In some good news, Fargo season 5 arrives this fall
Cue the "Oh, yah!"s because a new, star-studded season of FX's Fargo is almost here, led by Jon Hamm and Juno Temple
TV News Fargo
No, you’re not seeing things: That’s a furtive-looking Jon Hamm in a cowboy hat (not on Andy Cohen’s talk show discussing his penis) ready to take charge as Fargo’s latest grim protagonist. FX’s darkly comedic crime anthology finally makes its long-anticipated return in November after three years off the air. And, yes, it continues the tradition of bringing aboard a stellar cast.
Noah Hawley’s award-winning series is inspired by the Coen brothers’ acclaimed 1996 film, and set in the same fictional universe. Each season takes place in a different location and time period but is always led by an enviable cast. Season one starred Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, and Allison Tolman in season one, and Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Kieran Culkin, and Jean Smart led season two—arguably the best of the show. Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, David Thewlis, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead starred in season three. Finally, season four, which released way back in 2020, starred Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, and Jason Schwartzman.
Fargo’s fifth season is no different. Hawley brings on another group of talented actors for 10 new episodes. Set in Minnesota and North Dakota in 2019, this season centers on Dorothy “Dot” Lyon (Ted Lasso’s Juno Temple), a seemingly typical Midwestern housewife suddenly plunged into a life she thought she left behind. She has to rely on her survival skills to protect her family now. Hamm plays a preachy Sheriff named Roy Tillman, who has been searching for Dot for a long time. Joe Keery is his feckless son, Gator, sporting a look that’s markedly different from Stranger Things’ beloved Steve.
Meanwhile, the ensemble also includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lamorne Morris, Richa Moorjani, Dave Foley, Sam Spruell, and David Rysdahl. Of course, any more details about the plot are under wraps, but here’s where we guide you to season five’s initial intriguing description: “When is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?” Fargo season five is set to premiere with two episodes on November 21.
FX also announced premiere dates for other upcoming fall TV shows: Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story season 11—filmed amidst the ongoing strike, by the way—will premiere on September 20. Brit Marling’s Murder At The End Of The World, starring Emma Corrin, will now arrive on November 14 after being pushed from the August schedule.
53 Comments
Oh hell yeah!
Please let it reach the heights of the first couple seasons. Please.
No show has squandered epic talent like seasons 3 onward. Sometimes a bunch of crazy talented people can somehow fail to make magic.
I really liked S3. The first time I felt disappointed in terms of the talent they had vs. the results was S4. Look at that loaded cast.
Agreed. I think season 3 is a great story, focussing on a more low-key, sinister grift than the stuff done by the old-school mobsters of seasons 1 and 2. Also, I’m just a huge fan of both David Thewlis and Mary Elizabeth Winstead and I love their scenes together.
Woo! We were bracing ourselves for a fall season of game shows and reality TV.
We?
Mrs. F.
You’re not excited about the Golden Bachelor brought to you by Cialis?
While we prefer Bachelor to Bachelorette, the Golden Bachelor is not on out list.For now.
Glad to hear it! Let’s hope that they get back up to a season 1 or 2 level. Season 4 was just OK, and season 3 would have been a lot better without David Thewlis, who was nails across a chalkboard for me. His character suffered from the Marlo Stanfield Problem, which is: There is no way that he makes it that far in life without someone putting a bullet in his head. I thought Carrie Coon and the other lady cop were great, though!
Carrie Coon was so good, she almost made the whole season work.Season 4 was the one that was really lacking to me.
The true star of S3 was obviously that helpful officer in L.A.
Word.Also, Season 3 was tops.
Ooh, spicy.
Varga is the only villain thus far to live up to the raw malevolence of Lorne Malvo, IMO.
A rewatch of 3 raised it’s profile for me; so much to unpack!
Yep! I don’t even rank it much above S2, because S2 works better than it should (the end bit with Hanzee is REALLY out of left field). I just think people sleep on S3.Plus, hey, free Ray Wise as the Wandering Jew!
I also find him more sinister in that Malvo was finally stopped and purged from the world. It’s left ambiguous whether Varga will actually face justice.
interestinggg! I liked 3 a lot, but 2 remains my top-tier season.
This is the only correct opinion! 🙂
Two was great fun, but the UFO stuff kinda took me out of it (whereas the sci fi author stuff in S3…just didn’t, for some reason). It’s not a distant race for me between the two (S4 is dead last).In terms of villains, I loved V.M. Varga. Dude is basically the (perhaps literal) god of unfettered, cutthroat capitalism, and is as much of a grotesque as that role demands.
I hated the UFO part as well, but the rest of the season was so good its still #1 for me.2, 1, 3……..> 4.
I think 2, 1, 3, 4 is my ranking too! really hoping season 5 is as good as the early seasons as well.
That’s fair, the UFO stuff was a turning point for others I know too, but it totally worked for me.
It was about halfway through the series that I realised Varga was, in every sense except the strictly literal, a vampire. He constantly eats but never satisfies his hunger, he turns other people into versions of himself, he has to be invited in but once he is he has total power over his victims. And once you see that and also make the link to unfettered capitalism, like you mentioned, you see how vampiric a system that is.
Good read on it!
Season 2 is my all time favorite season of television ever. The writing and the cast, and even the UFO stuff was all on point for me.
I love Danson and Bokeem Woodbine in that season.
Oh man, Bokeem Woodbine was sublime. Everyone’s terrific in it tbh.
Season 2 is head and shoulders above 1 and 3. Haven’t seen 4.
S3 has grown on me more than any of the others since airing, good call. Not sure it is my favorite – the Dunst/Plemons combo was so much fun – but Carrie Coon is absolutely fantastic in it. What a run to go directly from The Leftovers to another standout performance.
I enjoyed S2 more overall, but Varga is probably the best character in the series and the final scene of S3 has stuck with me since I saw it.
Season 3 had Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Nikki Swango. That fact alone makes it tops.
Co-signed.
I’m curious about if Juno will have an American accent. Been watching Ted Lasso again and her British accent is thick at times.
I’ve seen Juno Temple act American a couple times – in Lovelace and in Afternoon Delight. She does pretty well.
Now I remember, she had an American accent in The Brass Teapot.
I first saw her in Killer Joe. She’ll be fine.
Exciting prospects. What do you think Juno Temple’s accent is going to sound like?
“Season one starred Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, and Allison Tolman in season one”
Yeah, but what season was that?
Season 2 cannot be beat. Ted Danson in a beard. Bokeem Woodbine in perhaps the best role of the entire series (I’m a Mike Milligan stan — his final scene in that sad little office is priceless). UFOs! Plemons-Dunst! Culkin definitely making Rye the Roman of the Gerhardt clan. Jean F-ing Smart!
I think Donovan (his single best role, ever) and Dunst stole that entire season, except that everybody else was so damned good its hard to say anybody stole anything. Reminded me a lot of the cast of Deadwood, but even that show had its absolute standouts in McShane and Olyphant.
“Loplop” Basically a three-hander between Donovan, Dunst and Plemons may have been the hardest I’ve laughed at an episode of television, ever.
Which season was it that starred Martin Freeman, Billy Bob Thornton, and Allison Tolman again?
1
So, season 1 was the season they starred in, which was season 1?
No, it was clearly season 1!
Dave FoleyI’m hoping this follows Dave Nelson’s heroic return to his *Midwest” (wink-wink) radio roots.
I haven’t seen season 4 yet (looks like it’s one that didn’t make it to DVD and I’m relying on my local county library system). I’ve seen 1,2 and 3, though, and boy, it’s a really well-done series. Love the casting in each season, and the subtle nods to both the movie and previous episodes in the show are nice but never overwhelming.
After season 4, I just hope everyone is in the same show this time. Season 3 was all over the place. Chris Rock was in a prestige drama. Jessie Buckley was in a screwball comedy. And Jason Schwartzman’s brother was busy delivering the single worst acting performance since AJ Soprano.
How did people go with Fargo 4? It’s the one season I didn’t get through.
This being the work of a drifter… Or drifters.