Waiting for Dutch

"Waiting for Dutch"
Fargo episode
Set 27 years before the show's first season, the episode re-introduces recast, much younger versions of Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson, right) and his daughter Molly (Raven Stewart), two characters from season one.
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 1
Directed by	Michael Uppendahl Randall Einhorn
Written by	Noah Hawley
Featured music	Jeff Russo
Production code	XFO02001
Original air date	October 12, 2015 (2015-10-12)
Running time	53 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
Cristin Milioti as Betsy Solverson Jeffrey Donovan as Dodd Gerhardt Bokeem Woodbine as Mike Milligan Brad Garrett as Joe Bulo Mike Bradecich as Skip Sprang Nick Offerman as Karl Weathers Kieran Culkin as Rye Gerhardt Ann Cusack as Judge Mundt Michael Hogan as Otto Gerhardt Zahn McClarnon as Hanzee Dent Angus Sampson as Bear Gerhardt
Episode chronology
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Fargo (season 2) List of Fargo episodes

"Waiting for Dutch" is the first episode of the second season of the FX anthology series Fargo, and the eleventh episode of the series overall. It was written by series creator and showrunner Noah Hawley and directed by Michael Uppendahl and Randall Einhorn, making it the only episode in the series with two directors. The title refers to the Samuel Beckett play Waiting for Godot, and to Ronald Reagan, occasionally nicknamed "Dutch", who appears via archival footage.

As each season of Fargo follows its own self-contained narrative, "Waiting for Dutch", set in 1979, introduces a new storyline and cast, along with many new characters: in the episode, Rye Gerhardt (Kieran Culkin), the youngest son of Otto Gedhardt (Michael Hogan), the head of the Gerhardt mafia dynasty, who rules over Fargo, North Dakota, attempts to threaten a tenacious judge (Ann Cusack) for financial gain while in Luverne, Minnesota; their face-off triggers a suite of events that will forever impact the lives of the Gerhardt family and the people of Luverne.

The episode was first aired on October 12, 2015, and was seen by 1.59 million viewers. It received considerable acclaim from critics, who praised its writing, acting, and new set of characters, and considered it equally good, if not superior, to season one opener "The Crocodile's Dilemma"; they also noted that the episode seemed to give the new season a different tone, with a bigger scale and more characters, while the episode's themes and characters were considered a fitting addition to the universe of the original film and the works of the Coen brothers. It received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie for cinematographer Dana Gonzales.