Fans of Fargo need to settle in for a long wait; the show won't be coming back anytime soon. With season 3 of the critically acclaimed drama coming to a close on FX, rumors were floating around that this would be the last season of the show. Although that now appears not to be the case, showrunner Noah Hawley still says the wait for a fourth season might be a long one.

With three seasons in four years, all of which have taken place in different time settings but broadly within the same location, Fargo is taking a rest, because Hawley is fresh out of ideas. Not to mention the fact that he's also rather busy with a second season of Legion in the works, another FX limited series, Cat's Cradle, and two movies that he's set to direct; Pale Blue Dot and Before the Fall. In an interview with Deadline, Hawley specifically stated that "this isn't the end," but added:

"I always agreed with FX that the only reason to do another Fargo is if the creative is there. It took 15 months to get Season 2 off the ground, and 18 months to get Season 3 on the air. I have to turn my attention to the second season of Legion and a film potentially the winter after next. We’re looking at three years from now.”

So not only does Hawley need to find time to come up with a decent story for any potential fourth season, he also needs to fit in writing, directing, and filming it while juggling all his other projects. That's quite a workload for anyone. Legion is where his focus lies for now, and having delivered a hugely successful first season of the Marvel X-Men spinoff, the pressure is on to raise the bar even higher the next time around.

As for Fargo, this third season has still delivered the kind of quality performances we'd expect from one of  Hawley's standout casts, but the show has been criticized for feeling too repetitive now. A change is as good as a rest, and Hawley may well find that stepping away from the world of Fargo and working on other projects will give him the inspiration he needs to return to Mid-Western Minnesota in the future. That might also ensure that viewers return; avoiding the inevitable dip in figures if he tries to push a fourth season out too soon.

Despite faults with the pace of this season, Ewan McGregor has come in for great critical acclaim for his dual roles as brothers Ray and Emmit Stussy, and Carrie Coon has also earned high praise for her portrayal of good cop, Gloria Burgle. In the future, there seems little doubt that Hawley will have no problem once again assembling an all-star cast for Fargo's return, should he wish to.

MORE: How Fargo Season 3 Connects To Previous Seasons

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Source: Deadline