‘Fargo’ in Bemidji

‘Fargo,” the FX series, may be the best thing I’ve seen on the small screen since “Breaking Bad.” We finished it last night, after paying two bucks an episode via Amazon Prime. I like the pay-as-you-go method; if a show starts to stink you can save yourself some dough and make a statement at the same time.

“Fargo” doesn’t stink. I’m not saying it was perfect. There were a couple of character issues toward the end that I’m still shaking my head over. But on balance, this 10-episode tale did a great job of capturing the feel of the Coen brothers’ movie without seeming like the lame spinoff I expected. Like the movie, it was funny, focused and occasionally horrific. Although I sometimes worried that we might drift off into “Twin Peaks” territory — a whiff of gratuitous weirdness here and there — the writers always came back to the story and ended it in a most satisfying way.

And I do mean “ended.” Apparently, this was it for “Fargo.” Ten episodes and out. That’s another thing I respect about the show. It’s been a big hit for FX, but so far there’s been little talk of milking it for another season. If it does come back at some point, it’ll have to be an all-new story and cast, since this one was tied up so neatly.

Billy Bob Thornton is so convincing as a soft-spoken, satanic assassin that he might find himself typecast from here on in. Martin Freeman takes the basic character of Jerry Lundegaard from the movie and breaks bad in a way William Macy never quite could. I loved seeing Key & Peele as a pair of not-quite-competent FBI agents. Finally, Allison Tolman delivered a career-making performance as a Deputy Molly Solverson: sweet, pregnant and as relentless as a pit bull.

You should check it out. If you don’t have cable, it’s on Amazon Prime — less than $20 for the whole story. I’ve wasted a lot more money on a lot less.