As we pass the halfway mark of the second season of Fargo, FX has given the anthology series an early renewal for a third season of ten episodes. Showrunner Noah Hawley previously hinted at where the third run could go;

“I think I like the idea that, you know, you watch the first three episodes of year one, and you thought, well, it’s actually not connected to the movie at all. And then in the fourth hour, you realize that it was connected to the movie on some level, and that this second year is sort of very literally connected to the first year. So I feel like there will always be some connect, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be pivotal. It can be tangential, and but that’s as far as I’ve really thought about it.”

Unlike fellow anthology series True Detective, Fargo hasn’t suffered from ‘difficult second album syndrome’ (so far) by delivering a prequel just as compelling as the first season. Based on the cult classic movie of the same name from Joel and Ethan Coen, the series has managed the near impossible by retaining that Coen feel while being something totally different. If only more TV shows based on movies were as refined as Fargo.

Naturally, this now begs the question of what year will the third season be set in? I think it is a safe assumption that events will transpire in Minnesota and likely include another member of the Solverson family. The first season featured Keith Carradine as retired state trooper turned restauranteur Lou Solverson and his cop daughter Molly (the fantastic Allison Tolman). Season two takes place in 1979 with the younger Lou (as played by Patrick Wilson) still on the beat.

It might be too early to start speculating about potential cast members, the show has featured the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Oliver Platt, Bob Odenkirk, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Ted Danson. I don’t think that the producers will struggle to find another great cast for season three.

Fargo continues of Channel 4 Mondays.