Billy Bob Thornton’s Greatest TV Performance

“Look! It’s the guy from Landman.” That’s what Billy Bob Thornton probably hears all the time when he walks down the street nowadays. It’s hard to imagine anyone else as Tommy Norris, the man who exhibits greater stoicism than Zeno of Citium. Thornton’s great work on the neo-Western has earned him two trophy considerations so far (including a Golden Globe), which is impressive considering that most award show organizers tend to pretend Taylor Sheridan’s shows don’t exist. We’ll see if Landman Season 2’s ending has anything to say about that.

As good as Thornton is in Landman, he has done better work elsewhere. Those wishing to see the actor at his peak should watch Season 1 of Fargo, the FX gem inspired by the 1996 film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Created by Noah Hawley (Legion and Alien: Earth), the anthology series is one of the best things on television. Thornton isn’t a nice guy on the show. He is Lorne Malvo, a hitman who kills so much that Carlos the Jackal would be jealous. But what exactly does Malvo want?

To ‘Fargo’s Lorne Malvo, There’s Only One Form of Punishment

Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award for playing Lorne Malvo. He also won a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Television Award. These are the most accolades he has ever gotten for a single show, and they were all deserved. Thornton exhibits an unusual kind of calm while playing the villain, ignoring the usual angry outbursts and displays of bravado. Malvo is a master predator, precise and patient… and the actor nails all of his traits without a miss.

It helps that Malvo is a wonderfully written character. He is a philosophy-leaning psychopath who doesn’t believe in social norms, suggesting that they are all a ruse. According to him, human beings are no different from animals. They just convince themselves that they are superior. And in the animal kingdom, enemies and prey are dealt with only one way: killing.

Given such a mentality, fans get treated to many wild scenes involving Malvo. For example, while getting some injuries checked out at a hospital, the hitman meets a man whose nose has been broken by the person who used to be his childhood bully. Malvo later murders the tormentor at a strip club by throwing a knife into the back of his head while he is in the middle of having sex. In another instance, he walks past two FBI agents played by none other than Key and Peele. He then steps into a building and shoots about a dozen people all by himself.

Is Lorne Malvo the Devil?

Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman in a scene from Fargo

Throughout the series, it’s heavily implied that Malvo is the human body that hosts Satan. This is due to a variety of factors, such as his ability to easily manipulate others and his tendency to appear from nowhere. Additionally, Malvo tries hard to avoid religious imagery throughout the season. And even when he is finally cornered in the season finale, he simply smiles, perhaps aware that he has a way out: Hell.

The theory is further backed by Malvo’s personality and outlook. Unlike other fictional hitmen, he surprisingly doesn’t care about money. He simply wants to kill. Malvo is also very good at tempting others and corrupting their souls. He doesn’t order people. He plants ideas that make them see how evil is cool. This way, he convinces a man to kill his wife and a group of hitmen to massacre each other.

It’s worth noting how Fargo flirts with the supernatural in numerous other scenarios and arcs. For example, Season 5, which has another Landman cast member (Jon Hamm) as a villain, features a character called Ole Munch, who claims to be centuries old. He describes himself as a sin-eater, uses ritualistic language, and survives situations that should kill him. Bizarre, huh? You haven’t heard anything yet. Watch the entire series for more shockers; it’ll keep you fed until Landman Season 3 returns.