Following the success and universal critical acclaim of its two previous outings, the anthology series Fargo, a spin-off television series of the now classic Coen Brother’s film of the same name, has now concluded its ten-part third season.
Building upon the formula established by the original film and its previous seasons, Fargo season three tells of a “true story” that never actually happened revolving around simple folk residing in Minnesota. However, following a chain of events sparked by the ongoing feud between two brothers, these simple folk are all brought into a web of lies, murder and deceit that leaves few survivors.
The cast do a terrific job with Obi Wan Kenobi himself Ewan McGregor showing his true acting versatility by portraying both feuding brothers Ray and Emmit Stussy.
Definite highlights however were Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Nikki Swango, who although first appearing as your typical femme fatal archetype, was later revealed to be one of the more complex and fleshed out characters of the show and finally David Thewlis as V.M. Vargo, an antagonist so unsettling that he is sure to leave any viewer with a profound sense of eeriness and discomfort whenever he appears on-screen.
The success of the show however ultimately comes down to its impeccable writing. Over the length of the 10-episode arc the character and plot development fleshes out to be one of the more memorable seasons of television this year, solidifying Fargo’s status as being easily one of the best shows on television.
The season does start off quite slowly, with the earlier half of the season feeling like somewhat of a drag and a chore to get through. However, it is from episode 5 on wards that it becomes clear that the first half of the season was very much a well crafted set-up culminating in the eventual massive pay off that was the rest of the season.
Although it is every much unclear as to when a fourth season will air, if ever, Fargo throughout its previous three seasons has again and again proven itself to be a masterpiece of modern television.
Review by Jameel Khan
