Why ‘Fargo’ Is the Most Disturbingly Compelling Show on TV

Last season, it was the death of Sam Hess that took us down a road of murder, Midwestern accents, and deadpan one-liners, but this season the inciting incident came in the form of a diner shoot-out. The victims? A incorruptible judge and a poor cook and waitress who got in the way. Because this is Fargo, you betcha this triple homicide is going to have lasting consequences, but few shows can make deaths with horror-movie levels of gruesomeness look as disturbingly gorgeous as this one.

At its core, Fargo has always been about an average Joe discovering his potential for evil amid a criminal backdrop he didn’t even know existed. In the movie, we had Jerry (William H. Macy); last season, we had Lester (Martin Freeman). This season, our clueless criminals come in the form of Peggy and Ed (Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons). After Peggy hits and runs, with the body of the diner killer still on her windshield, she and her butcher of a husband have to figure out how to cover their tracks. Let’s just say communication isn’t their strong suit. Seeing the moralistic struggle played out between two people — the secretly cold Peggy and the dumb but loving Ed — is a refreshing and interesting change of pace, quickly making this pair the best murderous couple on the air.

Last season, we heard a lot about how sinister the trucking industry can be, and we saw several secondhand murders that proved that point. But until now, we’ve never been too close to the action. Introducing the Gerhardt family: the most prominent organized crime syndicate in Fargo. Even though crime is paying for the Gerhardt clan, they aren’t without their own share of problems. The family’s patriarch has suffered a debilitating stroke, leaving the badass (but female) Floyd (Jean Smart) to take his place and invoking the wrath of the firstborn Gerhardt son. To top it all off, one of the sons has mysteriously disappeared. There’s guaranteed to be more drama, murder, and casual ’70s sexism with this tight-knit group — and to that we say get ‘em, Floyd.

Though the most they’ve done at this point is get pulled over and feed a guy’s tie into a typewriter, there’s something undeniably sinister about Mike Milligan (Bookeen Woodbine) and the Kitchen brothers. Other known Fargo murderers have been loud, frantic, hot-headed, and worried, making Mike’s calm demeanor and level tone is one of the most ominous aspects of the show. You can also add Mike to the list of people independently looking for the missing Gerhardt. In a story that involves grounding people into sausage, burying a man alive, and several other increasingly violent crimes, it’s telling that the most terrifying moment has been a traffic stop between Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) and Mike Milligan.

This season taking full advantage of its role as an anthology series by playing with a slow build-up, and the results have been wonderful so far. Because the show is taking more time to really explore the characters, the twists seem sharper and the crimes seem more horrendous. Also, for any supernatural fans out there, there is a mysterious UFO subplot that is sure to pay off later. As for returning fans, there a lot of continuity to obsess over, specifically relating to the Solversons. We’ve seen a child version of later-life champion Molly, learned that Betsy has cancer (why does Cristin Milioti always get cancer?), and, most excitingly, we’ve watched Lou in action. Will we we get to see the aforementioned pullover that left Lou with a permanent limp? I can only hope.

You can watch Fargo Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on FX and on FXNOW. Season Two is available for purchase on Amazon.

[Where to stream Fargo Season One]

Kayla Cobb is a proud graduate of Clemson University and loves her cat and TV shows more than some people love their kids. You should really follow her on Twitter at @KaylCobb.