History Characters / FargoSeriesSolversonGrimlyFamily

* BadassGrandpa: His badassery is not diminished by his old age. He is unarmed, retired, and not in a helpful position, but his demeanor, NervesOfSteel, and cautiousness make him come off as a force to be reckoned with on his own. He doesn't hesitate to break out the shotgun when it comes time to protect his family.

* CoolOldGuy: It's a hallmark of anyone played by Keith Carradine, and Lou is no exception. He's a loving father who makes 'Dad Jokes', a quick wit, and a solid badass.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Do not uncomment them without explaining how the tropes apply to the character. Just the trope name is not context. Just a character's name is not context.

* ActionGirl: Being a police officer and Police Chief Thurman's star pupil gives this title just by automatic. Her determination and use of force when dealing with criminals or just other officers just cement her as this.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: After numerous setbacks in her investigation, not helped by Bill's incompetence or getting accidentally shot by Gus, [[spoiler:Molly finally manages to bring Malvo and Lester to justice and settle down with her new family as the new chief of police for Bemidji.]]

* HeroicBSOD: Seen starting one at the end of ''Who Shaves The Barber'' [[spoiler:after finding out the police arrested Chaz instead of Lorne & Lester.]]

* IgnoredExpert: Got this treatment in "The Castle". [[LaserGuidedKarma His detractors heavily paid for not listening to him.]]
* JurisdictionFriction: In "The Castle", Lou ends being arm-wrestled the Blomquists case by the Sioux Falls Police Department, going as far as excluding him from every important talks, insulted at every opportunity, and escorted out of the state. [[KillEmAll It doesn't go well for the Sioux Falls police]].

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Poor Lou has allot of hardship in his life; his experiences in Vietnam, the events of Season 2 including the Sioux Falls Massacre, the death of his beloved wife, and later taking a bullet on a traffic stop that forces his retirement. But, as Betsy's [[DreamingOfThingsToCome dream]] in "Palindrome" shows, as an older man he'll know true contentment and happiness with Molly, Gus, Greta and their young son.

* PrecisionFStrike: He remain soft spoken and polite throughout season 2, but at one point he gets fed up with Ben Schmitt's cowardice and tells him:

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Poor Lou has allot of hardship in his life; his experiences in Vietnam, the events of Season 2 including the Sioux Falls Massacre, the death of his beloved wife, and later taking a bullet on a traffic stop that forces his retirement. But, as Betsy's [[DreamingOfThingsToCome dream]] in "Palindrome" shows, as an older man he'll see true contentment and happiness with Molly, Gus, Greta and their young son.

--> "Peggy, ''people have died.''"

[[folder:Molly]]

[[folder:Lou]]

[[folder:Betsy]]

[[folder:Gus]]

[[folder:Greta]]

* ShutUpHannibal: Shuts down Peggy's self-pitying MotiveRant with one line in the finale:

* GenreSavvy: Works out Lester's connection to Malvo and Malvo's connection to the frozen corpse, only to be ignored by her boss because he has a pet theory about a drifter.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"I'm thirty-one, Dad. I carry a gun."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Creator/AllisonTolman, Raven Stewart & Laura Geluch

[[folder:Gus]]
!!Gus Grimly
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimly_gus.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Well, you know, sometimes there's more than one right thing."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Colin Hanks

A Duluth police officer, Gus isn't the kind of cop who dreams of solving the big case. A single father to a twelve year old girl, all Gus wants to do is to punch the clock in the morning and go home at night. But his life is complicated one night when he pulls over Lorne Malvo. Feeling threatened, Gus lets Malvo go. It is a decision that haunts him and when fate brings Malvo back into his life, Gus will be forced to confront his worst fears.

* CannotSpitItOut: Grows increasingly sweet on Molly but has trouble saying anything about it. [[spoiler:They still end up married.]]
* CluelessDeputy: Gus admits that he isn't a very good cop, and that he mostly deals with stray animals. He is much happier when he becomes a mailman.
* DotingParent: He keeps in contact with his daughter over the police radio.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: At the start of the show, he's a clearly lonely widower who makes the grievous error of letting Malvo go. By seasons end, he's married, expecting a second kid, [[spoiler:working happily as a mailman, and makes up for his mistake by killing Malvo.]]
* GoodCounterpart: To Lester; they're both somewhat weak-willed men who have a stronger person come into their lives to steer them towards good and evil, respectively (Lorne for Lester, Molly for Gus).
* IDidWhatIHadToDo: Gus explains to his daughter that, even though it's his job to catch the bad guys, he would (and, unbeknownst to her, has) let one walk free rather than leave her without a father.
* ILetGwenStacyDie: A sort-of subversion, [[spoiler:Molly survives being shot, but Gus still feels extremely guilty about it.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: Letting Lorne go. [[spoiler:And shooting Molly.]]
* NiceGuy: Very nice making it all the more ironic that [[spoiler:he of all people, is the one to kill Malvo.]]
* LovableCoward: He's good man overall, but he's easily intimidated, especially by Lorne Malvo.
* PoliceAreUseless: Gus might be a good guy, but as a police officer, he's straight-up incompetent.
* PunchClockHero: He's more or less dragged into the plot.
* TookALevelInBadass: [[spoiler:By finally being the one that kills Lorne.]]
* TurnInYourBadge: He's put on suspension for three weeks after Lorne manages to fool the entire Duluth department into thinking he's someone else. [[spoiler:And as of the TimeSkip, he's quit the force to work as a mailman.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Greta]]
!!Greta Grimly
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimly_greta.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"Well, if I saw somebody doing something, I would stop 'em."'']]
->'''Played By:''' Joey King

The young daughter of Gus Grimly.
----
* LittleMissBadass: Despite her age, she doesn't hesitate to grab a rifle when she thinks danger is afoot.
-->'''Lou''': What are you planning to do with that?
-->'''Greta''': If he comes, I'll put his eye out. You can finish him off.
-->'''Lou''': That's my girl.
* {{Tomboy}}: Aside from her rather [[BoyishShortHair boyish haircuit]], when she sees that Lou is standing guard outside the house in case Malvo shows up, she promptly retrieves her own rifle to help her grandfather out if need be.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Greta is very smart and courageous with a strong sense of moral responsibility.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lou]]
!!Lou Solverson
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solverson_lou.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[OnlySaneMan Am I the only one here who's clear on the concept of law enforcement?]]"'']]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solverson_lou_00.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[ConditionedToAcceptHorror There's the kind of things a schoolteacher gets exposed to -- truancy and the like -- and then there's the stuff a cop sees -- murder and violence and general scofflawery.]]"'']]
->'''Played By:''' Creator/PatrickWilson & Creator/KeithCarradine

-->'''Lou:''' Had a case once, back in '79. I'd tell you the details, but it'd sound like I made 'em up. Madness, really.
-->'''Malvo:''' Bodies?
-->'''Lou:''' Yes, sir. One after another. Probably, if you stacked 'em high, could've climbed to the second floor. Now, I saw something that year I ain't ever seen, before or since. I'd call it animal. Except animals only kill for food. This was... Sioux Falls.

A former Swift Boat Lieutenant who served three tours in Vietnam, Lou now works as a Minnesota State Trooper. He lives in Luverne, MN with his wife, Betsy, and daughter, Molly. Lou is a simple man, a believer in the American spirit and the American dream, but he is starting to worry that he and the other soldiers brought the war home with them.

As the wise and loving father of Molly Solverson, Lou Solverson was also once a state police officer for nearly two decades. He has since retired and is now the owner of a coffee shop in Bemidji. When a series of murders suddenly occur in their small town, Lou becomes concerned that Molly's pursuit of the case might put her in the cross-hairs of a deranged killer.
----

->'''Played By:''' Cristin Milioti

* CassandraTruth: The fact that no one believes her (until [[spoiler:the arrival of the two FBI agents who want to redeem themselves]] motivates the whole plot.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: After numerous setbacks in her investigation, not helped by Bill's incompetence or getting accidentally shot by Gus, [[spoiler: Molly finally manages to bring Malvo and Lester to justice and settle down with her new family as the new chief of police for Bemidji.]]

* HeroicBSOD: Seen starting one at the end of ''Who Shaves The Barber'' [[spoiler:After finding out the police arrested Chaz instead of Lorne & Lester.]]

* LikeFatherLikeSon: Just like his father back in the day, Molly is clearly assertive, smart, knows exactly when to follow her gut, has great detective skills and never does anything by half. And [[HisStoryRepeatsItself just like her father]], finds herself being sidetracked and dismissed by blockheads with higher positions despite being on the right and actually having the common sense to try to stop their ill-conceived plans to catch the possible suspect.

* MeaningfulName: Solverson, not only is she cop (solver) but she is also the child of a cop (son, calling her Soversdottir may have been a step too far).

* NiceGirl: Kind, polite yet not a pushover.
* NotSoDifferent: She's the [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]] of Lorne which is acknowledged by the latter with a knowing face when they finally see each other.

* SurroundedByIdiots: Being the kind hearted person she is, Molly wouldn't call them idiots per se but it's clear that this is how she feels about her correct theory about Malvo, the Sam Hess murder and Lester's involvement constantly being questioned by other people, Bill especially, without any possible counterpoints or just out of plain apathy and desire to get it over with rather than do actual police work.
* TimeShiftedActor: She appears in Season 2 as a six-year-old played by Raven Stewart. [[note]]Though to fit the time frame with Season 1 she should only be four or five, since she explicitly states that she's 31 in January 2006.[[/note]] Considering that she grows up to be an incredibly skilled detective, rather than being a precocious little kid, she's amusingly oblivious to the intense drama going on around her - as Season 1 establishes that she has no memory of anything that happened at the time.

* CannotSpitItOut: Grows increasingly sweet on Molly but has trouble saying anything about it. [[spoiler: They still end up married.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: At the start of the show, he's a clearly lonely widower who makes the grievous error of letting Malvo go. By seasons end, he's married, expecting a second kid, [[spoiler:working happily as a mailman and makes up for his mistake by killing Malvo.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''"[[ConditionedToAcceptHorror There's the kind of things a schoolteacher gets exposed to--truancy and the like-- and then there's the stuff a cop sees-- murder and violence and general scofflawery.]]"'']]

* BadassGrandpa: His badassery is not diminished by his old age. He is unarmed, retired and not in a helpful position, but his demeanor, NervesOfSteel and cautiousness make him come off as a force to be reckoned with on his own. He doesn't hesitate to break out the shotgun when it comes time to protect his family.

* CoolOldGuy: It's a hallmark of anyone played by Keith Carradine, and Lou is no exception. He's a loving father who makes 'Dad Jokes', a quick wit and a solid badass.
* ConditionedToAcceptHorror: When arriving at The Waffle Hut to check and make a report of a massacre occurred there, he goes through with it in the most stoic and professional, if little resigned, way possible.
* CrusadingWidower: His wife is no longer with him and his daughter Molly by the time of 2009. Even in 1979, he often had to work ''and'' take care of young Molly because his wife Betsy [[TheTopicOfCancer was in no position to do]].

* GutFeeling: [[spoiler:When Lorne Malvo walks into his shop Solverson quickly picks up on the fact that there's something ''very'' wrong with him, and it's even implied in an anecdote that he has an idea of how evil Lorne is, which is part of the reason he doesn't help him find out where Lester is. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] since he was an experienced police officer and it never goes beyond a strong suspicion.]] He also quickly figures out that Skip is involved in Rye Gerhardt's affairs. He does miss Ed's suspicious behavior, but that can be explained away by the not inconsiderable distraction of his wife's illness. [[spoiler: He later realizes the full implications.]]

* JurisdictionFriction: In "The Castle", Lou ends being arm-wrestled the Blomquists case by the Sioux Falls Police Department, going as far as excluding him from every important talks, insulted at every opportunity and escorted out of the state. [[KillEmAll It doesn't go well for the Sioux Falls police]].
* NervesOfSteel: First shown [[spoiler:when he faces to Lorne Malvo in a cordial, but firm way, despite the possibility of Malvo killing him.]] Shown in its full glory when he inspects the murder scene in The Waffle Hut and betrays no sense of emotion or fear, and makes jokes with Mike in a standoff.

* LastChanceToQuit: [[spoiler: He offers the Blumquists a chance to come clean about Rye's possible murder in order to provide some sort of protection against the Gerhardt family and a reduced sanction. They don't take it.]]
* LetThemDieHappy: [[spoiler: Lou remembers that this was his attitude towards the fatally wounded in 'Nam: He would comfort them and tell them everything would be alright, even if it wasn't, so they would go out with a smile on their faces. He later applies the same with Betsy..]]

* NotSoStoic: He becomes upset and agitated at the idea of risking Ed and Peggy's lives in "The Castle", and reacts with utter shock when [[spoiler: the UFO descends]].

* PolitenessJudo: [[spoiler: What Mike argues the MinnesotaNice act is: Lou uses his friendliness to disarm anyone he encounters and as such, he can attack better through persuasion and a positive demeanor rather than outright confrontation and violence.]]

* SavedByCanon: He'll survive the events of Season 2, since he has appeared in the first one. It's still easy to forget considering the tension of his scenes though.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Even though is forcibly escorted out of South Dakota state lines, he turns his car around and bravely places himself in the [[spoiler: infamous Sioux Falls Massacre.]]

* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Betsy has a precognitive dream after a reaction to her medication in the season finale. She sees visions of Hanzee (who she has never met), Molly and Lou's life, and her son-in-law, grandson and step-grandaughter.

* {{Badass}}: She isn't afraid to pull out her gun when it's called for, and has NervesOfSteel otherwise.

* {{Badass}}: One of the biggest, if not ''the'' biggest, badasses on the show. He casually challenges Dodd Gerhardt in the middle of the Gerhardt mafia compound, then enters a Mexican stand-off with Mike Milligan and the Kitchen Brothers in the ''same day''. He does this without showing a hint of hesitation.

* {{Badass}}: When she thinks there are intruders in her house, she doesn't hesitate to bring out the shotgun.

* [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]]: To Lester; they're both somewhat weak-willed men who have a stronger person come into their lives to steer them towards good and evil, respectively (Lorne for Lester, Molly for Gus).