History Awesome / Fargo

--->"You should see the other guy."

** Let's not overlook the fact that she brought Grimsrud to justice by nailing him in the thigh with a shot from what must have been at least 50 yards away. The woman's badass credentials are legit.

* Chirpy, good-natured Sheriff Marge Gunderson is a winning character, waddling through a kidnapping/multiple-homicide investigation with a quick mind that belies her seeming small-town hick exterior, but her final monologue to sullen, brutally psychotic killer Gaear Grimsrud (whom she has single-handedly arrested and brought to justice -- not a bad feat itself considering he's over six foot of pure psycho and she's ''seven months pregnant'') is probably her Crowning Moment:

** Let's not overlook the fact that she brought Grimsrud to justice by nailing him in the thigh with a shot from what must be at least 50 yards away. The woman is a legitimate PregnantBadass.

** Let's not overlook the fact that she brought Grimsrud to justice by nailing him in the thigh with a shot from what must be at least 50 yards away. The girl is a stone cold PregnantBadass.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The whole score, but particularly the music during the aforementioned arrest. And that bit at the very beginning when the car is cresting the hill in the opening credits.

!!The first series contains examples of:

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[[folder:The 1996 Film]]

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[[folder:The 2014 FX Series]]

!!Season 1:
* Gus's neighbor ''instantly'' recognizing Malvo for what he is and demanding that he leave the neighborhood. Malvo threatens to kill him and his children in response, but then he leaves the neighborhood, just as he was told. It's one of the only times in the series that anyone manages to get the upper hand on Malvo, and it's a perfectly harmless, unassuming, ordinary man who has enough guts to face up to a monster.
* Lester, that meek little nobody, [[spoiler:expertly setting his brother up to take the fall for his wife and the sheriff's murders.]] His shit-eating grin afterwards is something to see.
* Lorne tracking down and wiping out [[spoiler:the Fargo syndicate]] after the failed assassination on him.
* Mrs. Hess sends her two idiot boys to rough up Lester after the life-insurance policy on her husband is denied. He whips them with a ''stapler''.
* After having her work dismissed and ridiculed by Bill, it's immensely satisfying for both Molly and the audience when the FBI agents commend her for her investigation and dress down Bill for ignoring all the glaring evidence that's been sitting in front of his nose for over a year.
* After spending the whole show being obtuse and unhelpful regarding Molly's investigation, Bill finally steps up in the finale when he orders Lester to answer the FBI agents questions regarding [[spoiler: Linda's death]], telling him "You're not bullshitting your way out of this one pal".
* A ''very'' understated one, but when [[spoiler: Malvo visits Lou's diner, Lou recognizes ''what'', if not ''who'', he is, and casually kicks the supports out from under Malvo's 'philosophy' by pointing out that animals only kill because they have to to survive, but sociopaths like Malvo kill for fun.]]
* Lester [[spoiler:successfully fending off Malvo, forcing him to retreat bloody and injured.]] Followed by [[spoiler:Gus finding his hideout and popping him full of holes.]]
* Lester [[spoiler:meeting the end he so richly deserves, courtesy of a weak patch of ice.]]
* The final scene. [[spoiler: Molly simply snuggles up to Gus as they watch television as a typical, happy family. And then cue the familiar cinematic theme.]]

!!Season 2
* [[http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/07/14/fx-unveils-first-fargo-season-2-trailer The first trailer looks great.]] The final few seconds, a familiar drum beat propels it into awesome territory.
* Side characters they were, you have to give props to the Judge and the Waffle House Cook [[spoiler: for standing up to Rye.]] The first one for the Judge was when she recognized Rye for the idiot he is and telling him off, the second is [[spoiler: spraying bug repellent in his eyes, and third, after getting shoot (by Rye) in the shoulder-neck area, still having the strength to shiv him with a steak knife. The Cook got his when after Rye shoot the Judge, he immediately grabbed a pan and ran towards Rye to clobber him with it, complete with a warrior's scream. A shame he got blasted too.]]
* Ed managing to [[spoiler: kill Rye in self-defense when the latter surprised him in his garage]].
* Lou standing up to [[spoiler:to the entire Gerhardt mob]] and refusing to back down, even though he is alone, for all intends and purposes.
* Lou's MexicanStandoff with Mike Milligan and the Kitchen brothers. All the more impressive because everyone keeps their cool.
* [[ScarilyCompetentTracker Hanzee]] tracking the events at the Waffle Hut back to the Blomquists faster than either the cops or Kansas City were able to.
* Floyd gets one when she gives her scathing speech to Joe Bulo. It not only serves as an awesome moment for Floyd, but for Jean Smart as well.
* Lou's warning monologue to Peggy and Ed is a meta one for Patrick Wilson, expertly proving he's living up to the high standard set by Keith Carradine in the first season.
* The Kitchen Brothers look like unstoppable badasses, wiping out the Gerhardt mobsters attacking them when Hanzee comes out of nowhere, slits ones throat and knocks out the other before beheading Joe Bulo and leaving the remaining brother to take it back to Mike.
* Ed managing to overpower Virgil, the Gerhardt hitman sent to assassinate him, followed by him and Noreen dragging and an unconscious Charlie from the burning butcher shop.
* When Dodd is about to take his belt to Bear, and gives him the choice of the strap or the buckle.
--> '''Bear:''' Gimme the buckle, you piece of shit.
* Karl facing down Bear and the Gerhardt lynch mob, successfully convincing Bear not to storm in and rescue Charlie or lynch Ed because criminal charges would be levied against Charlie. He played on Bear's love for his son, all while having a shotgun pointed at his face, smoking a cigarello and plainly terrified.
* Peggy smashing one of Dodd's men in the head with [[KitchenSinkIncluded a sink]] and then electrocuting Dodd himself with his own cattle-prod.
* The ending of "Rhinoceros". Hanzee silently stalking Ed down a backroad while "Man of Constant Sorrow" starts playing.
* Mike taking control of his destiny in spite of his racist boss' plan to send an 'Undertaker' to deal with the Gerhardts. [[spoiler:He and Gale Kitchen kill both the Undertaker and his underlings in a matter of seconds.]]
* Peggy actually being more practical than Ed, and thinking to use the taser to prevent Dodd from escaping their capture.
* Hanzee shooting two racists in the leg (giving each a [[StealthPun Wounded Knee]]), then shooting the similarly insulting bartender who spat in his drink.
* Hanzee giving Dodd his long-coming comeuppance by shooting him in the head.
* Dodd [[spoiler: escaping his bonds, knocking out Peggy and horrifically hanging Ed.]]
* Dodd being outdone by Peggy [[spoiler: crawling up to him, stabbing a knife through his foot and into the floor. Dodd struggles while Peggy rifles through the cabin for another weapon, eventually dragging his foot up through the blade. But by that point Peggy whacks him with a fire poker, apparently crippling him.]]
* Of all people, Ben Schmidt gets one in "The Castle." [[spoiler:During the Sioux Falls massacre, Ben successfully ambushes and kills two Gehrhardt men who break into his hotel room unlike so many other officers who get taken down.]] Almost immediately undone by [[spoiler:Getting knocked out by Peggy]], but for a moment there, even a raging jerklord like Schmidt had a time to shine.
* Peggy and Ed getting the drop on Hanzee with a pot of boiling water and a sucker punch. It seems the two of them are [[TookALevelInBadass really adapting well to their situation]].
* Bear's [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome during the massacre at the Motor Motel. Having been betrayed by Hanzee (who also brutally murders his mother amidst the violence) and then shot by Lou, he realizes that he's not going to make it out alive and, in a final act of pure adrenaline, charges full force at Lou. Despite taking two more bullets, he doesn't stop and tackles the lawman to the ground and comes very close to strangling him. It only takes getting distracted by the UFO that Lou manages to gain the upper hand and [[BoomHeadshot put him down for good.]] In his final moments, Bear truly lived up to his name.]]
* The climax of "The Castle": [[spoiler: a UFO descends upon the Motor Motel, stunning all parties involved (aside from Peggy). After dancing around it, the supernatural is finally confirmed within Fargo.]]
* Lou completely shuts down Peggy's self-pitying motive rant by simply pointing out how people have died because of her actions.

!!Season 3
* The entirety of the air conditioner sequence. From the fact that it's done in real time to the camera movement of AC as it falls on top of [[spoiler:Maurice]].
* Gloria clearing the rooms of Ennis Stussy's house, including the entrancing Tuvan throat singing on the soundtrack and the brief fade to Maurice with steam gushing from his gaping mouth, all give the scene of tragedy a haunting, otherworldly quality.
* Gloria's first time meeting Varga. In stark contrast to Emmit and Sy, she refuses to buy any of his bullshit and simply leaves determined that there's something fishy going on with him that she'll get to the bottom of.
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** Later he gives [[spoiler: Dodd]] his long-coming comeuppance by shooting him in the head.

** Then he's outdone by Peggy [[spoiler: crawling up to him, stabbing a knife through his foot and into the floor. Dodd struggles while Peggy rifles through the cabin for another weapon, eventually dragging his foot up through the blade. But by that point Peggy whacks him with a fire poker, apparently crippling him.]]

* Gloria clearing the rooms of Ennis Stussy's house while Tuvan throat singing blares in the soundtrack, and a phantom fade to Maurice with steam gushing from his gaping mouth, all give the scene of tragedy a haunting, otherworldly quality.

** Marge shoots at Grimsrud from about ten meters away, while he's running, with a low-quality gun. She misses. She shoots again. ''She gets him on the leg'', on the exact place where policemen are supposed to shoot for stunning criminals. We are so accustomed to ridiculous feats in marksmanship from movies that it is a bit difficult to realize what a difficult shot this was and thus what a jaw-droppingly good shooter Marge actually is.

* Margie's arrest of Gaear Grimsrud.
** This is a Coen Brothers movie, so it was probably story-boarded down to the last half an inch. But when Marge, weapon drawn, yells "Police!" at Grimsrud -- ''and then points at the badge on her forehead'' -- that's crowningly awesome. Heh, [[IncrediblyLamePun "Crowningly awesome."]]

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The whole score, but particularly the music during the aforementioned arrest.
** And that bit at the very beginning when the car is cresting the hill in the opening credits.

* Bear's [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome during the massacre at the Motor Motel. Having been betrayed by Hanzee (who also brutally murders his mother amidst the violence) and then shot by Lou, he realizes that he's not going to make it out alive and, in a final act of pure adrenaline, charges full force at Lou. Despite taking two more bullets, he doesn't stop and tackles the lawman to the ground and comes very close to strangling him. It only takes getting distracted by the UFO that Lou manages to gain the upper hand and [[BoomHeadshot: put him down for good.]] In his final moments, Bear truly lived up to his name.]]

* Hanzee shooting two racists in the leg (giving each a [[Stealth Pun Wounded Knee]]), then shooting the similarly insulting bartender who spat in his drink.

[[/folder]]

** Then he's outdone by Peggy [[spoiler: crawling up to him, stabbing a knife through his foot and into the floor. Dodd struggles while Peggy rifles through the cabin for another weapon, eventually dragging his foot up through the blade. But by that point Peggy whacks him with a fire poker, apparently crippling him.]]

[[/folder]]

** This is a Coen Brothers movie, so it was probably story-boarded down to the last half an inch. But when Marge, weapon drawn, yells "Police!" at Grimsrud -- ''and then points at the badge on her forehead'' -- that's crowningly awesome. Heh, [[IncrediblyLamePun "Crowningly awesome?"]]

** This is a Coen Brothers movie, so it was probably story-boarded down to the last half an inch. But when Marge, weapon drawn, yells "Police!" at Grimsrud -- ''and then points at the badge on her forehead'' -- that's crowningly awesome.
*** [[IncrediblyLamePun "Crowningly awesome?"]]