Written By: Noah Hawley
Directed By: Adam Bernstein
Cast: Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Adam Goldberg, Russell Harvard, Oliver Platt, Kate Walsh
Synopsis: Lester Nyaard returns to work but a close encounter leaves him shaken. Deputy Solverson comes closer to finding Lorne Malvo.
This week’s episode of Fargo opened just before the first began. We see a panicky man in an office and Billy Bob Thornton’s Lorne Malvo dragging him out by his tie. We learn that this is the man who froze to death after the car accident.
Back at work, Lester Nygaard pays a visit to Sam Hess’ widow Gina. What follows is a rather funny seduction scene in full view of her moronic sons. During this time Nygaard catches hired killers Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench spying on them.
Remember the blackmail story surrounding Oliver Platt’s Stavros Milos? Malvo find’s Gina’s trainer is behind it and instead of following through with Milo’s request to kill the perpetrator, Malvo takes over the blackmail. During a creepy scene at Milos’ houses, Malvo silently switches his meds for speed and kills his dog leaving a new blackmail note.
After a visit to the frozen man’s workplace, Deputy Solverson is finally able to put a face to the mysterious Malvo. She interrupts an intense moment when Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench pay Nygaard a visit at work. She cleverly manages to get Nygaard to unknowingly confirm his association with Malvo when she purposely drops her file with Malvo’s picture.
Meanwhile Colin Hanks’ Officer Gus Grimly can’t get over his encounter with Malvo so he runs the plates of his car. He sees that they belong to Lester Nygaard and he starts piecing the puzzle together. He visits Bemidji and Grimly recognises the man in Solverson’s picture and so begins a rather special relationship.
The episode ends with a shaky Nygaard acquiring a very large gun from his brother and he goes full on SCARFACE into the night.
I think the whole tone of the series will start to pick up from the next episode. Solverson and Grimly share a great chemistry and I think they will be pretty awesome trying to solve the murders.
Billy Bob Thornton just keeps getting better, he seems to be having a lot of fun playing Malvo and you really can’t help liking his character.
I think Martin Freeman should be applauded for his characterisation of Lester Nygaard, at first he seemed a little out of place but it is clear he has become totally comfortable playing this pathetic, cowardly character. This role is such a far cry from anything he has done before and it shows how much of a fantastic actor he is.
The inclusion of Mr Number and Mr Wrench played by Adam Goldberg and Russell Harvard gives this show a real edge. They are just bad news and the sign language thing is really creepy. If Malvo is bad, these guys are badder and I cannot wait to see what they do next.
[usr=3] Fargo is currently airing on Channel 4. Follow our full series blog here!
