- Date: April 15, 2014
- Type: Television Episode
Lorne Malvo crashes a car on a wintry rural highway outside Bemidji, Minnesota. A nearly naked man jumps from the popped trunk and bolts into the woods. In town, Lester Nygaard runs into Sam Hess, a former high school bully who intimidates Nygaard, causing him to accidentally break his nose. At the hospital, Nygaard meets Malvo, who was slightly injured in the crash, Nygaard tells Malvo about Hess, and Malvo casually suggests murdering him, an idea that Nygaard neither approves nor rejects. Shortly afterward, Malvo kills Hess, later telling Nygaard that he never said, "No." Meanwhile, Chief Vern Thurman and Deputy Molly Solverson investigate the car wreck and find the nearly-naked man frozen to death; they also investigate Hess's murder and learn that Nygaard was overheard discussing Hess with Malvo. Thurman arrives at Nygaard's house to question him, unaware that Nygaard has just killed his wife, Pearl, in a fit of rage. Malvo, whom Nygaard had summoned to help, arrives and shoots Thurman, but not before the latter radioed for backup after discovering Pearl's body. Malvo disappears, and Lester intentionally knocks himself out to make the killings look like a home invasion. Later, in Duluth, Officer Gus Grimly pulls Malvo over for speeding. Malvo presents Grimly with two choices: press the issue (and face death), or allow Malvo to leave (and live). Malvo drives away as Grimly, confused, does not report the incident.