Fargo ended its third, and perhaps final, season Wednesday. Overall, it was a good season, but not quite up to the same level as the first two. Some things just didn’t click. Ewen McGregor’s twins Emmitt and Ray Stussy just weren’t that interesting. Carrie Coon was great as Gloria Burgle, but the character couldn’t quite live up the Solversons, Molly and Lou, who were the lead protagonists in the first two seasons. Even the villainous V.M. Varga, played with gusto by David Thewlis, never quite reached the level I hoped. Ray Wise was the best part of the season, and he only popped up in two episodes. Again, it was a good season of television, and the last few episodes were really strong, but it does make me waffle on the notion of a fourth season. However, a fourth season could be rather interesting, as long as they shake things up.
In truth, some of the disappointment in season three may be a matter of diminishing returns. A lot of folks complained about repetitiveness, and there is validity in that, even if my main issues weren’t with the season feeling too repetitive. However, if Noah Hawley, the mind behind the Fargo TV series, is willing to think outside the box, the fourth season could feel fresh and exciting.
The number one thing I’d like to see is for Fargo to get a little further from Fargo. That is to say, how about the next season heads to the west coast, namely Los Angeles? One episode of this season did just that, and it was one of the best episodes of the bunch. The Coen Brothers are from Minnesota, and Fargo is a decidedly Minnesotan movie. That being said, the number two place associated with Coen Brothers movies is Los Angeles. The Big Lebowski. Barton Fink. Hail, Caesar! A season set in Los Angeles could still have that Coen Brothers feel, and still feel like Fargo, the TV show. Maybe they do a reversal of season three, with one episode set in Minnesota. Maybe the main character can be a transplant from Mankato. You don’t have to lose the Minnesota aspect entirely, but a move would really freshen things up.
The other idea I could get behind is for the show to take another trip into the past, but way into the past. The second season, still the best of the bunch, took place in 1979. However, there was a cold open that took place even further in the past. What about heading back another 30 years? A season that takes place in the ’40s, or even the ’30s, would be quite interesting. It would definitely feel different than any of the prior three seasons, and it could easily be tied into the other seasons. Sure, it would be a bit silly to, say, see what another Solverson was up to, but there are a lot of other characters who could have their ancestors running around in Depression-era Minnesota.
Hawley says he is not sure about doing a fourth season, but to be fair he said that about the second and third seasons as well. There’s a decent chance we’ll get another year of Fargo. Hopefully it won’t feel too similar to the three we’ve seen already.
