In its second episode of the season, “Fargo” settled into a much slower pace. Much of the episode focused on the aftermath of the premiere and further established the groundwork for the rest of the season. There were, however, a few notable moments of tension.
Front and center was a new character, Mike Milligan (Bokeem Woodbine). Coming to town on behalf of an out-of-town criminal organization, Milligan is simultaneously amicable and menacing as he puts himself in the middle of Sioux Falls’ murder investigation. It is not yet clear how significant his role will be going forwards, but one scene in particular draws immediate comparisons to season one’s big bad, Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton).
Like Malvo, Milligan’s suspicious behavior quickly leads to him being pulled over and interrogated by policeman Hank Larrson (Ted Danson). Whereas Malvo responded with thinly veiled threats, Milligan is much more composed, acting like he’s completely in control of the situation. It’s subtle, but this scene shows the prequel is still capable of suspense, even with some character’s fates being clear from the first season — if for example Larrson, Molly Solverson’s grandfather, had been murdered, it probably would have been mentioned.
After the slow burn of the first hour, one of the biggest moments in the show so far arises in the final half hour, a scene viewers have been anticipating since the series began. Where a lesser show might have resorted to a frustrating cliffhanger, “Fargo” goes over its runtime — a fairly frequent occurrence — to let the scene play out. While it is still early in the season for Ed (Jesse Plemons) and Solverson (Patrick Wilson) to have any true confrontation, the show manages to maintain a heavy air of suspense that points to the turn these characters’ relationship will inevitable take.
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