Eyebrows were certainly raised back in 2014 with the announcement that there would be a television remake of the Coen Brothers' crime classic Fargo. The confusion was understandable, as the 1996 film is widely regarded among the greatest pictures of its decade and a glorious highlight in the Coens' careers. Ten years after the first season premiered, however, FX's Fargo series has become an acclaimed mainstay of modern television entertainment. Running as an anthology, each of the show's five seasons presents a unique story of violence, chaos, and crime, which somehow connects to Fargo, North Dakota.

While it is in no way a direct adaptation, the series does contain many references to the 1996 film and other titles in the Coens' filmography, thriving with a similarly offbeat tone that mimics the filmmakers' style without directly copying it. With stories running from the 1950s to the modern day focusing on hardened gangsters, simple cops, and criminally ambitious family folk alike, Fargo's five chapters have provided plenty of wacky entertainment. Each season flaunts strengths and weaknesses, and while they are all good, some rise to greater heights, becoming perfect representatives of the current golden age of prestige television.

5 Season 4 (2020)

Main Cast: Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw

The fourth season of Fargo presented the series' most ambitious and serious entry thus far. Whereas much of the series' early joy stemmed from its outlandish characters and bizarre plot threads, season four embarked on a whole new form of narrative eager to engage with serious issues such as racial tensions in America and class warfare. The mixture of Fargo's comedic zest and stylish flair blended with the more dramatic focus surprisingly well for the most part, though there were a few occasions where the season struggled between tones with awkward results.

It takes place in the early 1950s, focusing on a territory war between the ruling Italian mob family, led by the impulsive and unconvincing new boss Josto Fadda (Jason Schwartzman), and the growing Black crime syndicate Cannon Limited, led by the ambitious businessman and crook Loy Cannon (Chris Rock). It also follows the many characters caught up in the middle of the conflict, ranging from the struggling Smutny family to the delightfully wicked Fargo villain Oraetta Mayflower (Jessie Buckley). While it started off in fine form with a fresh premise and plenty of exceptional characters, season 4 of Fargo struggled to stretch its story across eleven episodes. That being said, Rock's surprisingly powerful performance and Buckley's hilariously twisted outing alone made the season a worthwhile watch.

4 Season 3 (2017)

Main Cast: Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis

Not dissimilar to season four, the third season of Fargo ran with an intriguing overall premise but struggled to maintain it. Taking place in 2010, it focuses on the ongoing feud between diametrically opposed twin brothers Emmit and Raymond Stussy, both portrayed by Ewan McGregor. While Emmit is happily married and leads a comfortable life as the owner of a successful parking lot empire, Raymond is a scheming parol officer struggling to get by. The tension between them escalates when Ray tries to steal the prized family heirloom from Emmit with help from his partner, Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Meanwhile, Emmit faces business issues as he is targeted by V. M. Varga (David Thewlis), the enforcer for a company he owes money to, while police chief Gloria Burgle (Carrie Coon) looks into the mysterious murder of her stepfather, Ennis Stussy (Scott Hylands).

While much of the season's quirkiness comes as a well-earned addition to the unraveling mystery, there are stages where it feels like the show is trying to be weirder for the sake of it rather than to serve the story and its characters. While this isn't a terrible flaw and makes for some rewarding moments in its own right, it sometimes robs some agency and substance from its core characters. Still, at its best, Fargo season three could be incredible, as was displayed by the performances from McGregor, Winstead, Thewlis, and Coon. Some sequences, such as the extended opening chase in the episode "Who Rules the Land of Denial?" are also among the show's finest technical achievements.

3 Season 5 (2023-2024)

Main Cast: Juno Temple, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jon Hamm

While Fargo has never fallen far from grace, the recent fifth season is a resounding return to form that gets more in touch with the quaint, quirky criminals that made the series such a success in its first seasons. Set in 2019 in the small town of Scandia, it follows the many oddball, criminal residents while focusing on Dorothy "Dot" Lyon, played by the incredible Juno Temple, an ordinary housewife with a hidden past that begins to re-emerge when she clashes with the authorities. Converging in her life are ambitious billionaires, committed state troopers, and corrupt ranchers.

A captivating cacophony of lunacy, violence, and style, Fargo season five is a return to the first two seasons' narrative tone without losing any of its dare or ambition. The result is a characteristically thrilling, shockingly violent, borderline slapstick, and hilariously funny crime drama. Excelling off the back of excellent performances from the ensemble supporting cast, season five has achieved an effervescent sense of morality that places it much nearer to the best the series has produced than the worst. – Ryan Heffernan

2 Season 1 (2014)

Main Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks

The first season of Fargo immediately announced the show as being distinct from the film, an attention-grabbing, thrilling, and cynically comedic TV show well worth watching. Mimicking the progression of the Coen Brothers' film, it starts relatively small in scope before gradually expanding to introduce all the players at the perfect time to elevate the tension and further the narrative. Furthermore, it does this with hilarious results, with the season's comedic tone arguably the best on display throughout the series, remaining wickedly dark without any of the mean-spirited, targeted tinge from some of the later seasons.

The season follows Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), an insurance agent who actually bore many similarities to William H. Macy's immoral protagonist from the film. Lester is meek and powerless, trapped in an unhappy marriage and the butt of many of the jokes in his social circle. His life changes forever when he accidentally kills his wife during a bitter argument and must call upon the aid of Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton), a quirky hitman he met by chance. Staged as a break-in, it falls to police deputy Molly Solverson (Alison Tolman) and officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) to figure out what happened. Fargo season one features a perfect array of lead characters, with Lester a comically bad criminal and Lorne a genuinely intimidating and ruthless killer. Writer Noah Hawley even incorporated a rare dose of heartfelt sincerity in the blossoming romance between Molly and Gus.

1 Season 2 (2015)

Main Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jessie Plemmons, Ted Danson, Jean Smart

While it made a fantastic introduction with its first season, season 2 of Fargo was where the series perfected its storytelling fluidity, oddball yet complicated and violent characters, and grasp on its complex, multi-dimensional tone. The premise itself is actually similar to that of season one, focusing on young couple Peggy and Ed Blumquist, masterfully played by Oscar-nominees Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, as they navigate a growing criminal conspiracy after Peggy accidentally kills a member of a powerful crime family in a hit-and-run incident. The fallout sees the criminal organization scurrying to find the killer while good-natured state trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) and his loyal ally, Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson), investigate a connected shooting in a diner.

While the lesser Fargo seasons have a knack for tying themselves into knots trying to interweave all their plot threads, season two excelled at presenting parallel stories that intersect beautifully while making every major character strike audiences exactly as desired. Though mostly upbeat and humorous, season two also has its fair share of tragic and heartbreaking moments, from Peggy and Ed's lives being uprooted as they are drawn deeper into the spiraling chain of events to Solverson's pure love for his daughter and cancer-ridden wife. Ultimately, Fargo is at its best when it is primarily focused on its characters, something season two was immaculate at doing to be the best Fargo season released thus far.

All five seasons of Fargo are available to stream on Hulu.

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