Over the years, FX’s Fargo has proven to be one of the channel’s crown jewels, with its first two seasons delighting audiences with its razor sharp writing and direction, dark comedic elements, and wholly original characters. This year’s Season 3 has been no different, involving murder, a family feud, and general misadventure, all of which takes place in the now-iconic American Midwestern setting. This season stars Ewan McGregor (as brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Nikki Swango), Carrie Coon (Gloria Burgle), David Thewlis (V.M. Varga), and Michael Stuhlbarg (Sy Feltz).
Unfortunately for series fans, TV Guide reports that showrunner Noah Hawley recently revealed that Season 3 might be Fargo’s final season. Hawley broke the news during the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas this week. The showrunner explained that the main motivation to end Fargo with this year’s season has everything to do with story. “There’s only a certain amount of storytelling you can tell in that vein,” Hawley admitted. “And I love telling stories in this vein, but I don’t have another one yet. So watch the 10th hour [of Season 3] because it might be the last.” Hawley’s comments point to the fact that he would rather end the series on a high note than drag the show out over several more years and end on a weak season. The showrunner appears adamant that he does not want to wear out the show’s welcome – that is, he does not want to push the stories of Fargo to the point where they lose their touch and become tired and stale.
Hawley added context to his comments by discussing how FX feels about the possibility of ending on three seasons, explaining that he was surprised that the network agreed to this many seasons in the first place. “I wasn’t sure if there would be a second season. I wasn’t sure if there would be a third season,” Hawley said. “At the end of Season 1, [the network] said, ‘If you want to leave it there [that would be okay].” Both Hawley and FX seem to feel that less is more when it comes to Fargo. This appears to be reflected in the very execution of the show – instead of carrying on with one story with the same characters, each season essentially starts anew with a different story and cast. Perhaps it is this philosophy that has made the show so successful in the first place.
One of the most celebrated aspects to the series is that each season has its own distinct voice; each installment is refreshingly original and different than the last. At the same time, all seasons are tied together through their themes, subject matter, and setting, creating a cohesive yet consistently fresh series. Hawley spoke to these qualities to Variety in a podcast interview, claiming, “I think that’s what makes it more than just a crime story. There is also something larger philosophically that becomes unpredictable and fun.”
It has not yet been officially decided whether or not Season 3 will be Fargo’s last, so fans of the series still have reason to hold out hope. While we wait for the decision to be reached, episodes of Fargo Season 3 can be seen on Wednesdays at 10pm EST on FX.