When Noah Hawley developed Fargo as a thematically-linked unique story featuring all new characters and plotlines, it was a dream come true for fans of the Coen Brothers film that inspired it. The Midwest dark comedy crime thriller genre did not have enough great content apart from the Fargo movie, so each new take from this anthology adaptation was welcomed by critics and audiences. After more diversions from the concepts of the original film and longer waits between each season, Fargo Season 5 debuts this week with a story the most closely linked to the movie since the first season.
The ‘Fargo’ Season 5 New Story
In this new entry from the Fargo anthology, Juno Temple plays an average Minnesotan mom caught in a violent misunderstanding. All she wants to do is have a typical life with her daughter and husband (to the dismay of her wealthy mega-capitalist mother-in-law), but something mysterious in her past starts to get in the way. Shortly after the introduction, a chauvinistic sheriff becomes interested in this woman’s life, making a happy life in Minnesota impossible for her to achieve.
Hawley’s ‘Fargo’ Writing Brilliance
Noah Hawley writes most of the Fargo teleplays, and his understanding of the original film’s power remains cutting and hilarious with each new season. Though the 2020 season, in particular, took the series far from the roots of the Fargo film, fans of this movie will recognize the elements twisted around, similar to how Hawley devised the husband character of the first season. His new take on the related elements from the original is instantly referential and unique enough for genuine excitement, taking on his best balancing act in years.
Juno Temple and Jennifer Jason Leigh in ‘Fargo’
Jon Hamm Makes for a Killer Villain
Jon Hamm’s evil sheriff, lording over his compound and commanding deputies, constituents, and FBI agents with his philosophy of male-dominated “traditional” values, is Hawley’s most original addition to the Fargo canon. Hamm’s cowboy hat-wearing, mob boss-evoking character is such an over-the-top caricature of villainy that viewers cannot help but enjoy his dastardly antics. His pure evil allows for the nuance of other villains to emerge, similar to how the seemingly average characters of Fargo in the past could commit terrible actions and how wealthy Midwesterners could thwart their plans with ease.
The ‘Fargo’ Pieces Come Together in Season 5
Having all the correct elements at your disposal does not necessarily make a great show; however, Hawley’s writing and direction tie it all together with the effortless atmosphere of the Coen Brothers and fresh inspiration from a three-year break. Though Temple and Hamm are the two central focuses of Fargo Season 5, supporting actors Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, and Richa Moorjani all get plenty of screentime to make the stamp of Fargo‘s ensemble cast tradition. If you seek more Fargo laughs and darkness, this new season will likely be the most fun you have had in years.
Fargo is streaming now on Hulu.