The Ultimate Ranking Of All Seasons Of Fargo: From Worst To Best

Warning: The following ranking of all seasons of Fargo from worst to best contains spoilers.

In FX’s Fargo, Noah Hawley tackled the difficult task of adapting a crime classic into a serialized anthology with aplomb. However, some seasons are more adored than others by both fans and critics. Here’s how all five seasons of FX’s Fargo stack up against one another.

5) Fargo Season 4

By the time Season 4 finally revealed itself as the not-so-secret origin story of Season 2 antagonist Mike Milligan, it proved too little too late for a somewhat lackluster season of Fargo. Although the season’s mob-focused story offered a kitschy mechanic well in line with Fargo’s established storytelling, it did not quite garner the same engagement as previous installments.

A peace-keeping tradition between Missouri mob syndicates saw the two opposing factions vying for control of Kansas City release their youngest sons into the care of their rival family as a fail-safe to prevent total bloodshed. This unusual exchange constituted one of many compelling concepts at play in Fargo’s fourth season. However, unlike previous installments, Season 4’s more interesting mechanics and characters lacked cohesion.

Performances from stars such as Chris Rock and Jason Schwartzman helped propel the season in areas where the plot wasn’t connecting with audiences as strongly. Characters like Ben Whishaw’s Patrick “Rabbi” Milligan and Jesse Buckley’s Angel of Death Oraetta Mayflower ranked among Season 4’s standout characters, making the death of Glynn Turman’s Doc all the more tragic.

4) Fargo Season 3

Fargo’s third season offered a first glimpse at a bit of the narrative unevenness that would later afflict Season 4 but was buoyed by impeccable performances from Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Carrie Coon, and the viscerally villainous David Thewlis. McGregor’s dual role as Ray and Emmit Stussy set the stage for the season’s tale of brother-on-brother crime.

Feeling shortchanged by his older brother, “The Parking Lot King of Minnesota,” Ray and his girlfriend Nikki floundered a familial robbery and set in motion the season’s increasingly chaotic criminal hijinks. McGregor and Winstead’s chemistry transcended their roles in the series, welcoming them into the ranks of Season 2’s Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, who likewise formed a real romance after portraying a criminal couple on Fargo.

Though McGregor and Winstead’s central performances were engaging from the jump, Fargo‘s third season truly reached a crescendo in its second half. The blossoming friendship between Coon’s Gloria and Olivia Sandoval’s Winnie exemplified some of Season 3’s best storytelling moments.

3) Fargo Season 1

Fargo’s inaugural season saw the aptly-named detective Molly Solverson tackle a series of suspicious deaths, resulting in a cat-and-mouse game with Martin Freeman’s seemingly mild-mannered Lester Nygaard. Season 1 used dramatic irony as a tool for humor and tension, flanked by a bevy of interesting characters, from Billy Bob Thornton’s central antagonist Lorne Malvo to Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele’s somewhat bumbling FBI agents.

Lorne and Lester, Budge and Pepper, Molly and Gus, and Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers epitomized Fargo’s ability to create engaging duos within its sprawling ensemble. The first season also proved Fargo’s viability as a spiritual adaptation of its source material, with Allison Tolman’s Molly constituting her own unique character while carrying elements of what made Frances McDormand’s Oscar-winning role in the Coen Brothers film so memorable.

2) Fargo Season 5

Fargo’s fifth season centered an enthralling tug-of-war between Juno Temple’s Dot Lyon and Jon Hamm’s Roy Tillman. Fiercely protective of what she’s built from the ashes of her former life as Tillman’s wife, Dot’s secrets and tenacity thrust Season 5’s ensemble into the brand of criminal chaos Fargo fans have come to know and love.

In Sam Spurell’s Ole Munch, Season 5 wielded that mythological edge that made the best seasons of Fargo resonate at a higher frequency. From ten-minute marionette backstories to Nightmare Before Christmas-themed break-ins, Season 5 offered iconic imagery alongside stellar performances.

1) Fargo Season 2

The strong foundation laid in Fargo’s first season was expertly escalated in its follow-up. The show’s first two seasons proved the most interconnected of the series, as Season 2’s hit-and-run gone wrong spiraled into the case that Lou Solverson mentioned to his daughter Molly in Season 1.

In addition to the younger versions of Lou Solverson and Ben Schmidt, characters from Season 1 appear in Season 2 as children. Despite its connections to Season 1, Fargo‘s second season established a distinct voice of its own, thanks to its compelling villains, including Bokeem Woodbine’s Mike Milligan and Jean Smart’s crime matriarch Floyd Gerhardt.

All five seasons of Fargo are available to stream now on Hulu. This article was updated on 01/19/24 by the original author to reflect Fargo Season 5 following its conclusion.

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