 Tagline: Aw jeez, here we go again. The Coen Brothers Best Picture Oscar Nominee transforms into the season's most talked about TV debut. Fargo features a new "true crime" story and new characters... all chilled in the trademark dry wit, murderous mayhem and "Minnesota nice" of the original classic film. Oscar Winner Billy Bob Thornton stars a Lorne Malvo, a manipulative master criminal who changes the life of insurance salesmen Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman). Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) and Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) are the small-town police officers who join forces to uncover Lester's secrets and stop the relentlessly destructive Malvo. Storyline: A drifter named Lorne Malvo arrives in small-town Minnesota and influences the population with his malice and violence, including put-upon insurance salesman Lester Nygaard. Disc 1 of Fargo Season One Blu-ray 1.01 The Crocodile's Dilemma - Lorne Malvo wrecks a car after a herd of deer crosses his path on a rural highway outside Bemidji, Minnesota. A nearly naked man bolts from the trunk into the snowy woods nearby. In town, Lester Nygaard meets Sam Hess, a former high school bully, who causes him to break his nose after reacting to a fake punch. At the hospital, Nygaard and Malvo, suffering a head wound from the crash, sit beside each other. Nygaard relates the story to Malvo, who suggests killing Hess to prevent a future incident. Nygaard neither approves nor condemns the idea, but Malvo later kills Hess. Meanwhile, Chief Thurman and Officer Solverson investigate both the car wreck and Hess's death. They learn Nygaard spoke about Hess to someone at the hospital with injuries similar to those from the wreck. Thurman goes to question Nygaard, who has suddenly killed his psychologically abusive wife after years of being looked down on by his family and friends and has summoned Malvo to help with the aftermath. In the meantime, Thurman finds Nygaard's wife's corpse in the basement. Malvo arrives and kills Thurman, but not before the latter radios for help. Malvo is then seen going into the basement. Nygaard follows him a few moments later. However, in that time, Malvo mysteriously disappears. Feeling himself trapped, Nygaard intentionally knocks himself out to make the deaths look like a home invasion. Gus Grimly appears talking to his daughter Greta on the police radio, as he sees a car speeding away. Grimly stops the driver who is revealed to be Lorne Malvo, who gives him two choices: press the issue and face death, or allow him to leave. Malvo leaves as Grimly confusedly gets back to his car. 1.02 The Rooster Prince - Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench arrive in town looking for Hess's killer. Max Gold points them to a strip club with a description, and they abduct a man matching it. When they are later told he is not the one, they drop him into an ice fishing hole. Bill Oswalt becomes the new police chief, and he and Molly differ on suspects in Thurman's death. Hers is Nygaard, whom she believes is connected to the frozen man at the car accident and the killings of Sam Hess, Nygaard's wife and Thurman. Meanwhile in Duluth, Malvo is hired to find out who is blackmailing Stavros Milos, the "Supermarket King" of Minnesota. Milos believes his soon-to-be ex-wife might be the culprit. News of the events in Bemidji reach the Duluth Police Department, where Grimly realizes the car he stopped matches the one stolen there. 1.03 A Muddy Road - Molly investigates the original car crash and the man found frozen in the woods. She learns he was abducted from his workplace in St. Paul. Security cameras documented it and she asks for a photo. Lester returns to work and is tasked with visiting Gina Hess in order to arrange the insurance payment. There, he sees two men, Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench, watching the house. They visit him at the office, but Molly interrupts, under the ruse to buy insurance. She is actually there to get Lester's response to the abduction photo, which clearly shows Malvo's face. Meanwhile, Malvo informs Don Chumph, the fitness instructor of Stavros's wife, that he knows he is the blackmailer. Malvo insists on taking over the blackmail to further torment Stavros. To this end, he kills Stavros' beloved dog, replaces his back pain medication with adderall, and sabotages his plumbing system, causing pig blood to come out of his shower. On his daughter Greta's advice, Gus decides to come clean about letting Malvo off on his speeding ticket and drives to Bemidji to tell their police department. He meets Molly, and they, along with Greta, have dinner at Lou's. 1.04 Eating the Blame - In 1987, the Milos family car runs out of gas along the highway. Heavily in debt, Stavros prays to get through it and finds a satchel full of money buried in the snow. Nineteen years later, Chumph, disguised as a plumber, tells him everything appears normal and suggests a biblical plague. Officer Grimly is called to Stavros's house about the death of the dog. Grimly finds Malvo there, arrests him, and calls to inform Molly. She tells Oswalt, but he goes to Duluth instead, as it's not her case. Malvo carries identification for "Frank Peterson", a Lutheran minister from Baudette who was playing bingo on the night of the traffic stop. Molly learns Malvo's name and calls Grimley with it, but Malvo has been released. He and Chumph release hundreds of crickets into Stavros's supermarket. Meanwhile, Lester gets abducted by Numbers and Wrench. They intend on dropping him into an ice-fishing hole, but while Wrench is augering through the ice, Lester zaps Numbers with a taser, and fleeing to the road, he finds a police officer writing a ticket on Wrench and Numbers' car and punches him in order to be arrested. However, Numbers and Wrench get into a bar fight, ending up in the same cell with Lester. 1.05 The Six Ungraspables - Numbers and Wrench are able to get Malvo's name from Lester, whose infected hand causes him to be taken to the hospital. Molly rides with him in the ambulance and gets more information from him. She presents all of her evidence to Oswalt, who is beginning to realize everything is connected. With Stavros nearing the breaking point of giving into the ransom demands, Malvo locks Chumph in a closet to prevent him from screwing things up. Malvo takes Stavros home and sees a restless Grimly in the road near the house. He later follows Grimly home, but is spotted by Grimly's neighbor. 1.06 Buridan's Ass - Malvo has Chumph place a call to Stavros, who has the money ready for the drop. Malvo knocks out Chumph and duct tapes him to an exercise bench in the entry way. He also tapes an unloaded shotgun to Chumph's hands then proceeds to fire randomly into the neighborhood with another gun. Malvo leaves before the police storm the house, killing Chumph. Molly is in Duluth talking to Gus Grimly about the recent murders when gunshots are reported. At the scene they find a car wreck that Numbers and Wrench have staged to trap Malvo. A shootout ensues in a snowy whiteout. Malvo ambushes Numbers, slitting his throat. Molly and Gus get separated and Gus, unable to see, accidentally shoots her. Meanwhile, Stavros Milos returns to where he had originally found the satchel of cash 10 years earlier, and buries the blackmail money there, believing that God had been punishing him for keeping the cash he had found. Feeling God's forgiveness, Stavros calls his bodyguard to bring his son, Dmitri, home from the hideout he had been kept at. The bodyguard and Dmitri are killed in a freak car accident while driving back. In Bemidji, Lester Nygaard sneaks out of the hospital. He takes the murder weapon, some photos of his wife, and her panties from his house, hides everything in his brother Chazz's gun cabinet, and places an unloaded gun in his nephew Gordo's backpack. Lester returns undetected to his hospital room. 1.07 Who Shaves the Barber? - At the hospital, Gus Grimly anguishes over accidentally shooting Molly, who has survived. The unloaded gun Lester Nygaard placed in Gordo's backpack is discovered at his school. The police search the Nygaard home and find the incriminating evidence Lester has planted in Chazz's gun safe. Later, Lester tells Chief Oswalt a new story, claiming that Chazz had killed Pearl Nygaard during a heated lovers' quarrel. Lester also claims he was present when Chazz shot Chief Thurman, thus explaining his hand wound. He says he had covered for his hot-headed brother only because he had feared retaliation. Lester is released from jail while Chazz is incarcerated. Molly questions Mr. Wrench, who is hospitalized under guard, and informs him that his partner, Mr. Numbers, is dead. Wrench, who is deaf, refuses to cooperate. Meanwhile, Malvo goes on a shooting rampage in Fargo, North Dakota, murdering the party responsible for sending the hitmen (Numbers and Wrench). Lester seduces the money-grubbing Mrs. Hess with promises of "greasing the palms" of the insurance agents handling her late husband's policy. Lester deliberately withholds information that the policy had actually been cancelled. After being discharged from the hospital, Molly is dismayed to learn that Chazz Nygaard has been arrested for murder. 1.08 The Heap - Following Chazz Nygaard's arrest, Lester Nygaard consoles his sister-in-law, Kitty, who believes her husband guilty. Shortly after, Lester tosses out Pearl's belongings, beginning a new life. Later, Gina Hess angrily storms into Lester's office, demanding payment from Sam's insurance policy, and accusing Lester of duping her. Lester sternly refuses. Meanwhile, Molly returns to work and unsuccessfully attempts to reopen the Lester Nygaard investigation. At the Duluth hospital, Malvo kills a police guard and gives Mr. Wrench the handcuff key to escape, telling him that he killed Mr. Numbers and says to look him up later. In Fargo, FBI Agents Pepper and Budge, assigned to surveillance during Malvo's 22-homicide rampage, are demoted to file clerks. A year passes, and Gus Grimly, now a mailman, is happily married to Molly as they eagerly await their first child's birth. In Las Vegas, Lester, who has married his co-worker Linda, receives a sales award. While at the hotel bar, Lester spots Malvo, who now sports grey hair and a goatee rather than brown hair and a full beard. 1.09 A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage - Lester confronts Malvo at the bar, then follows him and his companions into the elevator, demanding Malvo acknowledge knowing him. Instead, Malvo kills his fiancée, his "co-worker" friend, and the friend's wife, and explains to Lester that he had been impersonating a dentist in Kansas City, Missouri. Malvo had intended to assassinate his co-worker's brother who was under witness protection. Lester strikes Malvo and flees; he and Linda immediately fly back to Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Police Department contacts Molly saying that Lester may have witnessed the murders. She interviews him at his new home, but he denies seeing anything. In Fargo, Agents Budge and Pepper act on a new tip regarding the rampage shooter. They travel to Bemidji to meet with Molly and are impressed by her evidence, shrugging off Chief Oswalt's insistence to drop the investigation. While delivering mail, Gus Grimly spots Malvo driving by. In Bemidji, Malvo talks to the current owner of Lester's old house, stakes out Lester's new insurance business, and also stops by Lou's diner in an attempt to locate Lester. Lou, suspicious, reveals little information. Meanwhile, Lester, wanting to get away, quickly arranges a trip to Acapulco with Linda. They stop by his office to retrieve their passports, but Lester, suspecting that Malvo might be lying in wait, sends Linda into the office wearing a coat that Malvo would have recognized as Lester's. He sees Malvo shoot Linda and leave, but it is unclear whether Malvo has spotted Lester sitting in his car before walking away. 1.10 Morton's Fork – After Malvo has killed Linda Nygaard, Lester goes to Lou's coffee shop and, pretending to wait for her, orders dinner for two. He sneaks outside to a payphone, and using a fake voice, calls police to report gunshots. Lester is taken to the police station where Molly, Chief Oswalt, and Agents Pepper and Budge question him, but he is released later. Meanwhile, Gus rushes to the police station to find Molly after Lou informs him that Malvo may be back. On the way, Gus spots Malvo's vehicle in a secluded driveway and investigates. When Malvo leaves a small cabin and drives away, Gus enters. Malvo goes to a car dealership asking to test drive a car that he tells the salesman looks like an "undercover vehicle." Meanwhile, Agents Pepper and Budge take Lester home from the police station, unaware Malvo is following them. At Lester's house, Pepper and Budge remain outside on lookout. When the other car pulls into the driveway, Pepper and Budge, suspicious, pull out their guns and approach. They think it could be the F.B.I. back-up they called for, not knowing that Malvo has managed to cancel it. The driver, the car salesman, has his hands taped to the wheel; Malvo ambushes Pepper and Budge, killing them. Lester, knowing Malvo's there, runs upstairs and dials 9-1-1. Malvo breaks into the house and follows Lester's voice. In the bedroom, Malvo steps on a bear trap that Lester hid under some clothes. Lester rushes out and tries to shoot Malvo, but misses. Malvo escapes to his hideout and attempts to treat his badly fractured leg. Gus surprises Malvo, fatally shooting him. When Molly and other police arrive, Gus shows Molly a briefcase containing tape recordings, including one of Lester's call to Malvo after murdering Pearl Nygaard. Two weeks later in Montana, police are waiting for Lester as he is snowmobiling, leading to a chase. He crashes while trying to escape, then flees on foot, falling through thin ice and drowning. Molly receives a call at home about the incident, alluding to divers trying to locate Lester's body. Gus tells her he is receiving a citation for bravery but says that she deserves the credit. She assures him that it is his moment, as she will become the new police chief now that Chief Oswalt has decided to resign. Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, November 12, 2014 -- Fargo took me by complete surprise. Going in, I wasn't sure if it was a remake of the Coen Brothers' Academy Award-winning film of the same name, a sequel, a prequel, a loosely connected side story... I knew nothing and, if I'm being completely honest, expected very little. I'd written it off before watching a single episode, which is a shame considering the biggest plot twist it has in its arsenal: it's one of the best new series on television. Dark, funny, unsettling, nerve-racking, disquieting, and deftly penned, cast, performed and shot with a Hitchcockian mastery of suspense, it delivers a captivating experience that's difficult to describe but oh so easy to relish and enjoy. Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thorton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Keith Carradine, Bob Odenkirk and young Joey King are outstanding, as is the rest of the show's smartly assembled supporting actors. The story and scripts are brilliantly constructed and executed, with unforgettable dialogue, seismic character beats and unbelievably tense encounters. The cinematography and music are haunting, evocative and absorbing. And it's next to impossible to guess what cinematic turn showrunner Noah Hawley will take next. Fargo is gripping, riveting stuff, and far more sophisticated and complex than your average ensemble crime drama. The first 10-episode installment of the series features an all-new "true crime" story and follows a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and "Minnesota nice" that made the Coen Brothers' film an enduring classic. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Lorne Malvo, a ruthless, manipulative man who forever changes the life of squirrely smalltown insurance salesman Lester Nygaard, played by Martin Freeman. Colin Hanks plays Duluth Police Deputy Gus Grimly, a single dad who must choose between his own personal safety and his duty as a policeman when he comes face-to-face with Malvo, and Allison Tolman stars as Molly Solverson, an ambitious Bemidji deputy convinced that Nygaard isn't as innocent as he appears to be. She believes Lester murdered his wife, was responsible for the death of Molly's colleague, and may even have connections to the mysterious Malvo, a possibility Sheriff Bill Oswalt, played by Bob Odenkirk, refuses to acknowledge. Like the film it counts as canon, Fargo excels in creating a simple town populated with simple folk that's home to strangely captivating everymen, ordinary heroes, common cowards, dangerous criminals, the dimmest of dim bulbs and other eccentric personalities. Walking a fine line between dark comedy and drama, it examines the underside of every rock without losing its sense of humor. And it's that balance and the skill with which it's maintained that separates Fargo from the competition. Where others might have easily veered too far into silliness, taken itself too seriously, or lost its momentum altogether, Hawley's series hops from one foot to the next without missing a step or cue. Comedic timing is one thing, but to nail comedic timing, dramatic timing, pacing, tone and plotting -- to make you feel so strongly for a group of characters while allowing you to feel at ease, laugh, gasp, grip the edge of your seat, or lull you into thinking everything is fine (when it most certainly isn't) -- that's something special. More crucially, the parallels between the series and film only enrich the story and enhance the show. The series is a sequel, set some ten years after the film, and the handful of elements that tie the two together are carefully designed and deployed so as not to overplay or underplay the connection. The show introduces several similar character types and plot points, yes, but quickly distances itself, taking full advantage of the time a ten-episode TV show offers over a two-hour feature film. Hawley, his writers and his cast are patient and deliberate, affording each protagonist and antagonist a chance to adapt and evolve naturally as the story unfolds. The writer's room serves Bemidji, not the other way around. All well and good, of course, but nothing if not for the award-worthy -- in some cases award-winning -- contributions of the actors, who turn in absolutely stunning performances. (A few characters feel a bit forced; Adam Goldberg and Russell Harvard's Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench, Key and Peele's FBI agents, and Gordon S. Miller's Dmitri Milos. But go with it. Each one eventually becomes a much more organic part of the whole.) Fargo plays like a 10-hour film, and not one comprised of cleverly masked tropes, clichés and genre conventions. A 10-hour film true and unique unto itself; a carefully mapped sister series rather than a rehash, a completely fresh take on not-so-fresh criminal dealings, and a story that's as unpredictable as it is unflinching, effective and electrifying. And if I haven't poured out enough praise, here's this one: Fargo is my favorite show of 2014. With the news that a second season is coming (set in 1979, when Keith Carradine's Lou Solverson was a young police officer), I find myself chomping at the bit, wondering where Hawley will take Fargo's anthology series next. Fargo isn't just one of the best new shows on television, it's one of the best shows... period. More a 10-hour film than a traditional crime drama series, it excels in every area, from casting to writing to direction, performances, cinematography, music and beyond. It isn't beholden to the rules of TV, yet encapsulates everything that allows modern television to be the boundless creator's sandbox it is. Fox's Blu-ray edition of Fargo's first season is one of the best TV releases of the year too. With a stunning video presentation, terrific DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and several revealing special features, it's as must-have as they come. Skip this one and you'll only be doing yourself a disservice. Cast Notes: Billy Bob Thornton (Lorne Malvo [10 episodes, 2014]), Allison Tolman (Molly Solverson [10 episodes, 2014]), Colin Hanks (Gus Grimly [10 episodes, 2014]), Martin Freeman (Lester Nygaard [10 episodes, 2014]), Bob Odenkirk (Bill Oswalt [9 episodes, 2014]), Keith Carradine (Lou Solverson [8 episodes, 2014]), Joey King (Greta Grimly [8 episodes, 2014]), Russell Harvard (Mr. Wrench [7 episodes, 2014]), Joshua Close (Chaz Nygaard [6 episodes, 2014]), Gary Valentine (Deputy Knudsen [6 episodes, 2014]), Adam Goldberg (Mr. Numbers [5 episodes, 2014]), Glenn Howerton (Don Chumph [5 episodes, 2014]), Tom Musgrave (Bo Munk [5 episodes, 2014]), Barry Flatman (Wally [5 episodes, 2014]), Rachel Blanchard (Kitty Nygaard [5 episodes, 2014]), Susan Park (Linda Park [5 episodes, 2014]), Oliver Platt (Stavros Milos [5 episodes, 2014]). IMDb Rating (02/11/17): 9.0/10 from 191,992 users
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