- "Now, ironically, in astronomy, the word "revolution" means, "a celestial object that comes full circle." Did you know that? Which, if you think about it, is pretty funny, considering here on earth it means change."
- ―Mike Milligan
Michael "Satchel" Cannon, later known professionally as Mike Milligan, is a recurring character in Fargo Season 2 and Season 4.
Overview[]
An enforcer for the Kansas City mafia, Milligan comes to Fargo with his boss Joe Bulo to acquire the Gerhardt territory. Milligan is something of an iconoclast, a man of great philosophical curiosity who dresses in western wear. He fits into neither the Caucasian nor African-American community. Over the course of our story, Milligan fights not only to complete his task but also to get a seat at the corporate table.
History[]
Season 4[]
In 1949, Satchel and his family moved from New York City to Kansas City, Missouri, where his father challenged the balance of power. Like previous factions, the Cannons made a pact with the Faddas, the family in power. Part of this pact involved trading their sons. Over his objections, Satchel himself was traded for Zero Fadda. He was welcomed to the Faddas by Rabbi Milligan, who had been traded himself twice as a child, who encouraged him to be who he needed to be while not forgetting who he really is.[1]
Loy later came to the Faddas' house to see Satchel. Satchel and Rabbi both assured him that Satchel was well cared for. They shared an attic room and Rabbi was responsible for all of Satchel's care.[2]
Rabbi continued to care for Satchel, teaching him and protecting him. Anytime he had to leave Satchel, he told him if he didn't return, he was dead or in jail.[3]
When Rabbi started to sense that a big war was coming, he warned Satchel to hide as soon as he heard shooting.
Satchel was left alone at the Fadda house when Rabbi was called away to meet with Josto. Rabbi tried to send him upstairs to their room, but Satchel asked to stay and finish the program they were watching on TV. Naneeda Fadda promised she'd make sure he got upstairs after it was finished, so Rabbi allowed him to stay. After Rabbi was gone, Antoon came on Josto's orders to take Satchel and kill him. He took Satchel out to Camp Elegance and told him about being extremely poor to the point of eating his own shoes in Italy and then being sent to Kansas, where he was fed and felt alive again. He then had Satchel go look where he'd carved his own name. He then aimed his gun at Satchel, but found himself unable to pull the trigger. As he hesitated, Rabbi came up and shot him in the back, saving Satchel's life. Then he told Satchel it was war and they'd have to leave for a while. He said that when the dust settled, he could come back if he wanted, but not until then.[4]
Satchel and Rabbi ended up in Liberal, Kansas, where they rented a room in a hotel run by two sisters who didn't get along. Rabbi left Satchel at the hotel while he went to retrieve some money he had hidden in a shop there. While Rabbi was gone, Satchel found a dog named Rabbit hiding in the hotel and decided to keep the dog as his companion. When Rabbi returned and learned it was Satchel's birthday, he left to get something sweet as a treat for him. However, he was swept up by a tornado before he could return. Satchel, remembering that Rabbi always told him if he didn't return he was in jail or dead, took what Rabbi had left him and set off with Rabbit.[5]
Now on his own, Satchel stole milk and used Rabbi's gun to protect himself as he walked.[6]
Satchel walked the rest of the way back to Kansas City, where he slipped into his family's home while they were out, surprising them when they returned. The family was happily reunited. However, soon afterward, Zelmare came to their home and stabbed Loy on the front porch in revenge for Swanee's death. Satchel was the first to notice and came outside to sit with his father as he died of his wounds.[7]
Season 2[]
In 1979, after taking the last name from Rabbi Milligan - his past guardian, he become a hitman for the Kansas's City mafia. Mike works under Joe Bulo with two men under himself named the Kitchen brothers who don't speak. He uses charisma, charm and anecdotes to achieve the upper hand in unlikely situations. He wants dominance and power, and does many things to try and attain this. Although it didn't seem to work out to well because in the end after he won, he landed in an office chair, you could say he ended up like his dad, in power but not full control. He was dating one of the Gerhardts, The granddaughter Simmone which later ends and so does she. After his boss dies, he plans to meet up with Ed Blumquist, "The Butcher"to trade the eldest Gerhardt male, Dodd - but when he gets to the motel then he finds that the Gerhardts are all dead by a betrayal from cops and someone else on the inside of the family business. Hanzee coerced the Gerhardt's to believe the Kansas City, Missouri Mafia was inside the motel, and instead betrayed them as it was actually police that were there and a bloodbath came upon both the South Dakota cops and Gerhardts. Mike Milligan goes to the Gerhardt's home, gives an act of kindness to the "Injun" in the Kitchen - then proceeds to give an act of cruelty to one of the Gerhardt's "allies" when he was stealing from them after presuming the family organization dead. Mike Milligan believed he would be promoted to a high level enforcer to take control as his own boss in a territory but was instead (to his dismay) put to work in a small office - finding out that "busting heads" was the days of the past - and that corporation is the new level of organized crime.
Episode appearances[]
Season 2[]
- 201 - Waiting for Dutch (No lines)
- 202 - Before the Law
- 203 - The Myth of Sisyphus
- 204 - Fear and Trembling
- 205 - The Gift of the Magi
- 206 - Rhinoceros
- 207 - Did You Do This? No, You Did It!
- 208 - Loplop
- 209 - The Castle
- 210 - Palindrome
Season 4[]
- 401 - "Welcome to the Alternate Economy"
- 402 - "The Land of Taking and Killing"
- 403 - "Raddoppiarlo"
- 404 - "The Pretend War
- 405 - "The Birthplace of Civilization
- 406 - "Camp Elegance"
- 407 - "Lay Away" (flashbacks)
- 409 - "East/West"
- 410 - "Happy"
- 411 - "Storia Americana"
Murders Committed[]
Committed by Mike[]
- Otto Gerhardt's nurse - Shot in the chest. (Fear and Trembling)
- The Undertaker - Shot in the head. (Did You Do This? No, You Did It!)
- One of the Undertaker's bodyguards - Slashed throat. (Did You Do This? No, You Did It!)
Connected to Mike[]
- 2 unnamed Gerhardt enforcers - Shot on Mike's orders. (Rhinoceros)
- Otto Gerhardt - Shot on Mike's orders. (Rhinoceros)
- Joey Seymour - Garroted by Gale Kitchen on Mike's orders. (Did You Do This? No, You Did It!)
- Roost Bolton - Drowned on Mike's orders. (Did You Do This? No, You Did It!)
- Mickey Grout - Shot on Mike's orders. (Did You Do This? No, You Did It!)
- Ricky G - Shot by Gale Kitchen on Mike's orders. (Palindrome)
Trivia[]
He appears in the most episodes with a total of 20.
References[]
| Season 2 characters | |
|---|---|
| Main | Ed Blumquist • Floyd Gerhardt • Hank Larsson • Lou Solverson • Peggy Blumquist |
| Recurring | Bear Gerhardt • Ben Schmidt • Betsy Solverson • Constance Heck • Dodd Gerhardt • Gibson • Hanzee Dent • Joe Bulo • Karl Weathers • Mort Kellerman • Mike Milligan • Irma Mundt • Jeb Cheney • Otto Gerhardt • Ricky G • Ronald Reagan • Rye Gerhardt • Simone Gerhardt • Skip Sprang |
| All characters | |