FX ‘Fargo’ Season 2: New Details on Period Themes, Comedic Tone and…Ronald Reagan?

FX’s ‘Fargo’ season 2 dropped a tundra full of new cast members on us the other week, but the latest addition to the snowy series might trump them all. Speaking from the TCA, FX heads offered new details on the second season of FX’s Emmy-winning ‘Fargo,’ including period themes to be explored, and a juicy part for future president Ronald Reagan himself.

Confirming that ‘Fargo’ would begin principle photography in the coming days for a likely fall 2015 debut (pushing Ryan Murphy‘s bats—t ‘American Crime Story’ to 2016, boo), FX president John Landgraf opened up on a few avenues of the 1979-set ‘Fargo’ season 2, including that an actor would be cast to play the actual Ronald Reagan, then beginning his presidential bid.

In addition to previewing that the season might have a more overall “comedic” bent, Landgraf also explained that feminism would play a large role in the narrative:

A lot of what [season 2]’s about is the cultural transformation that was going on at the time. It’s about the sense that the war has come home. It’s also about feminism, so there are some really significant female characters. It’s a big, sprawling, incredibly ambitious [series]. Noah [Hawley] just channeled the Coen brothers and tells stories in a way that’s so fresh and so surprising.

Here’s how FX describes the cast and plot of the new season, which features an incredible amount of talent, including ‘Breaking Bad’ star Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, ‘Parks and Rec’’s Nick Offerman, ‘Frasier’ star Jean Smart, Jeffrey Donovan, Brad Garrett, Kieran Culkin, Bokeem Woodbine, and Angus Sampson:

The all new “true crime” case of Fargo’s new chapter travels back to 1979 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Luverne, Minnesota, where a young State Police Officer “Lou Solverson” (Wilson), recently back from Vietnam, investigates a case involving a local crime gang and a major Mob syndicate. Helping him piece things together is his father-in-law, “Sheriff Hank Larsson” (Danson). The investigation will lead them to a colorful cast of characters that includes “Karl Weathers” (Nick Offerman), the town lawyer of Luverne, Minnesota. A Korean War vet, Karl is a flowery drunk blessed with the gift of gab and the eloquence of a true con artist. Three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett will play “Joe Bulo,” the front man for the northern expansion of a Kansas City crime syndicate. The new face of corporate crime, Joe’s bringing a Walmart mentality to small town America. His number two is “Mike Milligan” (Bokeem Woodbine). Part enforcer, part detective, Mike is always smiling – but the joke is usually on you. Bulo and his crew have their sights set on the Gerhardt crime family in Fargo, currently led by matriarch “Floyd Gerhardt” (Smart). With her husband at death’s door, Floyd takes over the family business, frustrating her eldest son, “Dodd Gerhardt” (Jeffrey Donovan). An impatient hothead with a cruel streak to match his ambitions, Dodd can’t wait for both his parents to die so he can take over and expand their business from kingdom to empire. “Bear Gerhardt” (Angus Sampson) is the middle son, an intimidatingly large man who, although inarticulate, is the most decent of his clan. “Rye Gerhardt” (Kieran Culkin), the youngest of the Gerhardt clan, views himself as a big shot, but in reality he’s just a small dog who barks big.

Elsewhere, we know the 1979-set ‘Fargo’ season 2 will also factor in the character of eventual Duluth police lieutenant Ben Schmidt, while creator Noah Hawley claims the Coen brothers influences of the new season can be found in the original ‘Fargo,’ as well as ‘Miller’s Crossing’ and ‘The Man Who Wasn’t There.’

‘Fargo’ season 2 has quite a bit to live up to, even with its impressive cast, but what say you? Are you anxious for the second season to bloody up fall 2015? What might the Gipper have to do with it all?