All Seasons of Fargo, Ranked 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, but 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 of a return on investment for a somewhat lackluster season of Fargo. Though 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. Beyond offering further insight into Mike Milligan’s childhood, the 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. Ben Whishaw’s Patrick “Rabbi” Milligan, Jesse Buckley’s Angel of Death Oraetta Mayflower, and Glynn Turman’s Doctor Senator ranked among Season 4’s most standout characters, making the death of Turman’s Doc all the more tragic. 

Fargo’s Midwest charm frequently stems from a simple criminal misstep that spirals increasingly out of control. While organized crime usually ends up cashing in on each season’s ensuing chaos in some manner, Season 4’s mob story shifted the stakes in a manner that failed to strongly impress fans or critics.

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, with the pair’s off-screen relationship welcoming them into the ranks of Season 2’s Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, who likewise formed a real romance after playing 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, the follow-up of beloved Season 1 character Mr. Wrench’s story, and the introduction of Ray Wise’s otherworldly Paul Murrane each 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 dual-wielded dramatic irony as a tool for humor and tension and the investigation was 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 Budge and Pepper.

Lorne and Lester, Budge and Pepper, Molly and Gus, and Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers epitomized Fargo’s ability to bake engaging duos into its sprawling ensemble. The first season likewise proved Fargo’s viability as a spiritual adaptation of its source material, with Allison Tolman’s Molly constituting her own unique character while carrying shards 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 sing at a higher frequency. From ten-minute marionette backstories to Nightmare Before Christmas-themed break-ins, Season 5 offered iconic imagery alongside its stellar performances. Nestled on this list between the interconnected Season 1 and Season 2, Season 5 was reminiscent of the show’s beloved early seasons and largely received as a welcomed return to form.

1) Fargo Season 2

The strong foundation laid in Fargo’s first season was expertly escalated in its follow-up season. The show’s initial two seasons proved the most interconnected of the series, as Season 2’s hit-and-run gone wrong spiraled into the involved case that Lou Solverson mentioned to his daughter Molly in Season 1. Patrick Wilson played the younger version of the Season 1 character as he ran up against the bumbling Blumquists, the Gerhardt crime family, and a host of other competing interests.

In addition to the younger versions of Lou Solverson and Ben Schmidt, Molly Solverson, Mr. Wrench, and Mr. Numbers all appear in Season 2 as children. Tolman, Colin Hanks, and Joey King each reprise their Season 1 roles when Betsy Solverson has an emotional vision of her husband’s future. Freeman also returns to narrate an episode.

Despite its tethers to Season 1, Fargo‘s second season established a distinct voice of its own thanks in part to its veritable rogues gallery of engrossing villains, including Bokeem Woodbine’s aforementioned Mike Milligan, Zahn McClarnon’s Hanzee Dent, and Jean Smart’s crime matriarch Floyd Gerhardt. Season 2 playfully incorporated its 1979 setting with an exploration of pervading alien conspiracies and Bruce Campbell’s cameo as Ronald Reagan.

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.