As expected, FX has ordered a new season of “Fargo.” And, as expected, it’ll follow the “American Horror Story”/”True Detective” model of starting over from scratch.
Per FX’s announcement this morning at the Television Critics Association press tour, “The new chapter of the ‘Fargo’ story will feature an all-new cast of characters, a new time period and a new ‘true crime’ story that will unfold over the course of 10 episodes.”
One aspect of the acclaimed original season that won’t change: Noah Hawley, who wrote all 10 episodes of season 1 – and who did a remarkable job of evoking the work of the Coen brothers without seeming like a bad imitator – will remain in charge of the show.
Many viewers had speculated that a second season would deal with the Sioux Falls case from the late ’70s that Keith Carradine’s character, Lou Solverson, kept alluding to. The mention of a new time period supports that theory, though the “all-new cast of characters” does not. For what it’s worth, Hawley has been very cagey about the idea of a Sioux Falls season both times I’ve asked him.
But with such a terrific first season – and one that drew 18 Emmy nominations – I’m ready to trust Hawley on whatever he tries to do next with this world.
UPDATE: FX’s John Landgraf said that the earliest the new “Fargo” season could debut would be fall of 2015, and that there will be “an all-new cast of actors,” rather than taking the “American Horror Story” approach of recycling actors in new roles. There will be a panel later today with Hawley and producer Warren Littlefield, so we’ll have more detail then.
UPDATE #2: Fienberg has all the details from the “Fargo” press conference, including Hawley’s revelation that season 2 will be about Sioux Falls, focusing on a 33-year-old Lou.