‘Fargo’ Boss Talks Returning Modern for Season 3, Possible Premiere Date

We’re just days away from the Fargo finale to end all finales, as Season 2 wraps its bloody ‘70s-set Sioux Falls massacre, but one can’t help looking forward to the already-confirmed Season 3, set to return to modern-day. Now, showrunner Noah Hawley opens up on the appeal of a modern approach, as well as when we might expect Season 3 to premiere.

Shortly after FX confirmed that Fargo would return for Season 3, Hawley himself revealed that Season 3 would unfold a few years after the inaugural 2006 story, without directly confirming which, if any past characters might return. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Hawley expressed his interest in returning to modern sensibilities for the next chapter:

It’s fun to come back and do something more contemporary and look at how it is to be in that region in a modern world. On some level, those characters are always out of time a little — even Molly [Allison Tolman] and Gus [Colin Hanks], in 2006, did not feel contemporary.

That Lutheran reserve and humbleness and reluctance to talk about one’s self, complain, ask someone how they’re feeling or communicate really big things, it’s at odds with the selfie culture. It’s interesting to look at that and see if there’s story to be generated from that.

That said, one wonders if Season 3 might skip over 2016 altogether, given that Season 1 aired from April to June of 2014, while the second didn’t premiere until October 2015. A 2016 premiere might require some impressive turnaround, though Hawley acknowledged that that the writers room has already gotten well underway, with a good sense of the overall story, and that “filming in winter is integral to the series,” per THR.

No doubt Monday’s Season 2 finale will leave plenty to chew on, but will Fargo fare better with a return to the 21st century? Might FX suffer a Season 3 delay into 2017? Check out the finale preview below, and stay tuned for the latest.