Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Bundle up and start speculating about aliens. Fargo is finally back for its third season, and you betcha we’re excited about it.
Noah Hawley‘s anthology series has grown a lot since its first season when everyone’s primary concern was whether or not the magic of the Coen brothers could be recreated for television. FX proved that not only was a Fargo adaptation possible, it could become one of the greatest things on TV. Though Fargo‘s status as an anthology series means audiences can jump into new seasons at any time, there is continuity in the Fargo universe. Characters intersect between seasons and the movie all the time, and there’s been speculation that a Season 1 character may be returning this season. To help you guys keep everything straight, here’s your cheat sheet to all things Fargo. Whether you’re looking for a quick chronological catch up guide, a timeline of events, or a cheat sheet to who’s alive and dead, we have you covered.
The Timeline
(Click on the photo above to enlarge)
Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons): Killed by Hanzee Dent while trying to escape during the Sioux Falls Massacre.
Peggy Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst): Alive but incarcerated for the murder of Rye Gerhardt, lying to the police, running from the police, and kidnapping Dodd Gerhardt.
Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson): Alive at the end of Season 2, but was shot during the Sioux Falls Massacre.
Betsy Solverson (Cristin Milioti): Died of cancer between Seasons 1 and 2.
Molly Solverson (Raven Stewart): Alive. Lou and Betsy's daughter grew up to be the police chief of Bemidji.
State Trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson): Alive. After seeing aliens, he retired and opened a diner as seen in Season 1.
Rye Gerhardt (Kieran Culkin): Killed by Peggy Blumquist in a hit and run. His death starts a war between the Gerhardts and Kansas City.
Otto Gerhardt (Michael Hogan): Killed by Mike Milligan and his boys during a shoot out.
Simone Gerhardt (Rachel Keller): Presumably killed by Bear Gerhardt, who led her out into the woods following her betrayal of her family.
Bear Gerhardt (Angus Sampson): Killed by Lou Solverson during the Sioux Falls Massacre.
Floyd Gerhardt (Jean Smart): Killed by Hanzee Dent, who slit her throat during the Sioux Falls Massacre.
Dodd Gerhardt (Jeffrey Donovan): Killed by Hanzee Dent during the Sioux Falls Massacre.
Joe Bulo (Brad Garrett): Killed by Hanzee Dent. His head was decapitated and sent to Mike Milligan as a warning.
Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine): Alive at the end of Season 2. He was assigned to a corporate office.
Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon): Killed by Lorne Malvo in Season 1. After the Sioux Falls Massacre, he changed his appearance and identity to become Moses Tripoli. He was later killed during Malvo's shootout of the Fargo mob.
Fargo Season 2
It was a war started by a hit and run. Season 2 of Fargo finally unpacked the horror of the Sioux Falls Massacre, and it was a bloody fairy tale that didn’t disappoint. Though Peggy Blumquist’s (Kirstin Dunst) car and his husband were responsible for Rye Gerhardt’s death, the Gerhardt family saw their son’s disappearance as a message from the Kansas City mafia. As Peggy and Ed (Jesse Plemons) attempted to hide from a police force that already knew the truth, the Gerhardts warred internally and externally. Otto Gerhardt’s stroke meant that his wife, Floyd Gerhardt (Jean Smart), took control of the family to the increased frustration of her eldest son, Dodd (Jeffrey Donovan). It became a battle between Dodd and the ever maternally loyal Bear (Angus Sampson).
Meanwhile, the Kansas City boys, Joe Bulo (Brad Garrett) and Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine), prepared to take over the Gerhardt’s turf. The two criminal syndicates battled throughout the season, becoming more violent with each encounter. At one point, Hanzee Dent (Zahn McClarnon) decapitated Bulo’s head and sent it to Mike Milligan. However, it’s Simon Gerhardt’s (Rachel Keller) betrayal that ultimately led to the Sioux Falls Massacre. Simone started an affair with Mike Milligan and leaked information to him to get back at her abusive dad, Dodd. The Kansas City mafia used this information to ambush the Gerhardt house and kill Otto Gerhardt. After her betrayal, Bear lead his niece Simone out into the woods, presumably to her death.
Back with the Blumquists, Dodd, who realized his brother’s death wasn’t connected to Kansas City, hunted down Peggy and Ed. However, the ever-scrappy Peggy turned the tables, kidnapping Dodd with Ed’s help. The trio then made a break for Sioux Falls, hoping they could avoid the law and trade Dodd for their safety, but Ed messes up. Instead of calling the Gerhardts, he calls Mike Milligan. Ed agrees to bring Dodd to a motel at midnight where they will make the trade. However, while she’s waiting for Ed to return, Dodd escapes under Peggy’s watch. The married couple are then captured by the police.
Finally, it’s time for the disaster the Blumquists have set into motion — the Sioux Falls Massacre. The shootout kills multiple members of the Gerhardt crime syndicate and the police department, and Lou Solverson personally kills Bear. However, it’s the now-rogue Hanzee Dent who causes the most damage. The former right-hand man kills Dodd, Floyd, and Ed Blumquist. He then changes his identity to become Mosese Tripoli, who appears later in Season 1. Peggy is sent to jail, and life returns to some version of normalcy for the Solversons.
Oh and also, Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) saw aliens during the Sioux Falls Massacre. I’m not exactly sure how this ties into anything, but it happened.
Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy): Alive but incarcerated after ransoming his wife.
Jean Lundegaard (Kristin Rudrud): Killed by Gaear Grimsrud after being kidnapped on her husband's orders.
Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell): Killed by Carl Showalter on top of a parking garage.
Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi): Killed by his partner Gaear Grimsrud and shoved into a wood chipper.
Shep Proudfoot (Steve Reevis): Alive at the end of the movie.
Gaer Grimsrud (Peter Stormare): Alive but incarcerated. He was arrested by Police Chief Marge Gunderson.
Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand): Alive at the end of the movie.
Fargo the Movie
Jerry Lundergaard (William H. Macy), a sales manager for an Oldsmobile dealership, needs money. After floating a $320,000 GMAC loan with nonexistent vehicles, he becomes desperate to get his hands on his strict father-in-law’s fortune, and that desperation leads to truly terrible plan. At the advice of a mechanic and ex-convict, he hires two men to kidnap and ransom his wife — Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare). Jerry promises them a cut of the cash if they’re able to successfully get the money from Jean’s kidnapping, but the duo have other plans.
While kidnapping Jean, the criminals are pulled over by a cop, which results in them killing the officer and two bystanders. Now that the stakes have been raised, Carl demands that Jerry hand over the entire $80,000 ransom he was promised, though in reality Jerry is extorting his father-in-law for $1 million. Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) starts investigating the three deaths. She almost immediately ties them back to Jerry, who now has a dedicated police officer, two hitmen, an angry father-in-law, and the GMAC on his back.
Frustrated with Jerry, Wade Gustafson decides to deal with the kidnappers directly. He meets Carl on top of a parking garage where Carl shoots him before taking the briefcase. In the car, Carl realizes that he now has $1 million instead of $80,000. He takes out Gaear Grimsrud’s portion of the cash and hides the suitcase in a snow bank, where it is later found by Stavros Milos.
Back at the cabin, Gaear has killed Jean. Carl and Gaear then get into a fight about who should keep the dealership car, which escalates into Gaear murdering his partner. When Marge Gunderson arrives at the cabin to investigate, she finds Gaear shoving his partner’s body into a wood chipper. Gaear is arrested on the spot. Jerry is also arrested while fleeing from the crime scene.
Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman): Died by falling through thin ice while running from the police.
Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton): Killed by Gus Grimly while trying to bandage his bear trap wound.
Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman): Alive and promoted to police chief at the end of Season 1. She's also pregnant and married to Gus Grimly.
Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks): Alive and married to Molly Solverson at the end of Season 1.
Chief Bill Oswalt (Bob Odenkirk): Alive but retired from police work at the end of Season 1.
Lou Solverson (Keith Carradine): Alive and running his diner in Bemidji.
Stavros Milos (Oliver Platt): Alive but tortured by his son's death. Stavros was the one who stole the briefcase of money from the movie. Once Lorne Malvo started blackmailing him in a religiously themed way, Stavros broke down. His son died in a freak fish rainstorm.
Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg): Killed by Lorne Malvo slitting his throat in the middle of a snowstorm.
Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard): Alive and presumably free. After Lorne Malvo visited him, he left a key for Wrench to escape.
Special Agent Budge (Keegan-Michael Key): Killed by Lorne Malvo while trying to protect Lester.
Special Agent Pepper (Jordan Peele): Killed by Lorne Malvo while trying to protect Lester.
Fargo Season 1
Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) has been mocked by his high school bully his entire life. After Lester hurts himself during an encounter with Sam Hess, he heads to the hospital where he meets Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton). Lorne asks Lester if he wants him to kill Sam Hess, which Lester neither confirms nor denies. Lorne later kills Sam.
Later that day, Lester murders his wife in a moment of rage. He calls Lorne for help, and when the police chief comes to Lester’s house to investigate the death of Sam Hess, Lorne murders him. Lester knocks himself out before any more police officer arrive, pretending to be a victim, but Lorne escapes. He’s pulled over by Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) but gets away. All of these crimes capture the attention of Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman), who is immediately suspicious of Lester.
Lorne, who has been hired to capture the man who is blackmailing Stavros Milos, takes over the blackmailing scheme. Meanwhile, the death of Sam Hass has captured the attention of two members of the Fargo mob, Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg) and Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard), who were sent to investigate by Moses Tripoli, aka Hanzee Dent. They connect Sam Hess’ death to Lester and confront him about it while they’re all in jail. However, before they’re able to get anything meaningful out of Lester besides the name “Lorne Malvo,” Lester passes out and is sent to the hospital for his infected hand.
The next day, Lorne ties up Stavros’ real blackmailer and calls the police, knowing the police will shoot him and give Lorne the distraction he needs. In the middle of a whiteout, Lorne slits Mr. Numbers’ throat, Deputy Molly Solverson shoots Mr. Wrench, and Gus Grimly accidentally shoots Molly. All three are taken to the same hospital as Lester. Meanwhile, Lester sneaks out of the hospital to plant a gun and his wife’s underwear on his nephew and brother. Lester’s brother is then arrested for the murder of Lester’s wife. While everyone else is in the hospital, Lorne goes on a rampage in the headquarters for the Fargo mob, killing 22 people including Moses Tripoli, aka Hanzee Dent. Two FBI agents (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) see the whole thing and are demoted for doing nothing.
A year passes. Molly and Gus are now a couple, Lester has a new wife, and things are calm but unsolved. That changes when Lester sees Lorne in a Las Vegas bar. At Lester’s nagging, Lorne kills three people and pursues him. As the the pair continue their game of cat and mouse, killing Lester’s new wife in the process, the FBI agents acknowledge Deputy Solverson’s great police work and try to help. They escort Lester to his house, knowing he’s being followed by Lorne, but they’re both murdered in the process. Later, Lorne steps in a bear trap set by Lester. He limps back to his cabin and attempts to bandage his leg when he’s found and shot by Gus Grimly. Meanwhile, Lester continues to run. It isn’t until several months later that Lester literally runs on thin ice and falls to his death.
New episodes of Fargo Season 3 premiere on FX and FXNOW Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
Stream Season 3 of Fargo on FXNOW
