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Families

Burgle Family

    Nathan Burgle 

Nathan Burgle

Played By: Graham Verchere

  • Nice Guy: He shows a lot more patience and kindness than his grandfather, that's for darn sure.

    Ron Burgle 

Ronald "Ron" Burgle

Played By: Andrew Moxham

  • Amicable Exes: He's divorced from Gloria, but they have a pretty good friendship regardless.
  • Incompatible Orientation: Although he had a son with Gloria, he's currently in a committed same-sex relationship. Gloria explains in the second to last episode that they married after their son Nathan was already a toddler. Later he called her to tell her that he had a boyfriend and that his feelings for her were only platonic.

Hess Family

    Sam Hess 

Sam Hess

Played By: Kevin O Grady

A trucking company owner with connections to organized crime who used to bully Lester Nygaard in high school.


  • Asshole Victim: Only his sons seem to mourn his death, but they're more interested in where his money is going. His wife even says she's glad he's dead, and will say so at his funeral.
  • Blood from the Mouth: Sam spits up blood as he dies.
  • The Bully: To everyone, but especially Lester. He berates him, emasculates him, and insults him. He also threatens him with physical violence.
  • Character Death: A knife to the back of the head ends Sam's unpleasant existence.
  • Hypocritical Heartwarming: He has no problem with calling his sons idiots to their faces... but when Lorne Malvo does the same, Sam comes within an inch of physically attacking him until his lawyer advises him that would be a bad idea. A really bad idea.
  • In the Back: Well, the back of the head.
  • Jerkass: Sam is an utterly repulsive bully who uses racial slurs, cheats on his wife, yells at his dimwit sons, and hasn't matured one iota since high school.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: He calls Lester Nygaard 'Niggard', deliberately pronounced like the n word, which speaks to his maturity as a human being.
  • Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: He bullied Lester in high school, and he bullies Lester when the two are into their forties.
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Despite being an overweight, sneering jerk, he somehow ended up married to attractive redhead Gina, likely because of his money.

    Gina Hess 

Gina Hess

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hess_gina_6054.jpg

Played By: Kate Walsh

As the beleaguered wife of Sam Hess and mother to twins Mickey and Moe, Gina Hess is a former Las Vegas stripper who, after over 15 years in Minnesota, has come to realize the mistake she made in moving north. Now, Gina will use whatever charms she has left to move the hell out of Minnesota for good.


  • The Alcoholic: It isn't stated outright, but with how often she's seen with a drink in hand, it doesn't need to be. She offers Lester a whiskey in the morning.
  • Awful Wedded Life: Her marriage does not appear to have been a happy one, which shouldn't be surprising considering what a Jerkass her husband was. It's pretty clear she's had a drinking problem for some time and she shows no grief whatsoever in response to Sam's death.
  • Brutal Honesty: Bitter and jaded, Gina frequently tells others exactly what she thinks of them. She straight-up plans to tell everyone at Sam's funeral that she's glad he's dead.
  • Fiery Redhead: She's flame-haired and aggressively sarcastic.
  • Gold Digger: Gina makes it pretty clear to everyone that she was sticking out her marriage to Sam Hess for the money alone. She shows no grief whatsoever over his death and is very insistent on getting his money.
    "And that is how I met Sam. And he started flashing all this money around, and telling me how he was gonna take me away from it all, blah, blah, blah. I was 19, so stupid. Now here I am, stuck in The Yukon with my two mongoloid sons."
  • Greed: A huge hallmark of her character is her lust for money.
  • Jerkass: It's tempting to feel some sympathy for her, considering she was married to philandering, boorish Sam Hess and she won't even get the money she feels owed, but she's still a deeply unpleasant person. She's short-tempered, selfish, spiteful, and greedy.
  • Sex for Services: She sleeps with Lester in an effort to speed up her insurance payout.
  • The Vamp: Gina wastes no time trying to seduce Lester to hopefully speed up the insurance process.

    Mickey & Moe Hess 

Mickey & Moe Hess

Played By: Atticus Dean Mitchell & Liam Green

"I've taken shits I want to live with more than them."
Gina Hess

The dim-witted, violent, and impulsive sons of Sam and Gina Hess.


  • The Bully: They both take after their father rather strongly.
  • Boisterous Weakling: They like to act tough but they immediately back down and cower behind their mom after Lester hits both of them with a stapler.
  • Butt-Monkey: Both, but Moe especially. His brother tries to beat him to death with a hockey stick, he gets Shot in the Ass with a crossbow, and he takes a staple to the forehead from Lester.
  • The Dragon: For their father, and later they become this for their mother.
  • Dumb Muscle: It can not be understated how intensely stupid the Hess Brothers are. They are easily manipulated, fail to understand basic concepts, and voice their inane opinions to the detriment of every other IQ in the room.
    • Even their muscle is questionable, since they were quickly overwhelmed by a single nerd wielding a stapler.
  • Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: They don't take kindly to people insulting their mother, although she's perfectly willing to voice her extremely negative opinion of them.

Milos Family & Associates

    Stavros Milos 

Stavros Milos

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/milos_stavros_2938.jpg
"You're looking at the Supermarket King Of Minnesota, la mercado rey."

Played By: Oliver Platt

"We're only as good as the promises we keep."

As the owner of a chain of supermarkets and the author of a self-help book, Stavros is the kind of American success story that dreams are made of. But Stavros' success story began with a dark secret, one that has suddenly come back up and threatens to destroy the way of life he has built up over the past 25 years. Wanting to get rid of the problem as quickly and quietly as possible, Stavros is put in contact with Malvo as someone that can make that happen. Soon, however, Stavros learns his problems may just be beginning.


  • Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: He's extremely impatient with his adult son, who's either The Ditz or has some mental disorder, but when he thinks he's being subjected to the ten plagues of Egypt, he's terrified for his son's safety and spirits him away to his cabin.
  • Butt-Monkey: Poor guy goes through hell during his duration on-screen. His entire life gradually crumbles like bread in a washing machine. He's blackmailed, his dog is murdered, he gets drugged with Adderall, blood is placed in his shower, locusts plague his store, and finally his son is killed in a freak accident. Stavros is destroyed mentally for very little reason.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: Implied; Don blackmails him by telling him he "knows about the money," but he doesn't actually know anything so much as he just assumes Stavros has some money-related Dark Secret.
  • Dark Secret: It's more of a grey secret; he came across a huge windfall of money by chance, buried out in the snow. Sure, maybe he should have reported the money to the authorities, but he was broke, had no opportunities, and a baby son. Not to mention, he genuinely believed that God bestowed the money on him.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He comes across as irritable and aggressive, but he does love his son and isn't hiding any real dark secrets.
  • Leitmotif: The Libera Me from the Faure Requiem.
  • #1 Dime: He has a red ice scraper framed in his office. The same kind used to mark the location of the briefcase full of money in the movie.
  • Paranoia Fuel: Invoked against him. Lorne changes his back medication to Adderall, making him more unstable.
  • Patron Saint: He has a stained glass window of St. Lawrence, the patron saint of the poor. St. Lawrence's famous deed was giving away the treasures of the church, then defiantly presenting the poor citizens to the prefect of Rome, claiming that they were the true treasures of the church. Stravos built his corporate empire around a random briefcase of money he found while travelling with his newborn son and wife. He and his wife divorced because he always put the business first and his son dies not long after he put the briefcase back. Leaving Stravos with the belief that God and Saint Lawrence were punishing him for having more value in money than his own family.
  • Pet the Dog: Literally; he's devastated when Lorne kills his dog. He is absolutely devastated when he sees his son died in a car crash.
  • Rags to Riches: He was a loser deep in debt when he came to the frozen north. Then he spied a red ice scraper sticking out of the snow...
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: What happened to him after his son and friend died?

    Helena Milos 

Helena Milos

Played By: Allegra Fulton & Eve Harlow

Stavros' bitter ex-wife.


  • Amicable Exes: Averted with Stavros; they despise each other.
  • Everyone Has Standards: Stavros has nothing nice to say about her. But he is also confident that she wasn't the one who killed his dog.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Her spitefully shooting her mouth of about Stavros and his money with no tact to her personal trainer (and then to Malvo) leads to the whole blackmail affair, and the death of her son.

    Dmitri Milos 

Dmitri Milos

Played By: Gordon S Miller

Dmitri is the son of Stavros Milos, chronologically a young adult but seeming to be somewhat delayed in a lot of ways. Malvo uses him as a threat hanging over Stavros' head.


  • Cannot Tell a Joke: His Establishing Character Moment is bursting in on his father and Malvo to crack a riddle about karate and tea that might be mildly amusing if he hadn't given the punch line away in the setup.
  • Character Death: He's randomly killed in a car accident.
  • The Cutie/Nice Guy: Dmitri shows a sunny disposition toward everyone.
  • The Ditz: His interrupting a business meeting to tell a dumb joke seems to be typical Dmitri behavior, exasperating his father.
  • Dumbass Has a Point: He calls around and finds out the "locusts" that infested the store were really crickets from a pet store, indicating sabotage. By that point, his father is too far gone and pays him no attention.
  • Kill the Cutie: He dies in a senseless road accident after Stavros had returned the original suitcase full of money, thinking it would lift the curse.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Stavros never tells him about the Ten Plagues situation and his own place in it as firstborn, fairly concluding he wouldn't understand.

    Wally Semenko 

Wally Semenko

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/semenko_wally.png

Played By: Barry Flatman

The head of security at Phoenix Farms, the supermarket owned by Stavros Milos.


Locations

Bemidji, Minnesota

    Bo Munk 

Bo Munk

Played By: Tom Musgrave

Lester's boss, and the owner of the insurance company.


  • Bearer of Bad News: He's reluctant to tell Gina Hess that her husbands policy lapsed and is grateful when Lester offers to do it (being unaware of how Lester intends to abuse this job).
  • Benevolent Boss: He's quite nice to Lester, all things considered, even offering to relieve him of some of his work-load when it doesn't look like he's up to it.
  • Red Herring: In-Universe, Molly had him as one of her suspects connecting Lester to Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench.
  • Satellite Character: He exists only in relation to Lester, as Lester's boss.

    Ida Thurman 

Ida Thurman

Played By: Julie Ann Emery

Vern Thurman's pregnant wife.


  • Happily Married: To Vern, her beloved husband and father of her unborn child.
  • Nice Girl: She's generally a sweet, caring woman, even after Vern dies.

Luverne, Minnesota

    Noreen Vanderslice 

Noreen Vanderslice

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vanderslice_noreen.jpg

Played By: Emily Haine

A clerk at the butcher's.


  • Action Survivor: When Ed is attacked by Charlie and Virgil, she leaps to action despite being understandably terrified, even saving Ed's life.
  • Bookworm: Spends the majority of her screentime reading, rarely looking up, even when in conversation.
  • Dramatically Missing the Point: The main idea she scribs from Albert Camus is that life is pointless because we die; this exactly the opposite point of Existentialism.
  • Improbable Weapon User: She uses a hunk of meat to help fight Virgil.
  • Meet Cute: With Charlie Gerhardt, of all people.
  • Perky Goth: Her personality and interests fit to a tee, but given that she lives in 1979 Midwest, she's something of a proto-goth (no jet black hair and clothes).
  • Running Gag: She's always seen reading a book.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: After hanging around with Betsy and observing Betsy's stoical attitude and fundamental kindness, she becomes less of a Straw Nihilist and more of a good friend to the Solversons.

    Karl Weathers 

Karl A. Weathers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/weathers_karl.jpg

Played By: Nick Offerman

"Don't dictate terms to me, you rogue, for the law is a light on a hill, calling to its breast all those in search of justice."

The town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota. A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist.


  • The Alcoholic: Drinks enough to worry Betty that she asks him to stop so he can look out for Lou and Molly should anything happen to her.
  • All Up to You: After spending a season being a rather bumbling and drunk (yet eloquent) example of a small town lawyer, he steps up in "Rhinoceros" and (with pointers from Lou) single-handedly defuses the siege on the police station, with nothing more than his legal knowledge, guts, and ability to persuade.
  • Batman Gambit: He appeals to Bear's love for his son to stop his rampage through the Laverne PD, indicating that Charlie could be released if he just left. Otherwise, he could be held responsible for the damage and given years in prison.
  • Big Damn Heroes: He shows up just in time to save Sonny from Hanzee, when Sonny catches Hanzee snooping in the garage.
  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He's an eccentric drunk, but he is a fantastic speaker who literally gambles his own life on his ability.
  • The Cloud Cuckoolander Was Right: Although Lou dismisses the idea that there's much more to the Waffle House shooting, Karl promises that it'll only get bigger. And it is.
  • Conspiracy Theorist: He has a few rather suspect theories.
  • Drunken Master: He's wasted most of the time, but in his Moment of Awesome in "Rhinoceros", this trait doesn't stop him from being a successful mediator between a furious Bear Gerhardt and his Mooks and the Luverne PD, and averts possible bloodshed, all while being terrified out of his mind.
  • Establishing Character Moment: In his first appearance, he's berating a friend for not being more knowledgeable of current events while espousing conspiracy theories.
  • Everyone Has Standards: A serious alcoholic he might be, but he doesn't drive drunk, and takes not doing so seriously enough that when a cop asks him if he plans on driving while visibly inebriated, he breaks his "eccentric bombastic attorney" just long enough to be clear that, no, somebody is driving him.
  • Expy: A bearded war vet who talks at length and berates his slow-on-the-uptake drinking buddy? Sounds a lot like Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski.
    • He also has many similarities to Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, who was also played by Nick Offerman.
    • There's also some similarity to Ulysses Everett McGill of O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Both men are fast talking, Know Nothing Know It Alls with Delusions of Eloquence. Everett was even arrested for practicing law with no license. For bonus points, "Man Of Constant Sorrow" plays over the credits of the episode "Rhinoceros", juxtaposed with clips of Karl rambling to Sonny over drinks.
  • Fanboy: Of Ronald Reagan, as much as he tries to deny it. He tears up at his speech, shakes his hand, and proclaims himself to love a rather obscure movie he'd done.
  • Greek Chorus: Along with Sonny, he spends the majority of the first half of the second season on the benches, looking and commenting on the madness surrounding him.
  • Hypocritical Humor: He tells Sonny he won't shake Ronald Reagan's hand; the man was in a movie with a monkey, it wouldn't be dignified. Not two seconds later, he unhesitatingly shakes Reagan's hand while gushing about one of his films.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He might be short-tempered and irritable, but he shows deep concern for Betsy Solverson. He also has a deep belief in the importance of his career and defending the accused.
  • Manly Tears: Karl sheds them at Reagan's speech about how he'll help America get back on its feet.
  • Motor Mouth: Karl most certainly possesses the gift of the gab.
  • Nerves of Steel: He's one of the few people not intimidated by Dent, and even gets him to back off when he shows that he's got a firearm. He comes very close to cracking when confronted with Bear's gun-toting mob in episode 6 of season 2, but he keeps himself together enough to deliberate and get the man to back down.
  • The Obi-Wannabe: He tries to act like the mentor towards his friends. But he's too grumpy, mad, and full of Delusions of Eloquence to truly become such.
  • Shipper on Deck: When Betsy talks about how her older sister was going to marry Lou, before he joined the navy, Karl has this to say:
    Karl: Listen, if I was building an ark, and they said you can only take two people, man and wife, I'd take him and you over him and her any day.
  • Supreme Chef: Karl earned his title of The King of Breakfast because of his cooking skills.
  • Talking the Monster to Death: In "Rhinoceros", Karl manages to calm down an angered Bear Gerhardt by reminding him of his son Charlie, locked up in the Luverne PD, and how Bear's future actions could affect him, Charlie, and his future.
  • Talking Your Way Out: His true gift is his persuasion tactics, especially when faced with a life-or-death situation. Just ask Lou and Bear.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Sonny Greer, although Karl provides all of the vitriol.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He and Sonny are absent from the last couple episodes despite having moved into the house to guard Betsy, who gets some focus at that time.

    Sonny Greer 

Sonny Greer

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greer_sonny.jpg

Played By: Dan Beirne

Luverne's most trusted mechanic and drinking buddy of Lou and Karl. A Vietnam veteran.


  • Alone with the Psycho: When Hanzee discovers the Blomquists' car in Sonny's workshop, Sonny tries to stop him from fidgeting around it, causing Hanzee to pull his knife. Thankfully, Karl comes out of the bathroom at that moment and let his gun be shown.
  • Butt-Monkey: He is often dismissed and berated by Karl. Even Lou can't help but wonder about him.
  • The Ditz: He's not particularly bright, to say the least.
  • Dumb Is Good: Sonny is pretty hapless and dim, but also a good-hearted young man.
  • Expy: Just as Karl is one to Walter Sobchak, Sonny is a dimmer version of Donny Kerabatsos from The Big Lebowski; a somewhat gormless, much-insulted friend to a main character (Lou) and a loud-mouthed Vietnam veteran (Karl). Heck, it's worth noting that his name is one letter away from being "Donny". However, he does inherit Walter's trait of claiming to have served in Vietnam whenever he's in trouble, which is something Karl never needs to do.
  • Greek Chorus: Along with Karl, he spends the majority of the first half of the second season on the benches, looking and commenting on the madness surrounding him.
  • Nice Guy: Sonny's a friendly person by nature.
  • Retired Badass: He, uh, definitely claims to be one. When Hanzee stares him down Sonny tries to ward him off by telling him that he fought in Vietnam and his comrades called him "Mad Dog". Nothing about his disposition indicates that he saw much action, but he's seen at the VFA along with Karl and Lou, so it's likely that he was at least deployed at some point. Hanzee for his part is unconvinced.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Karl Weathers, although Karl provides all of the vitriol.

    Constance Heck 

Constance Heck

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heck_constance.jpg

Played By: Elizabeth Marvel

Owner of the local beauty salon, Constance is an independent, liberated woman who knows what she wants in life and encourages her staff and clients to “be the best you, you can be”.


  • Character Death: Hanzee throttles her in her hotel room, off-screen.
  • Expy: She's Malvo-lite. She's encouraging Peggy to be more selfish, giving into her desires and wants at the expense of her husband.
  • Jerkass: Constance might be a friend to Peggy, but she's a terrible influence and is a selfish person in general.
  • Killed Offscreen: Hanzee kills her after she fails to find out where Peggy is.
  • Lipstick Lesbian: Her interest in Peggy is clearly not platonic. She flirts outrageously with her, helps to increase Peggy's resentment of Ed, and overtly checks out Peggy's ass when her friend's back is turned. She also only got one hotel room for her and Peggy, with the likely intent to seduce her.
  • Sensei for Scoundrels: Her twisted philosophy in life and clear wild perspective on freedom rub on Peggy, and she clearly wants to influence her on the ways one's personal matters can overcome the rest's.
  • Straw Feminist: She gives off hints of this, considering she is always trying to convince Peggy to drop Ed, using language like "don't be a prisoner of we", saying it's better for her when in fact she just wants to get in Peggy's pants. In Episode Ten, Peggy indicates that she gave her emotional beatdowns because she couldn't manage to have both a healthy family life and a successful career, and this abuse led directly to her increasing insanity.
  • Toxic Friend Influence: To Peggy, who really doesn't need the help. Constance doesn't exactly push Peggy to become a genuine criminal, but she does encourage her more selfish impulses and serves as an enabler. She frequently touts the virtues of caring only for yourself.

Bismarck, North Dakota

    Irma 

Irma

Played By: Clare Coulter

An elderly woman living alone in Bismarck, ND who unexpectedly finds a new roommate in Ole Munch.


  • All There in the Script: Her name only appears in the subtitles and even then only appears in episode 7.
  • The Hermit: She lives a solitary lifestyle mostly consisting of drinking beer and watching tennis.
  • Lady Drunk: She’s seen cracking open multiple cans of beer at once while watching TV, clearly a routine of hers. Her son later remarks that she wouldn’t be broke if she didn’t buy so many six-packs.
  • Never Mess with Granny: Irma beats the crap out of Gator upon seeing him break into “Munch's” (actually her) car, and puts up a legitimate fight before he pushes her onto the ice and inadvertently kills her.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: She accepts Munch’s presence in her home without comment.
  • When Elders Attack: She repeatedly clubs Gator with a bag of oranges from the grocery store.

    Kevin 

Kevin

Played By: Laurent Pitre

Irma’s deadbeat tweaker son.


  • Asshole Victim: He’s murdered mere minutes after he’s introduced, but there’s little reason to feel bad for him (see Hate Sink below).
  • Hate Sink: In his only scene, he barges into his elderly, disabled mother’s house, verbally abuses her, orders her to make him a sandwich (while telling her “not to Jew him” on the meat), freaks out at Munch’s sudden appearance, then forces him to pay him monthly rent. Needless to say, it’s no surprise when Munch axe-murders him seconds later (which not even his mother seems to care about) and later uses his corpse as a puppet.
  • Of Corpse He's Alive: After killing him, Munch rigs his body up in a rocking chair to use as bait a trap for Gator.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: He's upset when his mother only has six dollars left from her disability check for him to mooch off of.

Fargo, North Dakota

    Judge Mundt 

Judge Irma Mundt

Played By: Ann Cusack

A municipal judge in Fargo, North Dakota.


  • Foil: To Wade Gustafson. Like him, she genuinely seems to think that berating a clearly agitated criminal who is very thinly threatening her life will get them to back off. Also like Wade, it gets her and several innocent people killed when she winds up pressing him too far.
  • Improbable Weapon User: She uses a can of bug-spray like it's mace; it's a nice little nod to Rye's status as a pest.
  • Never Mess with Granny: Defied. She is approaching old age, but she doesn't bat an eye at Rye's threats and refuses to be kowtowed. Her complete refusal to take Rye seriously as a threat backfires on her when Rye, having already suffered several humiliations on the same day, finally snaps and murders her after being pushed too far.
  • Oh, Crap!: When Rye pulls his gun out.
  • Plot-Triggering Death: Rye killing her is what kicks off the conflict and gets the police looking into the Gerhardts right as they're in the midst of preparing for a hostile takeover from Kansas City.
  • Too Dumb to Live: It probably wasn't the best idea to respond to the erratic and clearly agitated Rye blatantly trying to threaten her by spraying him in the face with bug spray.

Duluth, Minnesota

    Ari Ziskind 

Ari Ziskind

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ziskind_ari.jpg
"Only a fool thinks he can solve the world's problems."

Played By: Byron Noble

"This is a community. People watch each other's backs. Someone gets sick, someone dies, you bring a casserole, help."

Gus's neighbor.


  • Badass Bystander: Ari might be an average family man, but he's one of the very few who are willing to stand up to Lorne Malvo and not back down. Hell, he even makes Malvo back down.
  • The Confidant: A one-time sounding board for Gus.
  • Creepy Good: His mannerisms and monotone delivery of morbid stories does make Gus feel a bit put off, but Ari's just trying to be neighborly. His speech to Malvo about community and the good in the world may not have moved the recipient, but it does give us a good insight on how Ari thinks.
  • Nice Guy: Offers advice to Gus when he notices that the latter seems troubled, and is part of the neighborhood watch, giving off the impression that he is an upstanding member of the community.
  • No-Sell: One of Malvo's most powerful abilities is his cunning and ability to lie, but Ari sees through him for the malevolent soul he is.
    Malvo: Maybe I'm here to help.
    Ari: No, you have black eyes. You're trouble. I'm going inside, and I'm calling the cops.
    Malvo: Which building? The one with the Jew bus outside?
    Ari: There it is. Now the truth comes out.

    Rachel Ziskind 

Rachel Ziskind

Played By: Leah Cairns

A neighbor of Gus and Ari's wife.


  • Aborted Arc: Her first appearance suggests she has some sort of a crush on or infatuation with Gus, and he seems to reciprocate the interest. This is never brought up or referenced again.
  • Ms. Fanservice: She exposes her rather impressive body to Gus.
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Rachel is much more attractive than her husband.

Eden Valley, Minnesota

    Dale 

Dale

Played By: Joel Labelle

    Ennis Stussy 

Ennis Stussy / Thaddeus Mobley

Played By: Scott Hylands (2010) & Thomas Randall Mann (1975)

The stepfather of Gloria Burgle.


  • The Alcoholic: He's constantly sneaking himself a drink, even at work.
  • Asshole Victim: Deconstructed. Ennis was a drunken, grumpy old homophobe. Still, his family loved him and he loved them back in his own begrudging way. He most certainly didn't deserve such a cruel, senseless death.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Back in 1975, Thaddeus Mobley was a nice and trusting young man, which is why it came as a surprise to Zimmerman and Vivian when he snapped and beat Zimmerman into a coma when he realized they had conned him out of all his money.
  • Butt-Monkey: Being a young, innocent man, he had a target on his back the moment he entered Hollywood.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: He gets his nose and mouth glued shut.
  • First-Episode Twist: Fargo tends to start with a death (or two, or three, or four) to kick off the plot. This time, Ennis got the nod.
  • Grumpy Old Man: He's in a perpetually bad mood.
  • Hidden Depths: Gloria discovers he was once a prolific Science Fiction writer. Sharp-eyed viewers can spot a Hugo Award among his belongings.
  • Killed Offscreen: The confrontation between Ennis and Maurice that led to the former's death is not shown. His body is discovered by Gloria, and the cause of death is later revealed to be asphyxiation.
  • Line-of-Sight Name: He got his second alias Ennis Stussy from a toilet logo in his motel for a company called Dennis Stussy & Sons, with the ‘D’ worn off.
  • Mysterious Past: Gloria knows nothing of his life before he married her mother, until she starts actively investigating him.
  • Naïve Newcomer: He was not ready to deal with the seedy world of Hollywood in The '70s, and paid dearly for it.
  • Parental Substitute: Gloria tried to reconnect with him to give her son a little more stability after her divorce and Ennis does (awkwardly) make conversation with his step-grandson and give him a wood carving.
  • Politically Incorrect Hero: He's certainly nowhere near a villain, but he's notably homophobic.
  • Posthumous Character: We learn a lot more about him after his death than before.
  • Rage Breaking Point: When he realizes he's been conned, he beats Zimmerman into a coma.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Went from a naive, trusting kid to a surly and rude old man.

Scandia, Minnesota

    Lars Olmstead 

Lars Olmstead

Played By: Lukas Gage

Indira's inattentive husband, an aspiring pro golfer.


  • Blaming the Tools: When he's not blaming his wife Indira, Lars Olmstead constantly blames his stalled professional golfing career on his equipment, rather than the fact that he just isn't an exceptional golfer.
  • Fingore: He managed to deglove his finger in 2018, adding more medical debt to his family’s already serious financial issues.
  • Foolish Husband, Responsible Wife: Lars is a Manchild, Lazy Bum who continues to delude himself into thinking he could become a golf pro, while his wife Indira is currently working to pay all the debts accrued. She finally throws him out when she catches him in bed with another woman.
  • Hate Sink: While not as vile as the psychopathic Roy Tillman, every screen appearance consists of him constantly leeching off his wife whilst refusing to get a real job, despite the fact that they are drowning in debts.
  • High Hopes, Zero Talent: Insists his athletic career is about to take off, despite being a pretty mediocre golfer from what we see on his simulator. The drum set seen in his garage indicates he had a similarly unsuccessful stint as a musician; when Scotty asks about it, Indira notes that it was his previous dream.
  • I Coulda Been a Contender!: He has deluded himself into thinking that he could have been a pro gold star if he did not injure his finger. Indira lampshades the fact that he was a mediocre golfer when he was at his peak and the injury did not really set him back that much.
  • It's All About Me: He has completely deluded himself into thinking that him becoming a star golfer is the most important thing in the world. He continues to put his family into more debt and even wants Indira to quit her job because it will make him feel better. When Indira asks him to watch Dot's daughter for a single afternoon, he bails because he thinks that his physiotherapy appointment is more important.
  • Lazy Bum: Refuses to get a “real job” despite the fact that he and Indira are struggling financially.
  • Manchild: Lars still hasn't gotten over his childhood ambition of being a pro golfer. He spends all of his time in his garage man-cave, racks up debt by contributing nothing to the household, and eats kids' cereal. Indira describes him using that exact word.
  • Never My Fault: He refuses to take any responsibility for his and Indira's massive debts, constantly blaming either her, his degloving injury, or his equipment for his stalled golfing career.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: Against all reason or sanity, he actually wants Indira to be a stay-at-home wife and openly complains about how the fact that she's employed — because she has to be in order to pay down their considerable debts — is emasculating to him.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: He actually has the gall to complain that Indira having a job is cutting into her "obligations" to him.

    Jordan Seymore 

Jordan Seymore

Played By: Steven McCarthy

A patient at Walter Mondale Medical Center.


  • Boom, Headshot!: Roy shoots him in the head upon realizing he's not Wayne Lyon.
  • Butt-Monkey: Although he’s definitely a jerk, it’s hard not to feel bad for him after all he goes through. He’s already hospitalized for cancer, then Dot mugs him for his coat, then he’s kidnapped and taken to the Tillman ranch after Dot switches the name on his door, and is finally shot in the head when Roy realizes he’s not Wayne.
  • Defiant to the End: He spends his entire torture session at the hands of Roy's men yelling insults at them before Roy comes in and shoots him dead.
  • Mugged for Disguise: Dot steals his coat to wear over the nurse's uniform she stole from another employee.
  • Sir Swearsalot: Most of his speech involves him yelling profanity at anyone in earshot. Pretty justified, as he spends all his screentime either suffering from cancer or being beaten like a piñata.

Kansas City, Missouri

    Burt & Louise Canton 

Burt & Louise Canton

Played By: Stephen Root & Jennifer Copping

Married friends of one of Lorne Malvo's alter egos, Mike.


  • Awful Wedded Life: Burt privately complains to Malvo about his dismal sex life with his wife.
    Burt: Weezy's basically a Jew in the bedroom.
    Malvo: Oh, you mean she wears a wig, makes you do it through a hole in the sheet, yeah.
    Burt: No. No, no. She stopped putting it in her mouth soon as the ring went on her finger.
    Malvo: Well, that's a national tragedy, Burt.
  • Boom, Headshot!: Louise is killed in this manner by Malvo.
  • Character Death: They're both shot and killed by their supposed friend Malvo.
  • Dirty Old Man: Burt presses Malvo for details about his younger fiance.
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Burt wants to take Lorne, a man he's only known for a few months, on a trip to go say hi to his brother in the witness protection program (as in the place where absolute secrecy is required for survival), unaware that the only reason Lorne befriended him was as part of a long game to find and assassinate said brother.
  • Slimeball: Burt's personality - arrogant, saying unkind words about his wife and making stupid decisions to break witness protection rules all with a kind of summary sense of pleasure - can feel grating.

    Jemma Stalone 

Jemma Stalone

Played By: Helena Mattson

The girlfriend of one of Lorne Malvo's alter egos, Mike.


  • Boom, Headshot!: She's shot and killed by Malvo.
  • Fake Relationship: She's obliviously playing this role to Malvo. He is really an assassin trying to get close to Burt Canton and he uses his romance with her to seem normal and settled in the area so no one will be suspicious of him.
  • May–December Romance: With Lorne Malvo, or rather, his alter-ego.
  • Nice Girl: She seems fairly pleasant in comparison to the Cantons and Malvo's alter ego.
  • Pink Means Feminine: She has on a pink sweater at the Canton's party.
  • Unwitting Pawn: She's engaged to Malvo and seems to care about him but he has zero real interest in her and is only using her as The Beard.

    David Harvard 

Dr. David Harvard

Played By: Stephen Spencer

A chauvinistic director of a private hospital, and the current employer of Oraetta Mayflower.


  • Asshole Victim: Dr. Harvard isn't a murderer or a criminal like the majority of the cast, but he's a racist, arrogant bastard who denies help to a man bleeding out the neck and his family just because they're Italian. Not many tears are shed when he chokes on one of Oraetta's poisoned macaroons. It's subverted by the next episode, where it's revealed he survived and has been a transferred to a hospital out of state for protection. It's then double-subverted when he triumphantly returns to the hospital in the season finale... and is promptly abducted and murdered by Josto afterwards.
  • Cruel and Unusual Death: His passing is a slow and painful one, desperately gasping for air as Oreatta watches avidly. Subverted when it turns out he survived.
  • Dr. Jerk: Hospital director, but he practices medicine and is a chauvinistic prick who is selective in which patients he will treat.
  • Hate Sink: While most of the main characters aren't exactly saints, Loy Cannon at least has some redeeming qualities in his love for his family, and Josto has some witty moments. Even Oraetta, despite being a racist and a Serial Killer, has a sympathetic backstory in the form of the implication of her mother having Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome, resulting in Oraetta spending much of her childhood bedridden. Dr. Harvard, however, has none of these. Racist and misogynistic, Harvard embodies everything wrong with America in the 1950s.
  • Not Quite Dead: Oraetta poisons him to remove him as a threat to her employment and to steal a letter exposing her Serial Killer tendencies. He survives, much to her surprise, and has to be treated in a hospital out of state for his safety.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: He expresses open disdain for Italians and others. Even inquires as to whether PTSD-ridden Odis is "some sort of retard." Bonus points for Harvard claiming that he himself is "no bigot."
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Unsympathetic example. He refuses a bribe from Ebal to convince him to accept Donatello Fadda in the hospital, based on pure bigotry.

Los Angeles, California

    Howard Zimmerman 

Howard Zimmerman

Played By: Fred Melamed (1975) & Roger V. Burton (2010)

A Hollywood producer who worked with Thaddeus Mobley in 1975.


  • Faux Affably Evil: As befitting a con man, he knows how to charm people. He speaks with the even, smoothly ingratiating voice of Fred Melamed, never losing his cool or being anything but genial. He even tries to comfort Tad after revealing the extent to which he took advantage of the kid, never gloating and remaining as friendly as ever. While Vivian throws some sharp taunts Tad's way, Howard chastises her for being too harsh. Hell, it seems like Vivian might be the worst of the two criminals at first with Howard along as her stooge... until Tad complains a little too much and Zimmerman shows just how dangerous he can be.
  • Asshole Victim: Having conned Thaddeus Mobley out of all the money he had back in The '70s, he richly deserved it when Thaddeus beat him into a coma with his own cane.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: He sure seems like a nice guy, but he's still a con man with a wide frame. As Tad discovers when Zimmerman begins to choke him out with the kind of ease that makes it clear he's done this before.
  • Con Man: His promises of turning Thaddeus' book into a big Hollywood movie are nothing but a con to drain Tad of all of his money.
  • Convenient Coma: The beating Tad gave him almost killed him, but instead put him in a long coma, giving Thaddeus the chance to make a run for it and become Ennis Stussy.
  • Hookers and Blow: He uses Thaddeus' money to pay for his extravagant lifestyle.
  • Insane Troll Logic: When the con is revealed, he tries to argue that he did Tad a favor by screwing him over, stealing all his money, and getting him addicted to cocaine.
  • Obviously Evil: The audience could tell that he was nothing but a con man from the second he showed up on screen.
  • Yiddish as a Second Language: He peppers his speech with some Yiddish words, like "bubeleh".

    Vivian Lord 

Vivian Lord

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bmjqyntezndk1nl5bml5banbnxkftztgwnji0mteymji_v1_sy1000_cr006671000_al.jpg
"He was right. I am a bad person."
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bmty5nzm3oty3mf5bml5banbnxkftztgwodi0mteymji_v1_sy1000_cr0015281000_al.jpg
"You're not gonna cry, are you?"

Played By: Francesca Eastwood (1975) & Frances Fisher (2010)

A Hollywood starlet who crossed paths with Thaddeus Mobley in 1975.


  • Con Man: She was in on Zimmerman’s plan to drain Thaddeus dry from the beginning.
  • Femme Fatale: Gorgeous and seductive, she was able to wrap Thaddeus around her little finger with sex and drugs in record time.
  • Kick the Dog: She was needlessly cruel to Thaddeus Mobley when the con was finished up.
  • Recovered Addict: She did a lot of drugs in The '70s, but as of 2010, she claims to have been clean for 29 years.
  • Reformed Criminal: By 2010, she is making an honest living as a waitress in a diner and seems to regret the part she played in the scam.

    Paul Marrane 

Paul Marrane

Played By: Ray Wise

A traveling businessman who befriends Gloria in LA. He mysteriously reappears later on to give Nikki some help and advice, implying that his role in the story is far from coincidental.


  • Ambiguously Human: Paul knows Nikki, Yuri, and Wrench's life in great detail, and inflicts some sort of vision on Yuri as punishment for murdering his girlfriend and reveling in his ancestors' brutality. Combined with his Kabbalistic teachings to Nikki, he seems to be some kind of divine intervention.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: He is one of the kindest souls in the entire series, showing deep compassion to Gloria, Nikki and Wrench, but also will not suffer any wickedness and evil either. When he meets Yuri Gurka, he grants him a potential Fate Worse than Death. All that's known was that Yuri was never to be seen again...
  • Cute Kitten: Carries around an absolutely adorable, fuzzy orange tabby kitten. If he is to be believed, it's Ray Stussy reincarnated.
  • Creepy Good: Downplayed. There is something unsettling about Paul and the aura around him, but in spite of that, there is a warmth to him.
  • Good Is Not Soft: Just because he is friendly and comforting to those he deems worthy, do not assume he will not deal with evildoers exactly as harshly as they deserve. Just ask Yuri.
  • Guardian Angel: His second appearance all but outright states that he is one to Nikki and Gloria. He divulges information about Nikki and her circumstances that he had no logical way of knowing in advance, and provides her with a car with which she and Wrench could escape from Yuri, with his only stipulation being that she deliver a message to "The Wicked".
  • Magical Jew: He is Ambiguously Jewish, and gives sage advice to other characters while frequently referencing Judaism and the Hebrew Bible. He is strongly implied to be the Wandering Jew.
  • Meaningful Name: Paul Marrane is one of the names attributed to the Wandering Jew.
  • Nice Guy: Probably the only person in LA to treat Gloria well without any ulterior motives. He also gives Nikki some heartfelt advice to help her cope with Ray's death, and provides her with a car for her and Wrench to escape in.
  • Wandering Jew: Paul shares the name of the Wandering Jew in 'The Turkish Spy', and sympathises with the wandering robot in Ennis' sci-fi novel. It also explains his tendency to quote in Hebrew.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: A variation, as he doesn't say it directly to the character's face. He feels Mr. Wrench is this and even says to Nikki that he's on a better path than he used to be.

Other Characters

    Ronald Reagan 

Governor Ronald Reagan

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reagan_ronald.jpg
"Son, there's not a challenge on God's Earth that can't be overcome by an American."

Played By: Bruce Campbell

"The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his presence him from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world. A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us. My friends, I believe that you and I together can keep this rendezvous with destiny."

An old-time Hollywood actor with charisma and charm to spare and two terms as governor of California under his belt, Ronald Reagan is ready for the next political challenge. With his sights set on becoming President of the United States, he’s now out on the campaign trail to rally the American people.


  • Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality: Has a tendency to mix up his life with his movies.
  • The Charmer: It's Reagan (and Bruce Campbell), after all. He built his support on his easy charm.
  • Good Is Dumb: Reagan means well, but he's utterly out-of-touch and his grip on reality is a little tenuous. When speaking privately with Lou, he unintentionally reveals just how insensitive he can be. In a sincere but misguided attempt to bond with Lou, he compares Lou's wartime experience to his fictional portrayal of a soldier. He talks about it as if it were a real event and was actually there, but then he can't quite remember how it ended. The point is lost, and when Lou appeals to this well-loved authority figure for some advice, his response exposes that he doesn't have the answers. He may not have even thought about the answers.
    Reagan: Son, there's not a challenge on God's Earth that can't be overcome by an American. I truly believe that.
    Lou: Yeah. But how?
    Reagan: [smiles, shrugs, walks away]
  • Historical Domain Character: It's pretty self-explanatory. Here, he isn't president just yet, but it's coming sure and fast. It's Ronald Reagan, after all. The actor?
  • Foreshadowing: He gets his real life and film mixed up at one point, explaining stress tends to do that (and his onset of Alzheimers). Which is exactly what happens to Peggy during the finale.
  • Rousing Speech: Reagan has a talent for swaying crowds with his charismatic speeches. Even the cynical, fight-the-establishment Karl is moved to tears.
  • Sleazy Politician: Averted. Reagan is portrayed here as out of touch with shallow promises, but he's a friendly guy and comes across as sincere in his desire to make things better. He just hasn't thought things through.

    The Widow Goldfarb 

Ruby Goldfarb

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3x05_0003.jpg

Played By: Mary McDonnell

The widow Goldfarb is the wealthy "Storage Queen of the Great Lakes Region" who wants to buy Stussy Lots.


  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Downplayed, since while she's not exactly sunshine and rainbows, she at least comes across as charming, respectful, and forthright even as she says she could be a terrible enemy for Emmit. Then it turns out she's working for Varga and is much more ruthless and cold-blooded than anyone could anticipate.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: She's introduced as a rival businesswoman who wants to buy Stussy Lots. She comes across as an intimidating enemy to have, but given that Emmit and Sy are being terrorized by Varga, she doesn't seem like a major threat. Then it turns out she's working for Varga and through him seized control of Emmit's company.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive: Has no problem working with a sociopathic murderer in order to seize control of Stussy Lots.
  • Iron Lady: She takes control of her meeting with Sy pretty effectively and lets him know that having her for an enemy is bad idea.
  • Join or Die: She makes the veiled threat that if Emmit and Sy don't sell to her, she will just become their competition and run them out of business. She's working with Varga, so this threat is very much backed up.
  • Karma Houdini: Even more so than Varga, who at least has some ambiguity as to whether or not he'll face punishment for his crimes. Ruby, meanwhile, seemingly gets everything she wants by seizing Emmit's company through Varga and it's never stated if the truth ever comes out.
  • Pretty in Mink: She arrives to Gloria's interview in a very luxurious fur coat.
  • Rich Bitch: A decidedly subtle version. When she's dining with accomplished businessmen Emmit and Sy, she speaks rather courteously and charmingly. When she's being interviewed by Gloria, however, she becomes noticeably condescending and makes her disdain for the working-class policewoman clear.

    Horst Lagerfeld 

Colonel Horst Lagerfeld

Played By: Sylvester Groth

A German officer who is seen interrogating a man in East Berlin in 1988.


  • Insane Troll Logic: His reason for arresting Jakob about the murder of of Helga Albrecth. The government records show that Yuri Gurka lived in Ungerleider's apartment, so Jakob must be Yuri, despite being the wrong age, the wrong nationality, having the wrong name, and having a wife that can vouch for the fact that Jacob isn't Yuri.
  • Police Are Useless: He can't be bothered to look for the real killer of Helga Albrecth because it would imply the government's records were less than perfect.

    Jakob Ungeleider 

Jakob Ungerleider

Played By: Fabian Busch

An unlucky citizen of East Berlin in 1988.


  • Miscarriage of Justice: He had absolutely nothing to do with Helga Albrecht's death, but by all appearances he was punished for it.
  • The Scapegoat: Col. Lagerfeld seemed intent on pinning the murder of Helga Albrecht on him for no other reason than he happened to live in Yuri's old apartment.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: It's unclear if he managed to convince Lagerfeld (or his superiors) of his innocence, and whether or not he was arrested or shot on the spot it he didn't succeed in this.

    Mr. Snowman/ Theodore Roach 

Theodore "Mr. Snowman" Roach

Played By: Will Clinger

The captain of a slave ship, choked to death by Etherilda's great-great grandfather whose spirit haunts the Smutney family from generations now.


  • Ambiguously Evil: In life, no. He is mentioned as being an especially cruel slave ship captain who took pleasure in seeing the slaves drown. In death? Uncertain. While he is a “curse” he never does anything onscreen that’s particularly violent. He never directly kills a Smutney family member. He mostly stands around looking creepy and scaring various characters. He even seems to scare off Oraetta when she comes to kill Ethelrida in her sleep, and is later seen standing behind Oraetta when she is executed, seeming to have transferred his “curse” to her instead. It is unclear why this happens.

    Clayton Winckle 

Clayton Winkle

Played By: William Dick

A Missouri banker who Loy Cannon briefly attempts to partner with.


  • Honest Corporate Executive: Winckle refuses to help Loy market his prototype credit card because he can't fathom the idea of banks charging blue-collar workers higher interest rates than they can afford. He also treats Loy and Doctor Senator with more respect than most of the other white characters in the season, not that that's saying much.

    Maynard Oltroff 

Maynard Oltroff

Played By: Bob Bainborough

The owner of a gas station on South Dakota.


  • Innocent Bystander: Maynard is an honest man with no involvement in the Mob War who gets bullied around and later killed by Hanzee.
  • No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Maynard calls the police on Hanzee after recognizing his wanted poster, which inadvertently leads to Hanzee fleeing back to his gas station and killing Maynard.

    Hunk Swindell and Hickory J. Milch 

Hunk Swindell and Hickory J. Milch

Played By: Tim Hopper and Japhet Balaban

Guest at the hotel where Rabbi and Satchel lay low.


  • Gold Fever: Milch is full of bold ideas about getting rich in the Texas oil fields.
  • Shout-Out: They're named after two characters from The Wizard of Oz, which the episode they appear in heavily references.
  • Traveling Salesman: Swindell is a talkative salesman who travels the territory selling aluminum.

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