Decades from now, when we look back on this era of “peak TV,” shows like The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad are sure to appear near the top of many “Best Of” lists. But in the humble opinion of this entertainment writer, the FX series Fargo deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those other iconic shows. On the surface, the show would seem destined to fail. True, it is based on the excellent Coen brothers movie from 1996….except that it’s really not, because the TV show creators don’t use any of the memorable folks from that film. But even if they did, it wouldn’t matter because the cast has changed with each season. So even if the characters and plot did mesh into something magical…it would start all over again the following season. And yet the show has gotten better and better. For season number four coming out soon, Irish actress Jessie Buckley – who earned raves for her lead role in Wild Rose – joins the cast, alongside Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, and Irish American Jack Huston. The show is consistently unpredictable, offbeat without being weird, serious without being pretentious, dramatic without sacrificing humor. Check it out. ♦
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