FX has officially renewedFargofor a fifth season, with series creator Noah Hawley attached to return.
Fargois an anthology crime series inspired by Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1996 film of the same name. Each season tells a different story with similar themes and a recurring Midwestern setting. The series is generally set somewhere in Minnesota or North/South Dakota and is known for its pitch-black comedy and for the characters' comically thick Midwestern accents. Like the film,theFargoseriesis “based on a true story” despite each story being completely fictitious. As a result, each season is set in the past.
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In a statement, FX Entertainment president Eric Schrier said, “Noah and [executive producer] Warren [Littlefield] have delighted and inspired fans throughfour brilliant chapters ofFargo, and we’re thrilled to announce with our partners at MGM a new chapter of what has become one of TV’s best and most acclaimed series.” Casting has not begun on the new season, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, season five will be set in 2019 and will tackle the following questions: “When is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?”
Based on the brief synopsis provided by The Hollywood Reporter,it seems like the fifth season will center around kidnappings, much like the 1996 film. In the film, car-salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) hires two criminals to kidnap of his wife so that his wealthy father-in-law will pay him the ransom. From the synopsis, it also sounds like season five ofFargowill continue the show’s trend of existentialism. Each season ofFargohas explored themes related to morality and identity, with characters frequently questioning their place and purpose in the universe.
Season one saw British actor Martin Freeman as a mild-mannered insurance salesman who becomes influenced by a sadistic drifter played by Billy Bob Thornton. The second season was set in 1979 and featured an all-out war between the Kansas City Mafia and a close-knit crime family from Fargo. The third season starredObi-Wan Kenobiactor Ewan McGregorportraying two brothers who become wrapped up in a series of brutal crimes and shady financial operations. The most recent season premiered on FX in September 2020 and featured comedian Chris Rock as the patriarch of a Kansas City crime family at war with the Italian Mafia.
While theFargoseries has remained popular since premiering on FX back in 2014, the fourth season saw a notable decline in its critical reception. That being said, when the series was first announced many fans were skeptical, as aTV adaptation of the beloved movieseemed impossible at best, and downright terrible at worst. However, audiences were pleasantly surprised as Hawley’s interpretation ofFargocontinued to offer a unique take on the themes and settings introduced in the Coen brothers' Oscar-winning film.
