A Fargo season 4 renewal really isn’t the show’s main issue

Following tonight’s finale, it makes sense to say that a Fargo season 4 renewal is necessary. This is one of television’s most-compelling series, and showrunner Noah Hawley has established through three seasons a knack for mixing great mystery with subversive humor and a visual aesthetic that is different than anything else that is on television at the moment.

Basically, what we are trying to say here is that the demand should be here for viewers to continue watching it. This is even with the knowledge that ratings for season 3 were down more than 10% in both the 18-49 demographic and total viewers for live airings. That’s not all that strange of a season-to-season drop these days.

Unfortunately, the issue that you are looking at while crossing your fingers for a Fargo season 4 renewal is one related to content. It’s not an FX problem; it’s probably not even fair to call this a Hawley problem so much as it is a subject that may never be resolved. For the time being, Hawley doesn’t have another story in him. He made this comment recently, as it doesn’t look like he is from the school of thought that you should renew the show, lock yourself up in a room with writers, and hope that someone comes up with a story worth putting on the air. It’s best going out on three very good seasons that three very good seasons and one terrible disappointment that makes people wonder whether or not you were ever that competent at your job in the first place. Nobody wants that. Especially with a show this good.

For Hawley, the right move is this: Go off, be awesome somewhere else like another FX show in Legion, and then come back in a couple of years when you have another idea … if you have another idea. There is potential in that given that he said at one point that he could see multiple more seasons of the show spread across numerous time periods. Season 4 probably couldn’t be as contemporary as season 3, and could feasible go even further back in history than season 2. Granted, the challenge there is that if the mystery is too crazy, there are questions about why in the world it wasn’t ever addressed before. Meanwhile, if you continue to air seasons in the present you start to wonder if the show is trying to become akin to Murder, She Wrote where there are a billion or so murders in a tiny town that probably doesn’t have enough people to die.

The ball is totally in Hawley’s court, as it should be. The true test from here is seeing a little more of what happens next.

Do you want to see a Fargo season 4 happen, and are you fine with waiting? Sound off now in the comments. (Photo: FX.)