Analyzing Evil: Lorne Malvo From Fargo 

"No, highly irregular is the time I found a human foot in a toaster oven. This is just odd."

"Some roads you shouldn't go down. Because maps used to say there be dragons here, now they don't. But that don't mean the dragons aren't there..." - Lorne Malvo

Malvo was a straight up malevolent, evil, mischievious demon. The emmissarry of the the devil himself. Billy Bob was great in that role.

“Lester, have you been a bad boy?”.

"Lester, is this what you want?" One of the coldest moments from any villain I've seen. Billy Bob Thornton did a superb job as Lorne Malvo and he's still the best antagonist of the series by a mile. I wonder how he would measure up in a fight against Vincent from Collateral?

To me, the creepiest moment with the elevator massacre was the little eye twitch that you mentioned. What was creepy was that the facial gesture wasn’t a tic of frustration but instead seemed to be Lorne winking to Lester, like, “Hey, check this out.”

I think being "raised by wolves" is just a narrative metaphor. It isn't literally true, but a quick metaphorical approximation of his background. The great thing of any great villain is we have no idea where most of them came from, but we can imagine the basic details just by their actions.

And Gus, first a dog catcher and later a mailman, is hunting him throughout the show. The two occupations that are direct enemies with canines.

The fact that the name “Lorne Malvo” is literally a play on the word “malevolent” makes his character even more interesting

Finally I’ve loved this character for years

I always took the wolves as more metaphorical, like he was abandoned, hungry, then taken in by gangs, criminals, etc.

He’s probably worse than Chigur, Chigur does kill random people who aren’t his targets who may just be at wrong place wrong time , he just kills this epeople , Lorne on other hand torments and plays psychological games and actually ruins peoples lives for the devilish enjoyment

It was an absolutely phenomenal performance. Love the way he could go from being sinister, to charming, to suave, and then become a helpless-looking nerd in the interrogation room before going straight back to being a scheming killer.

"Some roads you shouldn't go down. Because maps used to say there be dragons here, now they don't. But that don't mean the dragons aren't there..." BEST villain in fargo!Billy throrton was amazing in the role! Loved his performance been waiting for this one!

*He along with Gus Fring, are my all time favorite villains in any genre. They both are excellent puppet masters*

Yess!! I recently finished Fargo season 1 and this character sends chills in my spine. Great job Billy Bob Thornton.

Yes! Lorne Malvo is my favourite villain of all time. He’ causes havoc for the sake of chaos, he revels in all the mayhem he causes… With a grin

The bigger villain is his barber

The conversation Lorne has with Lou at his diner contradicts the feral child theory but does suggest he had an abusive upbringing. What he said to Stavros was likely just an allegory for how he felt about his place in the world.

I never realized there were so many animalistic references with Lorne Malvo. It's fascinating to consider. As you touched on in the video, I recall coming across a theory that Lorne is actually a demon. There's even a scene where a Jewish man approaches him for staking out Gus's apartment, and he even refers to Lorne as a demon after their brief conversation. And I recall a comment (which I'm only paraphrasing, as it's been so long) pointing out how it's common in folklore that knowing a demon's true name is a way of defeating them, or at least getting their attention. And right before the "shades of green" riddle, Gus called Lorne out by name, which broke his facade immediately. Those details, and the way he barely flinched and just stared for a moment after being shot, was just so creepy and fascinating in a way that makes him seem like something other than human. (I forgot to mention the couple scenes where he just seems to disappear from a room too.)

It might feel obvious and i know it wouldnt be the next episode but after this awesome video i really would love to see you cover VM Varga next. He gave me the heeby jeebies to th same degree Malvo did for different reasons.

“A Man like that….he be not even a man” - Molly Solverson “He’s a really dangerous-looking fella and had these really scary eyes” - Gus Grimly “You have black eyes, you’re trouble” and “Se’īrīm” (Demon in Hebrew) - Ari Ziskind

Unexpected Bob Odenkirk at 23:05 :O I did not remember him being in this show. Also Fargo was so good oh my god

"Your problem is that you've spent your whole life thinking there are rules" All you need to know about the best villain in Fargo. His name is Even a play on the word "Malevolent"!

"It's a red tide Lester, this life of ours."

Fargo is such a series, all season have great characters and stories. I love how every season happens in a different time

Yess!!! Fargo is one of my favorite shows ever made, I'm so happy to see this, been waiting for a video about Malvo for a while. I hope you continue to cover the rest of the show.

I'm so happy to see this one! Lorne Malvo is one of the best characters in recent memory - let alone one of the best villains. Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal is a masterclass. Can't wait to see your analysis! Edit: I think it's an interesting analysis/take. I'll admit I can't really get onboard with the idea that Malvo was literally raised by wolves. That seems really, really silly to me. I think he's simply a "hollow" man and an agent for death, destruction and chaos. Nobody leaves an interaction with him better for the experience. A truly fascinating and brilliantly written/acted character.

Absolutely one of the most amazing channels on this platform. Cheers.

Don't know if you remember vile but awhile back, I recommended you cover Lorne along with Pietre Carvel from utopia. I'm so glad you finally made a video on Lorne as he is my favorite antagonist of all time.

My second favourite TV psychopath after Villanelle from Killing Eve.

I've always wanted to see you cover him. He was the reason I got into Fargo and he impacted me long after I finished the show

Maps used to say, "There be dragons here." Now they don't. But that don't mean the dragons aren't there.

Such a great character.. he literally gives me chills. Great to see your channel grow Vile! Keep up the good work!

Given all the supernatural stuff in the show, Lorne being raised by wolves isn’t all that unbelievable.

Been waiting for this once for probably close to four years. Super psyched to give it a watch

-Peyton Flanders: "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" -Arthur Mitchell: "Dexter" -Henry Evans: "The Good Son" -Mickey & Mallory Knox: "Natural Born Killers"

Been waiting for this one for a long time, thank you.

I think Catherine Trammell would be a nice addition to and overall amazing list, i would like to see too a take on Archibald Cunningham from Rob Roy and "And Then There Were None" characters Great video as usual

Analyzing Evil: Jenny from Forrest Gump

A video analysing the world of Blood Meridian would be interesting. I know you did a video on Judge Holden but the rest of the world contains so much evil that it would warrant its own episode.

Day two asking for Raphael Montero from Mask of Zorro. Stole an enemy’s child, put the hero in prison, accidentally killed hero’s wife, enslaved a population of people, attempted to burn slaves alive.

YES! Loved the first fargo video! Been waiting for another one!

Malvo being able to easily slip into the role of a dentist so convincingly that he fools a professional like Burt makes me think he actually does have experience there. Being a dentist is a very good way to get away with instilling fear in and causing pain to people, though it probably didn't satiate Malvo's desires enough for him to continue pursuing dentistry.

Best Fargo villain!

Great episode, fingers crossed for one on VM Varga!

This is the first time I’m seeing the theory that Lorne was raised by wolves and it actually makes the most sense for some reason. One of my favorite villains in media of all time glad he got his own episode

Amazing video, I cherish them so much. Makes me think for a second how it would be to be one of the many villains you covered...

Iconic performance in a series with many iconic performances 🤩🔥🔥🔥🔥

Been waiting for this one for a long time. Keep em coming VE.

I only recently found your channel and these videos are fantastic. Some of your subjects are familiar to me and even for the ones that aren't, they are still fascinating. So well explained with nice editing that really drives home your analysis.

This character alone made the Fargo TV show it's own beast

I would pay money to see Lorne, the Judge and Anton Chigurh have a chat

yyyyyeeeeeEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!! Lorne is my favorite villain of all time.

I almost died in Reno Nevada when I was 13. I was visiting my great aunt during the summer and had borrowed a bike and took off on some bike trail. Ended up getting lost but found my way back to the highway leading back into Reno. I didn't tell my great aunt what actually happened but I was so dehydrated I kept throwing up anything I drank all night. Reno is no joke.

Analysing Evil: Sleepers (1996)

I absolutely love what you do my man. I find hanzee from season 2 of fargo to be very fascinating as well, hopefully you analyze him. Keep up your great work, scholar of villainy

What do you get when you cross Anton Chigurh and Tyler Durden? You get Lorne Malvo While I like the wolf angle, I've always read it that Malvo was raised by awful people. I think along the lines of the very real monster Pedro Lopez and his upbringing of constant horror and abuse then being used to justify the disgusting crimes he committed. He sees people as pretending to be above animals and leans into that logic by being the apex predator wherever he goes. One of my favourite villains of all time. He can't be bargained with because he feeds on chaos and pain Would love more Fargo villains mate

I find it interesting you compared him to Chigurh from No Country For Old Men, because I consider the two of them very different characters. Forgive the following mini essay, but your videos always inspire my inner critic. In the McCarthy novel, Chigurh is a highly symbolic and almost phantom-like character motivated solely by a supernatural drive to act as the literal hand of Fate; less of a man and more of a natural disaster in the shape of a man, bringing the consequences of human beings’ actions to them. The Cohen Brothers made an ingenious creative decision in the movie adaptation, where such symbolism would inevitably be lost without the prose to explain his existence, and made him a real person who merely _believed_ he was the chosen agent of Fate, but was ultimately a mortal and delusional man. Albeit a hard boiled psychopath and a clinically insane one at that, completely detached from reality apart from where his all-consuming delusions of grandeur met the real world. Chigurh is associated with cars because he considers himself to be an emotionally vacant vehicle of death, as well. He feels nothing other than a singular, highly focused drive to enact what he crazily believes fate has in store for others, something which only he is aware of and for which he was put on earth to make real. By comparison, Lorne Malvo is much more present, visceral, and grounded. While Chigurh is relentless, unstoppable, and fatalistic, Malvo is much more…human. _Almost_ empathetic, at least by comparison to the ice cold vacuum that is Chigurh. Malvo is sadistic and playful and comprised of the same meat and bones everyone else is, and is well aware of this. He is undeniably different from everyone else mentally, but is vulnerable to the same emotional foibles us normal people are, but expressed in much more predatory ways. If there’s one emotion that I associate with Lorne Malvo, it’s glee. Something which Chigurh seems neurologically incapable of experiencing. Joy, lust, satisfaction, hunger, desire, the capacity and willingness to embody false warmth and get close to people in deeply personal ways, stick his fingers in their wounds and twist them just to see how they flinch. Chigurh is like a gun; he only has one purpose, which is to definitively end life, or use his potential power to change the course of things. And once his goal is met, he returns to being a cold, hard, yet dormant weapon. He aims carefully and seeks to do the job in a single shot. Lorne Malvo on the other hand, is like a knife. Something also very dangerous and lethal, but which is seen first as something familiar and banal, and a weapon second. Lorne Malvo lives inside your father’s old pocketknife sheath, or in the butcher’s block on your sunny kitchen counter. He’s not dangerous until he is, and when he is it’s both messy and intimate.

While Lorne relates to wolves, his name means "fox", which actually suits his nature since the fox is seen as a trickster animal/spirit. Ironically the more wolf like character was gus, he lived in a "pack" and fought to protect that pack. Plus nearly every time we see or hear about wolves it usualy occurs just before running into or while Gus is nearby. In native american mythology, the fox manipulated other animals, particularly the wolf, very similar to how Lorne manipulates others. So i think Lorne is a malevolent fox, Gus was the wolf

THANK YOU. i just watched this series like a week ago and i wanted so bad to see him here

Nice, I was just thinking the other day "Vile Eye should drop a fargo video" a little after me and the missus finished season 5. Lorne lives for the chaos.

Analyzing evil Franklin saint

I can’t help but see Bad Santa whenever I see Billy Bob Thornton

For whatever I didn't finish Fargo But this character left an impression on me in the few episodes i watched I remember the scene where the cop pulls him over

Been waiting for this one...

the coen brothers truly have an affinity for crafting together mysterious, psychopathic, yet alluring antagonists. on that note, you should cover the rest of the notable antagonists from the fargo series, or not even so much antagonists but even the morally ambiguous characters in the following seasons.

I was so surprised the first season had a happy ending. An actual good example of subverting expectations

Hey - I wanted to suggest I thought you might want to try Apollyon from For Honor. It's a medievil fantasy setting and her life is fairly well documented. The lore isn't extensive or anything but I think it'd make due for a video.

I have no joke been asking for this since your channel began. I am certain my requests have to be part of this being made I’m certain of it

Video suggestions: Analyzing Evil - Lt. Tsurumi from Golden Kamuy

You should do both Analyzing evil: Tom and Analyzing Evil: Jerry from Tom and Jerry

Cant wait for the next tier list with all these new characters

I can’t wait to see this with Harley Quinn. Love this channel! You are a complete whiz with your words, and I expand my vocabulary when I listen to you. Keep up the fantastic content!

Another fantastic video. I’ve been waiting for Lorne Malvo since subscribing to this channel!

Finally!!! Been requesting this one for AGES!!!

That was a great one of Lorne Malvo, Billy Bob Thornton did a great job acting as always, Loved it.

At last… great video, hope you enjoy the rest of Fargo

I'd like analyses of other main fargo villains too. hanzee dent, VM varga, etc. especially lester, because his character development is interesting

I’ve been waiting for this one, this is easily one of my favorite villains. The first season of Fargo was so good.

Great Video! Malvo was one of those perfect villains, I was genuinely scared for every character he interacted with. Hopefully we'll see a video for Lester soon as well. Watching him become a villain as the show progressed was pretty great

I think his haircut is so weird and he presents himself as so frumpy while working in the Midwest is because he’s reflecting how frumpy he perceives people in that area to be. When he’s jetsetting to Vegas, he looks completely different to better play that role

"Sam Hess?" "Who wants to know?" ".... 👀◀️▶️ Me. 😬"

Been waiting for this one. The cautious/reckless Lorne. Hope Lester makes the list for his subdued unintended using others villainy. As well as the vampiric complex financial crime cooking offputting V M Varga from the third season.

I'd love to suggest Lorgar Aurelian or Erebus from the Warhammer 40k universe.

This was just a fantastic analysis. It blew me away. Malvo is my favorite Fargo TV character. When the guy in the white van sold him some stuff and asked Malvo if he could hang out with him and watch what he does. Malvo said something like “you wanna go around with me and watch me shit on people?” So Good. Then I stayed up all night watching more of your videos. I am definitely going to check out 10 Cloverfield Lane. And the Makima video. Just wow man. Great work. You even have Blood Meridian and Salieri on here!!! Count me in. I think a look at Miller’s Crossing would be really cool.

Thank you for this one. I fucking love you

Thank you for now covering Lorne Malvo, can not wait to see the other characters like Mike Milligan, the Gerhardt family, VM Varga, Roy Tillman, Lorraine Lyon, the Fadda brothers, Oraetta Mayflower, etc

On the topic of the Coen brothers, you should consider doing video on private detective Loren visser from blood simple! Might be the second scariest Coen brothers villain Love the vid as always :)

Analyzing Evil: M. Bison

The Vile Eye- Please do a video about the character of Henry from the film "The Good Son" 1993. Thank you.

I am consistently blown away by the quality of analysis in these videos. Keep up the good work!

the lonely road of an abandoned man in wolf's clothing should never be eschewed

I’d love to see more Fargo series videos - there are so many different shades of evil, from the mild and justifiable to the truly evil wolves like Malvo and Varga.

Loved Fargo S1! Lorne Malvo is so iconic! Analysis Suggestion - Clay Morrow or Gemma Teller-Morrow from SOA 🙏

The shades of green scene will forever haunt my dreams.

I think your last theory on the character makes the.most sense. Him been on top of the food chain. He gets bored so he creates future problems for himself to keep himself interested

This made me wanna rewatch the series now

I think you should do Sicarco next. So many moments that show just gow much evil governments do, and what kind of evil someone is capable of when they give up on themselves

I waited a long time for this video, so thanks for finally giving it. The secound season could get it own analysis and Varga from season 3 especially would deserve a take.