The pilot lives on Trio.

Rating: 10/10 (3 September 2003)

Since there's no IMDb listing for the "Fargo" television spinoff that never made it to air, I'm placing my comments for it here.
The Trio network's "Brilliant But Cancelled" series is hosting all sorts of interesting pilots, including some odd but intriguing shows like one with Adam West called "Lookwell" and this dramedy that follows the still-pregnant Marge Gunderson, now played by, off all people, Edie Falco. I don't know what network turned down this series (it had a CBS vibe), but, based on the one episode produced, I'd say it had a lot of potential.
The pilot follows Marge as she investigates three crimes in small-town Brainerd: a rather bloody murder whose evidence consists of home-made shell casings and size-8 footprints in the snow; a stolen boat and possible insurance scam; and a missing, frozen corpse. The latter two turn out to be connected, as the son of the dead guy stole his father's body in order to give him a Viking funeral, which apparently requires the body to be burned on a lake in a wooden boat. The murder investigation seemed underdeveloped, but I missed five minutes of the hour-long show while making dinner so maybe not. The show ends with Marge giving birth in an abandoned building with Deputy Lou at her side with husband Norm looking in through a window. (Lou is the same actor as in the movie, but Norm is played by That Guy from IN THE COMPANY OF MEN. No, not Aaron Eckhart - the other one.)
"Fargo" the Pilot wasn't great, but how many first episodes are? (Look at how dull "The Seinfeld Chronicles" is.) The same beautiful music score used in the movie is here, and the show captured the same darkly comedic tone as the Coen Bros. Oscar-recipient. Falco's Marge was nearly identical to Frances McDormand's (she didn't seem as intuitive, though) , and the folksy accents and charm were abundant.
I even spotted someone that should be a bigger star, and maybe would be if this show was picked up. He was sort of an Anthony LaPaglia lookalike who played the younger brother of the guy who stole his dad's body. His first scene is of him learning of his father's death, and his near-silent interpretation of the tumult of emotions inside him was heartbreakingly precise and real. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Who is this guy? Unfortunately, Trio didn't air the closing credits of the show, so his identity remains in limbo. His character may not have been a regular on the show, but surely he'd move on to bigger things had the pilot been aired. A shame.