The fifth season of '' Fargo'', an American

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

black comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

television series created by

Noah Hawley Noah Hawley (born 1967) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, author, and singer. He is best known for creating and writing the FX series '' Fargo'' (2014–present) and '' Legion'' (2017–2019). He also worked on the series '' Bones ...

, premiered on November 21, 2023, on FX. It consists of 10 episodes. The season was scheduled to premiere in September 2023, but was delayed due to the

2023 Hollywood labor disputes From May 2 to November 9, 2023, a series of long labor disputes within the Cinema of the United States, film and Television in the United States, television industries of the United States took place, mainly focused on the strikes of the 2023 W ...

. As an anthology, each season of ''Fargo'' possesses its own self-contained narrative, following a disparate set of characters in various settings and eras in a

shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where one or more writers (or other artists) independently contribute works that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, charact ...

. This is the first season of the series to have no connection to either a previous season or the film, though it makes several homages to the latter. It is set in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

in the fall of 2019 and stars

Juno Temple Juno Temple (born 21 July 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the comedy series ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–2023) and in the fifth season of the crime drama series '' Fargo'' (2023–2024). She earned Primetime Emmy Award nomi ...

as Dorothy "Dot" Lyon, a seemingly typical Midwestern housewife living in

Scandia, Minnesota Scandia is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,984 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Scandia is 25 miles northeast of Saint Paul, Minnesota. History As evidence ...

, whose mysterious past comes back to haunt her after she inadvertently lands herself in hot water with the authorities. Other cast members include

Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama series '' Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and tw ...

as Roy Tillman, a North Dakota sheriff who has been searching for Dot for over a decade;

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). She re ...

as Lorraine Lyon, Dot's wealthy and arrogant mother-in-law;

David Rysdahl David Rysdahl is an American actor and screenwriter. He is best known for his lead role in the fifth season of the television series '' Fargo'' and for his starring roles in the fantasy drama film ''Nine Days'' (2020) and the thriller film ''No ...

as Wayne Lyon, Dot's loving husband and Lorraine's only child;

Joe Keery Joseph David Keery (born April 24, 1992), known professionally in music as Djo, is an American actor and musician. He became known for playing Steve Harrington in the science fiction series ''Stranger Things'' (2016–present), and has since sta ...

as Gator Tillman, Roy's loyal but feckless son and deputy;

Lamorne Morris Lamorne Lionel Morris (born August 14, 1983) is an American actor and comedian. He has played the roles of Winston Bishop in the Fox sitcom ''New Girl'' (2011–2018), Daniel in '' Call Me Kat'', Darrin Morris in the National Geographic docu ...

as Witt Farr, a North Dakota state trooper; Richa Moorjani as Indira Olmstead, a Scandia police deputy;

Sam Spruell Sam Spruell (born 1 January 1977, in Southwark, London) is a British actor. Early life and education Spruell studied at Hull University before turning to acting. His mother is actress Linda Broughton. Career Theatre He made his stage debut wit ...

as Ole Munch, a mysterious drifter; Sienna King as Scotty Lyon, Dot and Wayne's nine-year-old daughter; and

Dave Foley David Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer, and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and fil ...

as Danish Graves, Lorraine's attorney and fixer. The season received positive reviews, with many critics calling it a return to form for the show and favorably comparing it to the first two seasons. It was nominated for three

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...

for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film and Best Actor and

Actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

in a Miniseries or Television Film for Hamm and Temple, respectively.

Cast

Main

as Dorothy "Dot" Lyon / Nadine Tillman (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Bump), a seemingly ordinary housewife from

, who is haunted by her past after accidentally coming to the attention of authorities following a middle school board meeting gone wrong *

as Lorraine Lyon, Dot's wealthy, arrogant mother-in-law; known as the "Queen of Debt", she is the billionaire CEO of "Redemption Services", the largest

debt collection Debt collection or cash collection is the process of pursuing payments of money or other agreed-upon value owed to a creditor. The debtors may be individuals or businesses. An organization that specializes in debt collection is known as a coll ...

agency in the U.S. *

as Wayne Lyon, Dot's loving and respectful, yet often passive husband, who owns a small

Kia Kia Corporation (, formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry (京城精密工業) and Kia Motors Corporation) is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second larges ...

car dealership *

as Gator Tillman, Roy's brash son, deputy and protege who's eager to prove his worth to his father *

as Whitley "Witt" Farr, a

state trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...

who encounters Dot during her escape from kidnappers and becomes embroiled in the ensuing investigation * Richa Moorjani as Indira Olmstead, a Scandia deputy with financial troubles who investigates Dot's kidnapping and later becomes suspicious of her story *

as Ole Munch / Bryn Glas, a mysterious criminal-for-hire who holds vendettas against both Dot and Tillman, and who is also a 500-year-old

sin-eater A sin-eater is a person who consumes a ritual meal in order to spiritually take on the sins of a deceased person. The food was believed to absorb the sins of a recently dead person, thus absolving the soul of the person. Cultural anthropolo ...

originally from

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

as Danish Graves, Lorraine's in-house attorney and loyal right-hand man * Sienna King as Scotty Lyon, Dot and Wayne's

tomboy A tomboy is a girl or young woman who generally expresses masculine traits. Such traits may include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and engaging in activities and behaviors traditionally associated with boys or men. Origins The w ...

9-year-old daughter *

as Sheriff Roy Tillman, a corrupt rancher serving as the constitutional sheriff of

Stark County, North Dakota Stark County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,646, and was estimated to be 33,767 in 2024, making it the 7th-most populous county in North Dakota. The county seat and the largest city ...

who is also Dot's abusive ex-husband from 11 years prior

Recurring

Lukas Gage Lukas Gage (born May 28, 1995) is an American actor. He appeared in the television series ''American Vandal'' (2017), ''Euphoria'' (2019), ''The White Lotus'' (2021), ''You'' (2023), and '' Fargo'' (2023), as well as the films ''Smile 2'' (2024) ...

as Lars Olmstead, Indira's feckless husband, an aspiring pro golfer * Nick Gomez as Agent Tony Joaquin, a Fargo-based

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

agent who is investigating Roy's

abuse of power Abuse of power or abuse of authority, in the form of "malfeasance in office" or "official abuse of power", is the commission of an Crime, unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasan ...

* Jessica Pohly as Agent Hildred Meyer, Joaquin's partner at the FBI *

Rebecca Liddiard Rebecca Liddiard (born ) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Constable Adelaide Stratton in the 2016 trans-Atlantic mystery series '' Houdini & Doyle'' and as morality officer Mary Shaw in '' Frankie Drake Mysteries''. Early li ...

as Karen Tillman, Roy's current (and third) wife * Michael Copeman as Odin Little, Karen's father and a local militia leader * Kudjo Fiakpui as Jerome Pugh, Lorraine's bodyguard * Jan Bos as Wink Lyon, Lorraine's husband and Wayne's father, a mild-mannered alcoholic with an interest in historic military engagements * James Madge as Mick Thigpen, the

attorney general of Minnesota The attorney general of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Thirty individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Keith Ellison, a Democratic-F ...

, who is a friend of Lorraine *

Conrad Coates Conrad Coates (born July 12, 1970) is a British-born Canadian actor and teacher. He is best known for his roles as Headmaster T. Monk in ''The Zack Files'' (2001–2002), as Jimmy Brooks' father in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' (2004–20 ...

as Bowman, foreman of the Tillman Ranch and Roy's right-hand man * Sally Bishop as Brandy, an associate of Gator * Erik Ermantrout as Pace, an associate of Gator *

Stephen Joffe Stephen Joffe (born August 23, 1991) is a Canadian actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Alex in the television series '' Timeblazers''. Early life Joffe was born in Toronto, Ontario, on August 23, 1991, to Jewish parents. He graduat ...

as Lemley, an associate of Gator *

Clare Coulter Clare Coulter (born 1942) is a Canadian actress."Coulter, Clare"
''Canadian Theatre Ency ...

as Irma, an elderly woman whose house Munch installs himself in * Steven McCarthy as Jordan Seymore, an angry, foul-mouthed cancer patient at Walter Mondale Medical Center *

Paul McGillion Paul McGillion (born January 5, 1969) is a Scottish-Canadian actor, who has worked in television, film and theatre. He is best known for his role on the television series ''Stargate Atlantis'' as Dr. Carson Beckett. Early life McGillion was bo ...

as Captain Owen Muscavage, Indira's boss at the Scandia Police Department

Guest

Devon Bostick Devon Bostick (born November 13, 1991) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his main role as Rodrick Heffley in the ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film series (2010–2012). His other lead roles include ''Adoration'' (2008), '' Dead Before Dawn 3D'' ...

as Donald "Donny" Ireland, a freelance criminal Munch hires for assistance on a job *

Brendan Fletcher Brendan Fletcher (born December 15, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He first gained recognition as a child actor, being nominated for a Gemini Award for his acting debut in the made-for-television film ''Little Criminals'' and winning a Leo Award ...

as Gun World Clerk *

Jason Schwartzman Jason Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor, musician, and member of the Coppola family. Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film '' Rushmore'', and has since appeared in six other Anderson films: '' The Darjee ...

as Narrator (" The Tiger") *

Kari Matchett Kari Matchett is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Colleen Blessed on ''Power Play'', Joan Campbell on ''Covert Affairs'', Kate Filmore in the science fiction movie '' Cube 2: Hypercube'', and U.S. president Michelle Travers on '' ...

as Linda Tillman, Roy's first wife and Gator's mother

Episodes

Production

Development

On the day of the fourth season's finale, " Storia Americana", series creator

was questioned about a potential fifth season. He said, "The danger is always that you're going to stay at the dance a little too long. So I have to put a lot of it in place in my head and really make sure that it's worthy of joining these 41 hours. I don't want to try and make another one unless I think, 'Oh, we have to make this one. It's the best one yet. By March 2021, Hawley said "I'll get to it in the next year." In February 2022, FX officially renewed the series for a fifth season. Hawley said that the season would be more "comedic" in tone, saying "It's always a balance between how dramatic versus comedic it is, and this is the more comedic end of the spectrum. I really love it."

Casting

In June 2022,

and

were confirmed as main cast members for the season. In August 2022,

and Richa Moorjani joined the series. In October 2022,

, Jessica Pohly and Nick Gomez joined the season. The following month,

was confirmed to appear, while

also joined in January 2023.

Filming

Filming for the season started on October 17, 2022 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Release

Marketing

On October 25, 2023,

FX Networks FX Networks, LLC, commonly known as FX Networks, is an American media company built around FX, FXX, and FX Movie Channel, plus their associated production company, FX Productions, and is a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, ...

released the season's full trailer.

Broadcast

The season premiered on FX on November 21, 2023, with the first two episodes, with the rest debuting weekly. It was originally scheduled to premiere in September 2023, but was delayed due to the

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the season has an approval rating of 93% based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A back-to-basics caper populated by the likes of a mesmerizing Juno Temple and a thick slice of Hamm, ''Fargo''s fifth season is a superb return to peak form." On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the season has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Accolades

References

External links

* * {{Fargo 2023 American television seasons Fargo (TV series) Television series set in 16th-century Tudor England Television series set in 2019 Television shows affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike Television shows set in Minnesota Television shows set in North Dakota 2024 American television seasons