When we first meet Dorothy “Dot” Lyon in the new season of Fargo, she is engaged in what can only be described as the meeting from hell. Set to the catchy chords of 'I’ve Seen All Good People' by '70s progressive band YES, it’s a memorable cold open that leaves us with a lingering shot of Dot’s shell-shocked face, immediately throwing up all sorts of questions about who exactly this character could be.
Dot joins a long line of fascinatingly flawed protagonists in the Fargo universe, often played by A-listers we both recognise and trust, but always with a slightly darker edge than what we’re used to seeing. As the series unfolds and Dot’s past slowly comes to light, the true origins of this so-called “Wolf in sheep's clothing” come into sharp focus in ever surprising ways – thanks in no small part to a magnetic lead performance from Juno Temple.
Juno Temple as 'Dot'. Credit: FX
Since winning the coveted BAFTA rising star award back in 2013, Temple has had a steady stream of success in Hollywood, toggling between film and television projects with ease. The last decade has seen her work with the likes of Robert Rodriguez, Martin Scorsese and William Friedkin, but in recent years her career went to stratospheric new heights after playing the character of Keely Jones in Ted Lasso - a little show you might have heard of.
Now joining the Fargo universe in creator Noah Hawley’s latest blood-soaked saga, Temple has landed perhaps her most complex role yet – the steely determination of Dot providing the hard-working actress with the perfect opportunity to showcase her dramatic chops, while channelling that darkly comedic tone for which Fargo has become synonymous.
“I think in preparation (for the role), a huge part was the accent that you had to get down,” explains Temple. ”Because then you couldn’t be frightened about that in the background. You could really focus on the actual character you're playing.”
[Note: The following paragraphs contain a spoiler episode 2 of the new series.]
But behind the dry humour and clever one-liners lies a truly shocking backstory for Temple’s character, a cycle of abuse perpetrated against a much younger Dot by her ex-husband and North Dakotan Sheriff, Roy Tillman, played by a menacing Jon Hamm.
Tillman, a god-fearing lawman who plays by his own unique set of rules, is a Trumpian creation who feels very much at home in the 2019 setting in which the story takes place – a very specific choice on the part of Hawley and his creative team according to Temple.
Jon Hamm as Sheriff Roy Tillman. Credit: FX
“The theme this year is debt, which was an important one for Noah,” says Temple. “He talked a lot about what debt means to us in different ways, and just how it affects everyday people.”
As a mother with a mysterious past, Dot not only carries the weight of debt on her shoulders, but the show’s plot too, as her actions are what incite the wrath of the show's many colourful characters. It was a responsibility that Temple relished, despite the tough themes being tackled on the show and the tonal tightrope she was required to walk every day on set.
“I think that all of her was fascinating to me, and every day I learnt something new from playing her,” Temple recalls “Whether it was how to booby trap a kitchen with an electrical piece of wire, or how to try and remain invisible in a room.”
These are the sorts of survival skills one needs when you’re being pursued by a group of heavily armed local militia and a Billionaire businesswoman with seemingly unlimited resources at her disposal.
Both Sheriff Tillman and Dot’s mother-in-law Lorraine Lyon (Jennifer Jason Leigh) pose a threat to her way of life on two fronts – one from a past she thought had been left far behind and the other to the new family she is so desperate to hold onto. This desperate push and pull makes for a truly empathetic heroine, no matter how many laws she may break or goons she may dispose of along the way.
“She will do whatever it takes to defend and protect the things,” explains Temple “Getting to play Dot taught me a lot about being a woman that I don't know yet know, and I learned a lot from working with someone like Jennifer.”
Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Credit: FX
And it’s this tense on screen relationship between mother and daughter-in-law which provides much of the show's spark, with Lorraine’s distrust of Dot surpassed only by her hatred for Sheriff Tillman. While their scenes on the show may be few and far between, the verbal sparring between Temple and Jason Leigh provides a refreshingly honest representation of these two complex women, proving that even the most tempestuous of relationships can hide a small layer of respect, hidden far below the surface.
It’s this common struggle which perhaps sets this season apart from previous instalments, in that it gives us a three-dimensional character who on a lesser show would have been framed as yet another deranged murderer on the loose, when in reality Dot is simply a product of her environment, a victim let down by society now trying to reclaim her story.
It all makes for a far richer text and one which should see Temple showered in accolades come awards season, although for now she is simply grateful in knowing that roles like Dorothy Lyon exist at all.
“I think anytime you get to have strong female characters that are telling strong female journeys. that’s always something that excites you as an actress,” concludes Temple. “And I hope that the path for women in this industry just keeps getting bigger and growing wider and becomes endless.”
Fargo premiered Wednesday 22 November exclusively on SBS On Demand and SBS. New episodes are fast-tracked weekly from the US to SBS On Demand and also air on SBS on Wednesday nights.
Watch episodes of the new season of Fargo at SBS On Demand.
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