“Fargo” Is Cleaning House: Good Thing?
John Landgraf, the CEO of the F/X network, announced that “Fargo,” which had starred Martin Freeman (pictured) would be back in fall 2015 (or later) with a new cast, a new set of characters, and a new story set in a different time period. Thanks to the name, the location is sure to stay the same. Yes, this is the great age of the “anthology series,” a program whose title, creators, and tone remain the same, but everything else changes from season to season. The biggest problem going forward is going to be scrapping all the characters. Sure, story is important, but the real thing that holds most dramas together is the characters. Just look at some of the best dramas today. “The Good Wife” is named after an amazing character and has the best gallery of guest stars on television. “Game of Thrones” has such a sprawling cast many don’t even know all the characters’ names, but it’s their intricate interactions and our love and hatred of them that keeps people tuning in. “The Walking Dead” has offed many stars, but imagine if they bumped off Daryl? Twitter might literally catch on fire! With “Fargo” and, similarly, “True Detective,” the worry is that the newest caper won’t be satisfying enough to keep people hooked. The greatest draw of series television has always been watching characters change and evolve over time.
