Fargo season 5
The fifth season of Fargo, an American anthology dark comedy–crime drama television series created by Noah Hawley, premiered on November 21, 2023, on FX. It consists of 10 episodes.[1] Originally, the season was scheduled to premiere in September 2023, but was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[2]
Fargo
10
November 21, 2023
January 16, 2024
As an anthology, each Fargo season possesses its own self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings and eras, albeit in a shared universe. This is, however, the first season of the series to not have any remote connection to either a previous season or to the film, though it makes several homages to the latter. It is set in Minnesota and North Dakota in the fall of 2019. It stars Juno Temple as Dorothy "Dot" Lyon, a seemingly typical Midwestern housewife living in Scandia, Minnesota, whose mysterious past comes back to haunt her after she inadvertently lands herself in hot water with the authorities. Jon Hamm stars as North Dakota Sheriff Roy Tillman, who has been searching for Dot for over a decade. Other cast members include Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dot's wealthy, arrogant mother-in-law, Lorraine Lyon, David Rysdahl as Wayne Lyon, Dot's loving husband and the only child of Lorraine, Joe Keery as sheriff's deputy Gator Tillman, Roy's loyal but feckless son, Lamorne Morris as North Dakota State Trooper Witt Farr, Richa Moorjani as Scandia police deputy Indira Olmstead, Sam Spruell as a mysterious drifter named Ole Munch, Sienna King as Scotty Lyon, the 9-year-old daughter of Dot and Wayne, and Dave Foley as Danish Graves, Lorraine's in-house attorney and "fixer".[3]
The season has been met with positive critical reviews with many critics calling it a return to form with the show and favorably comparing it to the first two seasons. The season was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Actor and Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for Hamm and Temple, respectively.[4]
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
On the day of the fourth season's finale, "Storia Americana", series creator Noah Hawley was questioned about a potential fifth season. He said, "The danger is always that you're going to stay at the dance a little too long. So I have to put a lot of it in place in my head and really make sure that it's worthy of joining these 41 hours. I don't want to try and make another one unless I think, 'Oh, we have to make this one. It's the best one yet.'"[6] By March 2021, Hawley said "I'll get to it in the next year."[7]
In February 2022, FX officially renewed the series for a fifth season.[8] Hawley said that the season would be more "comedic" in tone, saying "It's always a balance between how dramatic versus comedic it is, and this is the more comedic end of the spectrum. I really love it."[9]
Casting[edit]
In June 2022, Juno Temple, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Jason Leigh were confirmed as main cast members for the season.[10] In August 2022, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris and Richa Moorjani joined the series.[11]
In October 2022, David Rysdahl, Sam Spruell, Jessica Pohly and Nick Gomez joined the season.[12] The following month, Dave Foley was confirmed to appear, while Lukas Gage also joined in January 2023.[13][14]
Release[edit]
Marketing[edit]
On October 25, 2023, FX Networks released the season's full trailer.[15]
Broadcast[edit]
The season premiered on FX on November 21, 2023, with the first two episodes, with the rest debuting weekly.[1] It was originally scheduled to premiere in September 2023, but was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.[2]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 93% based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A back-to-basics caper populated by the likes of a mesmerizing Juno Temple and a thick slice of Hamm, Fargo's fifth season is a superb return to peak form."[16] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]