Making a show based on a film is always risky. It becomes a lot riskier when the movie is as beloved and unique as the Coen Brothers masterpiece, Fargo. The show adopts the movie’s fake true story premise to tell various stories of violence and crime all set in the cold and calm American Midwest.
Surprising to many, the show not only lives up to its incredible source material but also forges its own impressive path. With the highly anticipated fourth season premiering later this year, now is a good time to get caught up on what makes this show so special. Here are the best episodes of Fargo, according to IMDb.
Aporia (9.0)
Fargo is a show that is not afraid to show the bad guys winning. In fact, for most of each season, the protagonists are on the ropes or failing to stop the villains in their violent pursuits. That’s one of the reasons “Aporia” is a bit of a relief as we see some payback delivered.
The episode finds Emmit Stussy (Ewan MacGregor) in prison ready to confess everything to Gloria (Carrie Coon), but Vargas (David Thewlis) is taking extreme measures to set him free. However, Vargas finds that he has met his match when trying to deal with Nikki (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
Who Rules The Land Of Denial? (9.1)
As Season 3’s dark might have had a slower start for some, but “Who Rules the Land of Denial” really added some excitement to the season as it entered the final episodes. The episode finds Nikki and Mr. Wrench on the run together and being hunted while also pushing Emmit further into darkness.
The episode starts with a thrilling chase sequence with some unexpected surprises thrown in. Seeing Emmit taunted with his dark secrets also set up the retribution that was coming.
The Gift Of The Magi (9.3)
Fargo is often less about the violence on screen and more about the tension leading up to the violence and the consequences following the violence. However, in Season 2’s “The Gift of the Magi”, the violence explodes in an epic manner.
Though only halfway through the season, the show is firing on all cylinders with the war between the Kansas City outfit and the Gerhardt’s coming to a bloody confrontation. Meanwhile, Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons) is dragged deeper into this violent world. It’s an exciting and suspenseful hour of television.
The Crocodile’s Dilemma (9.4)
The very first episode of Fargo remains one of the finest episodes in the minds of IMDb users. The episode has the difficult task of introducing the eclectic group of characters and getting the story off and running while doing its own take on the Coen Brother’s distinct sense of humor.
The episode proves up to the task with the look at the put-upon insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) and his run-in with the deadly man of mystery Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thorton) which changes his life forever.
Buridan’s Ass (9.4)
Every season of Fargo seems to have that mid-season episode where chaos ensues and the storylines start to converge in epic ways. For Season 1, that episode is “Buridan’s Ass” which finds various characters making big plays as a blizzard approaches.
Lester takes drastic measures to clear his name, Malvo makes a move for Stavros’ money, and Molly closes in on her target. It all leads to an intense and unexpected finale sequence that will have you on the edge of your seat.
A Fox, A Rabbit, And A Cabbage (9.4)
The penultimate episode for the show’s first season takes a nice time jump to see what the characters have been up to for the past year and sets the stage for an epic finale. We get to see a glimpse at how far Malvo is willing to go to do his job and who Lester is willing to sacrifice to save himself.
With the story coming together, characters converging and the noose beginning to tighten for several of these characters, the intensity of this episode is almost unbearable. It catches up with the characters in an interesting way without feeling like we missed too much.
Morton’s Fork (9.4)
The season finale for Fargo Season 1 continued the brutal violence that had existed throughout the entire sequence, but it also offered a surprisingly happy ending for those who deserved one. As Malvo and Lester prepare for their final showdown, our heroes close in on the villains.
The season wrapped up with a similar sentiment that the movie communicated. There are evil people in the world capable of evil things, but their evilness can only take them so far. It is the good people that get to continue on.
Rhinoceros (9.4)
The show has a great talent for building up the tension to nearly unbearable levels. “Rhinoceros” sets the stage for real trouble as the Gerhardts look to save some of their own while taking revenge on Ed. Meanwhile, the Kansas City outfit seeks to gain from all the madness.
With the deadly villains closing in on our heroes and more than one suspenseful standoff, this is an episode that hardly lets you catch your breath. And though things don’t play out as you might expect, it is nonetheless entertaining and satisfying.
Loplop (9.5)
As the second season of the show rocket towards its finale, “Loplop” continues that amazing momentum going. This episode fills in the missing information from last season as we find the Blumquists on the run with Dodd Gerhardt as their prisoner. Meanwhile, Hanzee continues his path of violence as he hunts them down.
The episode mixes some great dark humor of the unusual hostage situation while also adding more depth to Hanzee’s character in some amazing ways. It is a relentless and thrilling episode that satisfies and leaves you wanting more.
The Castle (9.5)
“The Castle” was the penultimate episode of the acclaimed second season of Fargo and perfectly encapsulates everything that made the show so special. It is filled with dark humor, brutal violence and is willing to take wild risks in its storytelling.
With the Blumquists in custody and Hanzee on the run, the police stage an ill-advised sting operation that turns into a deadly confrontation and brings in some very unexpected elements. Few people could have predicted UFOs playing a vital role in this story. Though there was still another episode left to go, this was the season and series highlight for many fans.
