Fargo TV Seasons ranked

Hello,

On January 16th Fargo, the critically acclaimed TV drama series based on the Coen Brothers classic film of the same name from 1996, aired it's series finale on FX. In 5 seasons, the show released 51 episodes and received 55 Emmy nominations and won 6, taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries in 2014. This is not counting the most recent season because they will not be eligible for Emmy consideration until next year. I loved watching this show from it's first season till it's last and it will truly be missed. Each season brought along new characters and new storylines with it that had me on the edge of my seat. Now that the show has come to a close, I thought it would be a fun idea to rank each of the 5 seasons from worst to best or, more accurately, my least favorite to my most favorite:

5. Season 4: Premiered on Sept 27th, 2020

This season starred Chris Rock as the head of a crime syndicate who squares off against the local Italian Mafia lead by Josto Fadda, played by Jason Schwartzman. In this season, the showrunners took a chance with an extreme slow burn which unfortunately did not work out as planned. I would not go as far as saying that this season was bad, but I think it deserves it's spot as the worst Fargo season out of the 5.

4. Season 3: Premiered on Apr 19th, 2017

Season 3 featured a stellar cast with very strong performances from David Thewlis and Ewan McGregor who won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited Series. In addition to McGregor's Golden Globe, the show was nominated for 2 more Globes and received 16 Emmy nominations. It's no question that this season of Fargo was very good. I really enjoyed the acting performances from the core cast and the story was gripping at times. This season comes in at #4 only because this is Fargo that we are talking about, and someone had to get put here.

3.  Season 2: Premiered on Oct 12th, 2015

This season had the very daunting task of being the second season of this series. We will talk more about season 1 in a little bit, but being the season to follow it was no small task. Luckily for viewers, season 2 was up for the challenge! This featured a seemingly innocent couple, played by Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, who unwittingly find themselves mixed up with an unsavory group of people. Their chemistry in the season was amazing, causing the viewer to forget that they were watching a tv show at times! I have always believed that this is a mark of a well-done show/movie, and it is for that reason that season 2 is #3 on this list. 

2. Season 5:  Premiered on Nov 21st, 2023

Before season 5 was released, it was announced that this would be Fargo's final season. There is a lot of pressure that goes into producing a final season, especially when the show is as popular as Fargo is/was. There have been many shows that have done it well, but a high amount of shows have also butchered the final season which can sometimes leave the viewer with a sour taste in their mouth. Fargo brought in a stellar cast headlined by Jon Hamm and Juno Temple and a gripping story that had be aching for each episode to come out. They did a great job with the final season and that is why it comes in as Fargo's second-best.

1. Season 1: Premiered on Apr 15th, 2014

As I alluded to earlier in this post, Fargo's first season was my favorite and, in my opinion, it's best. When I set out to create this list, the only season that I did not have to think long and hard about where to place is this season. Billy Bob Thornton's chilling performance as the lethal loner Lorne Malvo coupled with Martin Freeman's excellent performance as the unassuming Lester Nygaard had you on the edge of your seat for the entirety of every episode. The writing in this season serves as a true testament to creator Noah Hawley's storytelling ability. I believe that this season may go down as one of the best written television seasons of all time and it is for that reason that it is finishing off this list at #1.

Thanks for reading! All episodes of Fargo are now streaming on Hulu and if you are enjoyed the film, I think you will love the show!