Well, 2017 has just been hailed as the perfect year for television. FX has announced the return date for season three of Noah Hawley’s definitive take on Midwest kitschery, Fargo. The previous two seasons have held up to critical acclaim, with each season winning several Emmys and Golden Globes because it’s just that great. Season three returns to FX on April 19.
Fargo is an anthology series, loosely related to the excellent 1996 Coen Brothers film, that dissects a “true-crime tale” set on the plains of Midwest America. Season three is set in 2010, following a couple of brothers, Emmit and Ray Stussy, both played by Ewan McGregor, as a kind of Cain and Abel in the Fargo universe. In fact, Fargo rules dictate that while one man prospers, another cannot. Emmit is a success, The Parking Lot King of Minnesota (of course), while Ray is a balding, overweight parole officer living in his brother’s looming shadow and blaming Emmit for his circumstances. In a press release from FX, the conflict of season three is said to stem from their rivalry which “follows a twisted path that begins with petty theft but soon leads to murder, mobsters and cut-throat competitive bridge.” How very Fargo.
Each season has sported an incredibly well-rounded and talented cast, with the first season causing a kind of resurging relevance for Billy Bob Thornton as the truly chilling Lorne Malvo. This season is no different. In addition to Ewan McGregor playing both lead roles, season three will also star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) as Ray’s girlfriend Nikki Swango, “a crafty and alluring recent parolee with a passion for competitive bridge,” which is just about as perfect a description as one can come up with. Carrie Coon, of Gone Girl and The Leftovers fame, plays a police officer perplexed by society’s increasingly intimate relationships with their phones as opposed to the world around them. David Thewlis also appears as V.M. Vargas, a mysterious loner who has plans for a shifty deal with Emmit, whether he likes it or not. Jim Gaffigan, Michael Stuhlbarg, Fred Melamed and Shea Whigham also have roles along the way, each of which is major cause for excitement.
Fargo returns to FX on Wednesday, April 19. Stay tuned for more information along the way, and check out Paste’s “13 Things You Need to Know About Fargo Season Three” here.