Lorne Malvo is a manipulative man who meets small-town insurance salesman Lester Nygaard and changes his life forever, largely by convincing Lester to get involved in the search for a killer. Leading the search is police Deputy Gus Grimly, a single father who must choose between his own safety and his police duties when the investigation comes to a head. The series is based on the 1996 Coen brothers film of the same name and features the same trademark humor and "Minnesota nice" that made the feature film popular.