The writing bug caught me this morning, so here comes my second preview for another April TV premiere- season 3 of Fargo.
I will be completely honest, I have no details as to what this season will be about. We know about the cast and that this season is set in 2010, but nothing else. Just under two months away from the season’s premiere, we have very little to go on. That being said, having nothing to go on is the best thing going for this season. With a great cast and a time frame that lends to having characters who have previously appeared come back, there are infinite possibilities. Let’s get into them.
When I found out that Ewan McGregor would be this season’s lead, I did backflips. When I found out that he would be playing two lead roles on the show, I almost started crying. Ewan McGregor is a perfect fit for this series, having both the dramatic range and comedic prowess to navigate Noah Hawley’s twisted universe. In my opinion, McGregor will shine, and I can’t wait to see how he does, as I’ve never seen him in television before. I think McGregor will be the best part of the season, simply because he’s just so good and in two roles, he’s going to get a lot of face time. However, he doesn’t have to carry th eload himself, because the rest of the cast is stellar. Carrie Coon from Gone Girl plays the female lead, the chief of the local police. While Gone Girl the only thing I’ve seen her in, she was great and I want to see more of her ability.
Something present in season 1 but not season 2 was a really bizarre casting choice that only made sense when we saw it unfold on screen. Season 1 had the likes of Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, and Glenn Howerton all in fairly important roles, and they crushed those roles without a doubt. Season 2 lacked this, although the casting could not have been any better, especially Bokeem Woodbine, who stole every secene he was in and was rightfully nominated for an Emmy. Season 3 brings back the trend of comedic actors in the show, introducing Jim Gaffigan to the fold. I don’t know what his role is yet but honestly, will it matter? He’s going to be great- I think he’ll take the humor to the next level and make the show uncomfortable at times, which is its biggest strength and part of the reason why it navigates between dark comedy and serious drama so effortlessly. Also, David Thewlis is cast as a “true capitalist,” according to the official logline. This is an interesting choice, because Thewlis does have a previous Coen Brothers connection as as Knox Harrington. This is only great news as we know there is someone who is in familiar territory as far as the tone of the show is concerned.
The 2010 setting is fun. It gives Noah Hawley the opportunity to build off season 1 as well as season 2, as season 1 took place in 2006 and season 2 took place before then and was directly related to the characters of season 1. There is the possibility we do see old characters come back, and I know there will be connections between all three seasons and perhaps even the movie, as there was a connection to the movie from season 1- Stavros Milos finding Steve Buscemi’s briefcase full of cash. Things are more modern in this season’s setting, and we do know that technology will play some sort of role. Carrie Coon’s aforementioned character is newly divorced and discovers that people are spending more and more time on their phones. Personally, I want to see how Hawley spins this as there will be some sort of commentary on today’s dependency on phones/social media that will leave some character in a bad situation. Season 3 is going to be a lot of fun if that happens.
Without knowing much more than that, it’s hard to get a grasp on where the show is going, but that’s all part of the ride. And I feel like it will be an incredible ride. If we get more information on where the plot is going, I’ll be sure to write more about it. Season 1 was phenomenal, season 2 was somehow better, and if season 3 continues the upward trend, we are in for a serious treat.
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Fargo season 3 premieres on April 19th on FX.
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