fargo season 2 cast

List of episodesThe second season of Fargo, an American anthology black comedy–crime drama television series created by Noah Hawley, premiered on October 12, 2015, on the basic cable network FX. Its principal cast is Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart, and Ted Danson. As an anthology, each Fargo season possesses its own self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings. Like many anthology series that have appeared in the wake of "American Horror Story," "Fargo's" second season features an entirely new cast of characters and the sense that anything can happen to them by the time the 10 episodes are up. The exception is in a 6-year-old Molly Solverson and her father, Lou , who made it out of 1979 intact enough to become the protagonists in the show's first season.

Wilson, whose other TV credits include A Gifted Man and Girls, will play Lou Solverson, a Vietnam war veteran and Minnesota State Patrolman. Keith Carradine played the role in the first season of the series. Lou's wife, Betsy, and young daughter, Molly have yet to be cast. A principal cast of five actors received star billing in the show's second season. Hawley did not tailor his characters with any specific actors in mind, though Nick Offerman, Brad Garrett, Patrick Wilson and Kirsten Dunst were among the few he considered for starring roles in the season's early stages. The search for talent was sometimes an exhaustive process that required advertising via custom built websites and social media.

Once actors were hired, their agents were made aware of the frigid shooting conditions and any issues with the location and potential scheduling conflicts during production were discussed. Hawley discussed the script with actors who had little experience in the television industry. "They're used to reading the whole story but you've given them one or two hours of it," he remarked. Once hired, the actors trained with a dialect coach to master a Minnesota accent. The whole crime scene is just another headache for Officer Lou Solverson, the younger version of Keith Carradine's character from season one, this time played by Patrick Wilson. Solverson is dealing with an ill wife and young daughter at home.

Meanwhile, the death of Rye should also complicate matters for the Gerhardt clan, where patriarch Otto has suffered a stroke just as the family business is being intruded on by an opposing syndicate from the South. Fargo season 2 also stars Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Brad Garrett, Jean Smart, Michael Hogan, Jeffrey Donovan and Ted Danson. The second season of the crime anthology series is set in 1979 and tells the story of a large crime syndicate looking to move into the North Dakota territory controlled by a local crime family —as well as a modest local couple caught in the middle. As an anthology, each season of Fargo is engineered to have a self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings. Noah Hawley and his team of writers used the second season to expand the scope of the show's storytelling—from its narrative to its characters.

They increased the show's cast of core characters to five, each with interconnecting arcs and different viewpoints of the central story. Hawley wanted viewers to sympathize with characters they might not feel empathy for in real life. The producers at one point discussed revisiting a modern period for their story.

According to Hawley, the change in the time period helped to develop a sense of turbulence and violence in a world that "could not be more fractured and complicated and desperate". HBO's "True Detective," — often compared to the FX series — suffered in its sophomore installment due to a convoluted storyline, uninteresting case and too much hay made over the search for an A-List cast. "Fargo" could have easily fallen into the same trap, opting to recast a newer version of Billy Bob Thornton or keeping the narrative surrounding another bumbling Martin Freeman type. Instead writer and executive producer Noah Hawley upped the game with a sharp, well-developed story involving multiple moving parts. It's smart, thought out and full of watchable characters with convincing enough motives to create the perfect amount of viewer sympathy.

The end result isn't just a "Fargo" 2.0 (or 3.0 depending on your love of film), but an evolved story that takes television to a whole new level. The cast is stellar and even improved on the fun first season with a number of standout characters. Both Wilson and Danson are good as the law, but as in most films, the bad guys are more fun. Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst were good with Plemons putting on pounds while Dunst actually gets the "meatier" role as the unbalanced Peggy. I felt that the Dodd and Bear were a little too one dimensional but I loved Floyd played by Jean Smart as the no-nonsense mother and potential boss. The real standouts of the show were Bokeem Woodbine as the smart talking agent from Kansas City and Zahn McClarnon as the assassin Hanzee who could have given the Coen Brothers' Anton Chigurh a run for his money.

The state trooper is called into investigate the Waffle Hut murders. Lou meets the shaken trucker who called in the crime, and politely ignores him as the trucker goes on about blueberries. There's something about Midwest dialect here that seems like they're speaking a completely different language to each other. Lou and Sheriff Hank Larrson narrate the crime scene while also talking about Lou's wife Betsy, who is also Hank's daughter. Their spot-on Minnesota accents pepper this delightful dialogue that's cheerful without much inflection.

Lou seems harder here than Keith Carradine's older version of him in the first season. We know his wife, played by Cristin Milioti, is destined to be taken away before her time. (And yes, I'm rolling my eyes at her character's fate on How I Met Your Mother and that connection here.) Lou has a tough road ahead of him, and it will be interesting to watch what roughens and softens him this season.

Patrick Wilson will star as Lou Solverson, whom we saw as the diner owner in the first season of the FX drama. None other than Ted Danson will play his father-in-law, Sheriff Hank Larsson, who helps him with a mafia case in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The film's "true crime" story, set in a frozen small town in the winter of 1987 and centered on the very pregnant police chief who worked to solve it, was replaced with a new story, this one taking place in 2006 with new bad guys and new heroes. The show's tone, however, remained so pitch-perfect to the Coens' original that the mood of the beloved Fargo universe was as unmistakable in this inventive new series as the don't-yah-know Midwest accents that brought its characters to quirky life. Being better than it had any right to be, Noah Hawley'sFargo debuted in 2014 to an overwhelmingly positive reception. Starring Martin Freeman, pulling off a terrific Minnesotan accent, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, and a stacked ensemble of fantastic actors, Season 1 of the black comedy-crime drama scored Emmys and Golden Globes galore, and legions of fans.

It told a simple story; the story of one man, his terrible crime, the nihilistic psychopath who is neither his friend nor foe, and the colourful cast of characters who find themselves pulled into the intricate and bonkers case. The FX drama series Fargo is back for another season and an all-new "true crime" case. Set in 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, it follows young State Trooper Lou Solverson , recently back from Vietnam, as he investigates a case involving a local crime gang, a major Mob syndicate, and a small town beautician and her husband . The first season was such a tightly woven tale that kept you wondering just who exactly you should be rooting for, and after watching the first few episodes of Season 2, it's clear that the storytelling and characters will be even more unpredictable and compelling. From Watchmen to Young Adult to Insidious, Patrick Wilson has quietly emerged as a reliable actor capable of carrying a low budget movie or playing a key supporting role in a big budget movie. He's likeable enough to play the object of affection, but he can also schlub down enough to play an everyman.

Here, he'll play Lou Solverson, the father of Allison Tolman's Molly from the first season, where an older version of his character was played by Keith Carradine. Unlike FX's American Horror Story, Fargo doesn't keep the same cast around every year; so Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, and the rest of Season 1's high-profile cast are nowhere to be seen this time around. Fortunately, that's not likely to be a death knell for the show, since the cast of Fargo Season 2 is just as stacked with big names and incredible talent.

There have been few better limited series of television through time than Fargo Season two. An A list cast, new storylines, colorful production design and cinematography lead to a flawless season of television. While Fargo—Season 1 kept a lot of the spirit and style of Fargo, this season seems to be a bit more brutal, but still has that Fargo touch.

The movie really captures the Coen Brothers style and reminds me a lot of Blood Simple. It is a study on people on various levels of "goodness" from "Very Good" to "Very Bad" and those that fall somewhere in-between . You find yourself siding with different characters throughout the film and in turn questioning "what's it all for" just like in the original Fargo. You don't need to watch the first season to appreciate this one.

But the quick back story is Lou Solverson, Molly's dad from season 1, referenced a bloody incident in Minnesota. And even though this season rewinds us 17 years back from the first, it appears fresh in its feelings and balance. And Hawley no longer feels like he has to pay homage to the show's inspiration, the Coen brothers' 1996 movie of the same name. As we already know, the second season of the Emmy-award winning series is set in 1979, the amazing Jean Smart plays a crime family matriarch, and Patrick Wilson looks like he's going to be the most awesome cop ever.

With its anthology structure necessitating a brand new cast, season two of Fargo has a significant pedigree to live up to. Unlike the tumultuous casting process for the second season of fellow anthology True Detective, the casting announcements for Fargo season two came in a few short bursts. The forthcoming episodes, like Fargo season one, offers a mixture of high-profile names and acclaimed character actors . This is honestly one of the best looking television shows I have ever seen. The lighting alone is superior to anything I've ever seen on the small screen. Combine the gorgeous shots with great acting, fascinating characters and an intriguing story and you get one of the best shows ever.

In a year where the popular True Detective fell so far from grace, Fargo is the crime anthology series that everyone should be watching. In sum, Fargo is smart, thrilling, imaginative television, in addition to being wicked funny. If there's a better show this season—or possibly this year—I'll be happily surprised. My only reservation, it's that I've only seen four episodes and, as season one demonstrated, a powerful start does not guarantee sustained momentum. Can he sustain this level of screwy genius for another half-dozen episodes?

The killings quickly ensnare a local hair stylist , her butcher's-assistant husband , Solverson, and the local sheriff , who is also Solverson's father-in-law. Further sucked into the orbit of the murders is the Gerhardt crime family from Fargo, consisting of a patriarch , matriarch , and their three sons . The killings come at a particularly bad time for the Gerhardts, who are on the brink of war with a larger crime outfit from Kansas City that is encroaching on their territory. But what is an ensemble show of such enormity without a good cast?

Fargo Season 2 doesn't just feature agood cast – it's a perfect one. Highlights include Kirsten Dunst as a spunky, cookie cutter model of the American Suburban dream, but flipped totally on its head in a complete 180 performance. As well as Dunst, Patrick Wilson shines in his role and continues to prove himself as one of the best actors working today. Danson is excellent alongside him, Angus Sampson provides an outstanding physical and measured performance as Bear Gerhardt, Bokeem Woodbine dives into every meaty piece of dialogue he has, and Zahn McClarnon is another fine example of physical acting at its best as Hanzee. And props must go to Nick Offerman in another Ron Swanson style performance, but amplified and based 40 years earlier than his Parks and Recreationincarnation. If the show is dialed up to 11, then Offerman is at least a 17.

There's not a bad performance among the ensemble, and not enough praise can towards the actorsandthe casting directors. It must be a real Sophie's choice for who to nominate come awards season. Whilst Season 1 mainly told the story of Lester Nygaard and Lorne Malvo , the second season takes up a similar premise, but seems to turn every conceivable aspect of the show up to 11. It tells the main story of Peggy and Ed Blumquist, who just so happen to be the wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time. After Rye Gerhardt murders three people in a diner, he is hit by Peggy's car, and unintentionally driven back to her house where Ed is left with no choice but to finish him off.

This sinister and gory night sets off a series of events that soon engulfs the entire region. Executive producer Noah Hawley had a high bar to clear when thinking up the second season of FX's tundra-bound anthology series Fargo. Instead of trying to duplicate the elements of the critically-acclaimed first installment, though, Hawley decided to spin the tale of the apocryphal 1979 Massacre at Sioux Falls—ostensibly, the story of how Lou Solverson, father of Season 1 hero cop Molly, got his limp.

Anyone over the age of thirty-five doesn't need any kind of introduction on Ted Danson. He also later had a starring role on Becker, which wasn't as popular but ran for 6 seasons and more than one hundred episodes. More recently, he's been seen on Bored To Death, CSI and in the company of his beautiful and famous wife Mary Steenburgen. He'll play Hank Larsson, the Sheriff of Rock County, Minnesota.

Although the youngest son of the Gerhardt crime family may look like a dead ringer for a young Steve Buscemi, he's actually played by the middle of the five Culkin brothers — which include fellow actors Macaulay and Rory . Kieran got his start playing his own brother's brother in both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 before making a name for himself in such films as Father Of The Bride, The Cider House Rules, Igby Goes Down, and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Rye's two older brothers, Dodd and Bear, will be played by Jeffrey Donovan and Angus Sampson , respectively.

And that's where the real key of Fargo's second season turns. As each of the unique stories unfold, what binds them together is that aspiration. Culkin's character wants more out of life, figuring he'll never surpass his two older brothers to take over the family operation. Peggy proclaims she wants to be the best self she can be, while her husband has grandiose dreams of eventually taking over the butcher shop where he works.

The cabler renewed Fargo last summer, promising a new 10-episode chapter of the anthology miniseries featuring new characters (played by all-new actors), a new period of time and a new true crime story. Lou Solverson, the father of Molly played by Keith Carradine in the first season. The character here would only be 33, coming back home from Vietnam and hoped that he would not see anything as horrific as what was overseas. Unfortunately, he realizes soon after that there are just as many terrible things we are set to see at home. Otto Gerhardt suffers a massive stroke and leaves his crime family in crisis. An attempt to set out on his own puts Rye Gerhardt on the trail of a judge …leading to a bloodbath and a surprising twist.

Officer Lou Solverson and his father-in-law Sheriff Hank Larsson are called in to investigate the murders and try to piece together the crime. Ed Blumquist returns home from work to receive a surprise from his wife Peggy . Joe Bulo and his crime organization plot the takeover of Gerhardt's organization. One of the strangest parts of Fargo—Season 2 is the sci-fi aspect of the show…yep, sci-fi. I imagine that this is what people would have a problem with if they weren't willing to go with it.

It would be a deus ex machina type situation when the spaceship shows up in "The Castle" providing both Solverson and the Blumquists with a means for escape, but the spaceship was present throughout the story. Not only did it cause Culkin's character to be struck, but other characters reference strange sights in the sky and there are multiple references to it peppering episodes. It is almost a more visible mystery like something from Picnic at Hanging Rock but I also could see the viewers feeling like it was when the UFO showed up in Monty Python's The Life of Brian as a sight-gag. It is never explained nor does it really need to be…viewers will either like it, or hate it. We watch Rye's mistakes go from zero to murder in the matter of seconds, and we know there is much more to come.

We start on the set of a made-up Ronald Reagan movie, Massacre at Sioux Falls, where we have some crewmembers and actors who should be much colder than they are. Fun fact, we'll be seeing Bruce Campbell play Reagan later on in the series. The conversation between the chief and a crewmember is a great introduction to the show's awkward Midwest dialogue. Wilson plays the only recurring character, Lou Solverson, whom viewers know from Season 1 as the father of police officer Molly played by Keith Carradine.

Season one had to prove that it deserved to bear the Fargo name, but season two comes in confident, with stylistic split-screen shots and a more bombastic version of that familiar score. The rest of the cast includes Jean Smart as the matriarch of a major crime family, Jeffrey Donovan as her oldest son, and Kieran Culkin as his younger brother and a "small dog who barks big." Production starts January 19, and the show is set to air next fall. The second series of the Coen Brothers' film-turned-TV-series will serve as a prequel set in 1979.

The story will focus on a young Lou Solverson who has recently returned from the Vietnam War. The part, which was played by Keith Carradine in the first series, has yet to be cast. Danson, who is currently on CBS's CSI and has appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Damages and Cheers, will play Hank Larsson, the sheriff of Rock County, Minnesota. Designing Women veteran Smart will play Floyd Gerhardt, the matriarch of a crime family who decides it's time for her to be in charge. The only complaint one could muster about Fargo this time is that it spreads itself on too thickly in the first two episodes. In moments that count, the show can seem more interested in style than substance.