The Crocodile's Dilemma

Last updated
"The Crocodile's Dilemma"
Fargo episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 1
Directed by Adam Bernstein
Written by Noah Hawley
Featured music Jeff Russo
Editing by Skip Macdonald
Production codeXFO01001
Original air dateApril 15, 2014 (2014-04-15)
Running time68 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
—		Next →
"The Rooster Prince"
Fargo (season 1)
List of episodes

"The Crocodile's Dilemma" is the pilot episode and series premiere of the FX anthology series Fargo . The episode aired on April 15, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Adam Bernstein. The title refers to the paradox in logic known as the crocodile dilemma. [1]

Contents

In the episode, a strange man named Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) arrives in Bemidji, Minnesota. Living their daily lives, the town's inhabitants, including zealous police Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman), police officer and single father Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks), and insecure insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), are unaware that this man will impact their lives forever.

"The Crocodile's Dilemma" received critical acclaim and was seen by 2.65 million viewers. It received seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special.

Plot

On January 18, 2006, a drifter named Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) crashes a car at night on a wintry rural highway outside Bemidji, Minnesota, after hitting a deer, and cuts his forehead after banging it into the steering wheel. A nearly naked man jumps from the popped trunk and bolts through the snow into the woods. Malvo calmly watches as the man runs away and makes no attempt at pursuit, instead choosing to gaze upon the dying deer.

In town, the next day, a put-upon insurance salesman named Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) runs into Sam Hess (Kevin O'Grady), a former high school bully along with his sons Mickey and Moe. After reminiscing about the bullying he gave Lester, Sam intimidates Lester into accidentally running into a window and breaking his nose. At the hospital, Lester meets Malvo and tells him about Sam, and Malvo offers to murder him. Lester fails to respond, but Malvo goes to Sam's workplace, to get a glimpse of him, and later that night murders him at a strip club by throwing a knife into his head.

The next day, Lester meets Malvo in a motel restaurant and confronts him about the murder. Malvo tells Lester that if Lester does not stand up to "the boss, [Lester] will get washed away". Meanwhile, Chief Vern Thurman (Shawn Doyle) and Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) investigate the car wreck and find the nearly naked man's frozen body in the nearby woods. They also look into Sam's death. While they are questioning Sam's wife Gina (Kate Walsh), Malvo calls Mickey pretending to be an attorney, and claims Moe inherited everything, leading Mickey to beat Moe with a hockey stick before Molly tackles him.

The police learn that Lester was overheard discussing Sam with another man (Malvo), at the hospital. Lester tries to impress his wife, Pearl (Kelly Holden Bashar), by repairing the couple's washing machine, but he fails at it, and Pearl mocks him. Lester, reaching his breaking point after years of her psychological abuse, hits her with a hammer and kills her. A panicked Lester summons Malvo to help with the aftermath. Vern arrives at Lester's house to question him about Sam, but discovers Pearl’s body in the basement. Vern radios for backup, but Malvo arrives soon afterward and fatally shoots him. Malvo disappears before Molly shows up, and Lester intentionally knocks himself out to make the killings look like a home invasion. He eventually wakes up in the hospital and notices a piece of gun shot lodged in his hand.

Later, in Duluth, police officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) converses over radio with his daughter Greta (Joey King), until he pulls Malvo over for running a stop sign. Malvo overhears the radio and threatens Gus to either press the issue and face death, or allow Malvo to leave and live. Malvo drives away as a shaken Gus returns to his patrol car.

Reception

Ratings

In its initial premiere on FX, the first episode of Fargo had 2.65 million viewers. [2] The show premiered in the UK on Channel 4 on April 20, 2014, and was seen by 1.6 million viewers. [3]

Critical reception

The first episode of the series was critically acclaimed; it currently holds a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. [4]

The A.V. Club writer Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode an A− rating but stated: "as much as I like this first episode, it will be hard for anything in this series to match my love of the film, which is perfection". [5] IGN reviewer Roth Cornet gave the series premiere a 9 out of 10 "Amazing" rating, saying: "with rich and zany characters, darkly comedic violence, and a tantalizing mystery on tap, Fargo is well-worth watching". [6] Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly named it the second best television episode of 2014. [7]

Accolades

For the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, Noah Hawley was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special and Adam Bernstein was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special, for this episode. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fargo</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series

Fargo is an American black comedy crime drama television series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. The show is inspired by the 1996 film of the same name, which was written and directed by the Coen brothers, and takes place within the same fictional universe. The Coens were impressed by Hawley's script and agreed to be named as executive producers. The series premiered on April 15, 2014, on FX, and follows an anthology format, with each season set in a different era and location, with a different story and mostly new characters and cast, although there is minor overlap. Each season is heavily influenced by various Coen brothers films, with each containing numerous references to them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allison Tolman</span> American actress

Allison Cara Tolman is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Molly Solverson in the first season of the FX television series Fargo, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

"The Rooster Prince" is the second episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on April 22, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Adam Bernstein. The title refers to the Jewish parable of the same name.

"A Muddy Road" is the third episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on April 29, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Randall Einhorn. The title refers to the Zen Buddhist kōan known as The Muddy Road.

"Eating the Blame" is the fourth episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on May 6, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Randall Einhorn. The title refers to the Zen Buddhist kōan of the same name.

"The Six Ungraspables" is the fifth episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on May 13, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Colin Bucksey. The title refers to the Zen Buddhist kōan known as The Six Ungraspables.

"Buridan's Ass" is the sixth episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on May 20, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Colin Bucksey. The title refers to the paradox in logic known as Buridan's ass.

"Who Shaves the Barber?" is the seventh episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on May 27, 2014, in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Scott Winant. The title refers to the paradox in logic known as the barber paradox.

"The Heap" is the eighth episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on June 3, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Scott Winant. The title refers to the paradox in logic known as the paradox of the heap.

<i>Fargo</i> (season 1) First season of the American television series

The first season of the anthology black comedy–crime drama television series Fargo, premiered on April 15, 2014, on FX. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks and Martin Freeman, the season consisted of ten episodes and concluded its initial airing on June 17, 2014.

<i>Fargo</i> (season 2) Second season of the American television series

The 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. The ten-episode season's finale aired on December 14, 2015. As an anthology, each Fargo season possesses its own self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings.

"A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on June 10, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Matt Shakman. The episode title refers to a variation of the fox, goose and bag of beans puzzle.

"Morton's Fork" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo. The episode aired on June 17, 2014 in the United States on FX. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Matt Shakman. The title refers to a dilemma of the same name, posed in the episode by FBI agents Pepper and Budge.

"Waiting for Dutch" is the premiere episode of the second season of the FX anthology series Fargo, and the eleventh episode of the series overall. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Michael Uppendahl and Randall Einhorn, making it the only episode in the series with two directors. The title refers to the Samuel Beckett play Waiting for Godot, and to Ronald Reagan, occasionally nicknamed "Dutch", who appears via archival footage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorne Malvo</span> American television character, created 2014

Lorne Malvo is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the first season of the FX television series Fargo. He is portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton, who received critical acclaim for his performance and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and won a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molly Solverson</span> American tv character, created 2014

Molly Solverson is a fictional character in the FX television series Fargo. One of the main characters of the first season, she is portrayed by Allison Tolman, who received critical acclaim for her performance, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award, and won a Critics' Choice Television Award for her performance. She appeared as a minor character in season 2, portrayed by Raven Stewart as a child; Tolman also briefly reprised her role in a cameo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Nygaard</span> Fictional character from the TV series Fargo

Lester Nygaard is a fictional character in the first season of the FX television series Fargo and is portrayed by Martin Freeman, who received critical acclaim for his performance, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award for his performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Solverson</span> American tv character, created 2014

Lou Solverson is a fictional character in the FX television series Fargo. He first appeared as a supporting character in the first season, played by Keith Carradine, and then as a main character in season two, played by Patrick Wilson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers</span> Fictional character

Wes Wrench and Grady Numbers, mostly known as Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers, are fictional characters of the FX television series Fargo, most prominently appearing as antagonists in the first season. The characters, portrayed respectively by Russell Harvard and Adam Goldberg, were often highlighted as one of the stand-outs of season one by critics.

Gus Grimly is a fictional character in the FX television series Fargo. One of the main characters of the first season, he is portrayed by Colin Hanks. He appears as a guest in season 2, with Hanks briefly reprising his role in a cameo.

References

  1. ↑ "Fargo recap: season one, episode one – The Crocodile's Dilemma". The Guardian . April 24, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ Bibel, Sara (April 16, 2014). "Tuesday Cable Ratings: 'The Game' Wins Night, 'Teen Mom Reunion', 'Awkward', 'Fargo', 'Dance Moms' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  3. ↑ Eames, Tom (April 21, 2014). "Fargo launches with 1.6 million on Channel 4". Digital Spy . Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  4. ↑ ""The Crocodile Dilemma" critical consensus". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  5. ↑ VanDerWerff, Emily (April 15, 2014). "Fargo: "The Crocodile's Dilemma"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ Cornet, Roth (April 14, 2014). "Fargo: "The Crocodile's Dilemma" Review". IGN. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  7. ↑ "10 Best TV Episodes of 2014". Entertainment Weekly . December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Lowry, Brian (July 10, 2014). "2014 Emmy Awards: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Fargo' Lead Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.