It is set in January 2006 and it is about hitman Lorne Malvo (Thornton) who stops at a hospital in Bemidji, Minnesota after a car accident and motivates insurance salesman Lester Nygaard (Freeman) with his violent ways. Their meeting starts a series of murders throughout the city. Meanwhile, Deputy Molly Solverson (Tolman) of Bemidji and Officer Gus Grimly (Hanks) of Duluth try to solve several crimes across the state that they believe may be related to Malvo and Nygaard. 