Noah Hawley Previews ‘Life or Death’ Stakes of Year 5

You betcha we’re excited that this FX crime anthology series Fargo is returning for a fifth installment with back-to-back episodes and a double dose of our favorite TV stars. Minnesota-nice Dorothy “Dot” Lyon (Juno Temple), a sweet wife and mom with a secret past, is kidnapped. Among those on her trail is macho sheriff Roy Tillman (Jon Hamm), who rules, kinglike, over a county in North Dakota.

“It’s a thriller and mystery in a way that we haven’t done before,” says executive producer Noah Hawley. “It’s a meditation on the film Fargo [the series’ inspiration, which revolves around a man having his wife kidnapped] that we’ve steered clear of. We revisit a similar event from the wife’s point of view.”

(Credit: Frank W Ockenfels III/FX)

This time around, the missus is way more wily than the mister, dontcha know. Dot’s disappearance leaves her kind Kia-dealership-owner husband, Wayne (David Rysdahl), frantic, while his icy mom, Lorraine (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who owns a multibillion-dollar debt-collection service, thinks it’s a hoax. Looking deeper: smart, overworked Minnesota police deputy Indira Olmstead (Richa Moorjani) and dogged, honest North Dakota deputy Witt Farr (Lamorne Morris).

Meanwhile, Dot’s thug kid-nappers — one is the mysterious, kilt-wearing drifter Ole Munch (Sam Spruell) — are in for a surprise. “The season takes on a Home Alone and Die Hard quality in Dot’s ability to use the things around her to overcome much bigger and stronger people,” says Hawley.

Dot’s biggest threat turns out to be Tillman, who’s assisted by mini-me son Gator (Joe Keery). The sheriff, Hawley says, believes “the woman is the property of the man and that’s how the Bible intended. He feels he’s the victim of an America he doesn’t really understand anymore. We’re heading to a Roy and Dot showdown that’s going to be life or death.”

Fargo, Year 5 Premiere, Tuesday, November 21, 10pm ET/PT, FX (Next day on Hulu)

This is an excerpt from TV Insider’s November issue. For more in-depth, reported coverage devoted to streaming shows from the publishers of TV Guide Magazine, pick up the issue, currently on newsstands, or purchase it online here. You can also subscribe to TV Insider Magazine here now.