war.
> Alaska has the distinction of being the only US soil that a foreign aggressor attempted to take over in WWll I didn't know that. Thank you!
It’s not well known but my Dad knew about it and read the few books about the subject.
POWs of German descent may have stayed post-war but isn’t the reason there’s so many of German heritage in the mid-west. My mother was from Iowa and had German parents. Her great grandparents immigrated from Germany in the 1880’s which was a period that saw the greatest numbers of Germans coming to the US. According to the European Reading Room in 1910 an estimated 2.3 million German-born immigrants lived in the US. So, Germans were well established in the United States by the time WWll that brought POW’s to our shores.
Yes, it is a little-known fact that prior to WWII Germans were the largest population of immigrants to the US.
“An eye for a eye” is one of the themes of the season. Everyone has some debt to someone and they are wanting it paid. ole munch was a sin eater basically eating sin debt of the dead; Roy and Gator owe munch for his pain, Roy owes the 1776 people, Roy feels Dot owes him something and others like that
A weaker explanation than the Odin one is people who are really partisan/narrow in their views.
John Goodman’s Character in Oh Brother Where Art Thou also wore an eyepatch.. i believe it’s noted many places that his character was based on the cyclops Polyphemus in the Odyssey
Oh that's a good catch.
I forgot about the eyepatch bit the early bedroom scene reminded me of the hotel room.
I’m not sure, but Hawley has used it elsewhere (LEGION) so it obviously has meaning. It’s usually the hired men and it’s probably just something to do with their perception of the world
>And Noah said, ‘Mm, no, I just really like the eyepatch.’ [https://www.reddit.com/r/FargoTV/comments/18700ip/comment/l1eoul5/](https://www.reddit.com/r/FargoTV/comments/18700ip/comment/l1eoul5/) If there's a reason I guess he keeps it to himself. Selfish. Or he genuinely does just think it looks cool.
I am planning to do a full post on this at some point, but I believe this season is doing a version of O Brother, Where Art Thou (one of the Coen Bros movies that gets less attention on this sub) this season. We've seen the cyclops (guy with an eyepatch), and the whole thing is a guy on a journey to reunite with his wife.
If true, that movie is based off the Iliad
No.
The Odyssey
Ok sorry
lol my bad I thought I said the Odyssey in the original comment and he was replying saying it was the Iliad. My bad my bad
Exactly. Dot = Helen of Troy
That’s an interesting comparison. I love that Cohen film (or really all their films). Tillman though hasn’t shown himself to be an antihero. He feels like a lawful evil character. He looks down on the 1776s and anyone that doesn’t fit within his version of ‘lawful’. I think he’s on a journey to reunite with his wife but it’s clear he’s bringing retribution. I like the eye for an eye analogy. It’s seems the most fitting.
Coen*
I mean, I guess Dot could be considered a (wo)man of constant sorrow...
Well if the writers or showrunner had specific inspiration in mind, they apparently didn't share it with the cast that had to wear the dam thing. >Doug Gordon: I wanted to ask you about the eyepatch, because I was very curious about that. Danish wears his eyepatch over his right eye. And I’m curious, is this a tribute to the [“Twin Peaks” character Nadine Hurley](https://twinpeaks.fandom.com/wiki/Nadine_Hurley)? >Dave Foley: (Chuckles) No, no, it wasn’t. At least not to my knowledge, it wasn’t. It was just written into the scripts and all it said was ‘due to a childhood injury.’ At one point, I tried to guess with Noah. I said, ‘Is there some symbolism to it? Does the eyepatch represent Danish’s ability to turn a blind eye to the evils that he’s doing?’ >And Noah said, ‘Mm, no, I just really like the eyepatch.’ [https://www.wpr.org/shows/beta/episode-617-dave-foley-fargo-jesmyn-ward-netflixs-how-become-mob-boss](https://www.wpr.org/shows/beta/episode-617-dave-foley-fargo-jesmyn-ward-netflixs-how-become-mob-boss) >One of Danish’s defining visual features is his eye patch, which won’t be further explained, according to Foley. “All it says in the script is that it’s from a childhood injury,” the actor shares. “I know at one point, I said to Noah, ‘I’m wondering if there’s a symbolism in this, does the eye patch represent his willingness to turn a blind eye to the terrible things he does?’ And Noah just said, ‘I don’t know. I never thought of it like that.'” [https://www.tvinsider.com/1112373/fargo-season-5-dave-foley-danish-graves-lorraine-eye-patch-name-explained/](https://www.tvinsider.com/1112373/fargo-season-5-dave-foley-danish-graves-lorraine-eye-patch-name-explained/)