Is Fargo Season 5 Actually Based on a True Story?

Just like the Coen Brothers’ film that inspired the series, each episode of FX’s Fargo opens with a title card proclaiming that it depicts a true story – but, is Season 5 actually based on real events?

Fargo Season 5 is Not Based on a True Story

While the 1996 film Fargo harbors some loose inspiration from the more outlandish side of true crime, Noah Hawley’s television adaptation is a degree further removed from the film and therefore operates solely in the realm of fiction. In fact, earlier seasons of Fargo even tackled heightened concepts well outside the realm of a typical crime show like aliens and the mythological bowling alleys. However, Season 5 thus far presents a character study of Juno Temple’s fictional Midwest mom Dot Lyon, and her attempts to outrun her past.

Each season of Fargo bounces around in time as well as the Midwest locale, with the events of Season 5 set in 2019. This season-to-season variety can sometimes add to the perception that the show’s opening claims may have some veracity, proving that the clever trick the Coen brothers pulled on audiences in 1996 remains impactful to this day.

The Film Fargo is Inspired by the True Crime Genre, But Not Based on a True Story

The Coen Brothers’ choice to open their 1996 dark comedy Fargo with the claim that its events were based on a true story was predominately a stylistic one. Though the Coen brothers have explored a plethora of criminal activity throughout their career with films like Raising Arizona, Miller’s Crossing, and No Country for Old Men, the duo predominantly deal in fictional crimes and characters. However, the filmmakers have revealed that, at the very least, certain elements of the film took inspiration from real-life events.

Fargo‘s iconic woodchipper scene was partially inspired by the homicide of Connecticut woman Helle Crafts a decade earlier, in which it was alleged that her husband utilized this unconventional means to dispose her body.

Despite scenes that drew some inspiration from real cases, Fargo is not an adaptation of any real-life murder investigation. The Coen brothers instead included the now-infamous and speculation-inducing title card as their homage to the true crime genre.