'Fargo' Season 2 Scoop: The FX Drama Will Flash Back to 1979

Fargo Season 2 was officially announced today at FX’s Television Critics Association summer press tour presentation, and producers Noah Hawley and Warren Littlefield were on hand for a surprise panel to discuss details. And they had a lot of details! Keep reading to find out where — and when — Fargo Season 2 will take place.

[Related: 'Fargo' Death Trading Cards: Reliving the FX Drama's Brutal Demises]

Go Back and Rewatch!
"If you were paying attention in Season 1, we made a lot of references to Sioux Falls — that was deliberate, that wasn’t an accident," Hawley said, before revealing that Season 2 will take place in 1979. The second season of Fargo will feature a young Lou Solverson (who was played by Keith Carradine in Season 1), just back from Vietnam, digging deeper into the story he told Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) in the first season about the grizzly case he once worked in Sioux Falls. We’ll get to see Lou’s wife, and their very young daughter Molly (who was played as an adult in Season 1 by Emmy-nominated Allison Tolman), who would be 4 years old.

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All About Lou
Hawley discussed who else we’ll meet in younger Lou’s life in Season 2. “His wife Betsy — and her dad is the sheriff of Rock County. So his father-in-law is a character in this next go-round. I am excited to spend some time with Molly’s mom — it’s not just her dad that gave her that spirit.”

No Gus and Molly
It’s true. It’s tragic and terrible and true. Gus (Colin Hanks) and Molly (Tolman), as we’ve come to know them, will not be featured in Fargo Season 2, but that doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. This is the team that made us care about that quirky love story unfolding amidst all the death the first time around — we’re optimistic they can do it again. But Hawley did admit that not getting to use Tolman again is “a crime and tragedy … She should be in everything anybody ever makes, as far as I’m concerned.” We won’t disagree.

[Related: A ‘Fargo’ Love Story: What If Gus and Molly Were in a Rom-Com?]

Coen Brothers Inspiration
As Hawley had said before, Fargo Season 1 was inspired by three Coen brother movies: Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and A Serious Man. Your homework before Season 2: Fargo, Miller’s Crossing, and The Man Who Wasn’t There. Get watching!

[Related: 23 Coen Brothers Easter Eggs We Found in FX’s ‘Fargo’]

But Not Coen Brothers Copying
"It’s not my goal in life to be a third Coen brother," Hawley said with a laugh when asked if he’d move onto remaking their other movies, even joking that he won’t be doing Inside Llewyn Davis: The Series anytime soon. His goal was not to imitate the Coen brothers but “to understand their cinematic language.”

[Related: 'Fargo's' Fish Symbolism: What Does It All Mean?]

Cold as Ice
Hawley and Littlefield both said they’d like to see the seasons change a bit in the second season, starting off in the brutal cold winter in Calgary, where they shoot, before possibly transitioning to spring. We’re sure whoever is cast for Season 2 will appreciate that.

Anything is Possible
When asked about the unique storytelling devices and visuals used in Season 1, Hawley was quick to say he’ll be coming up with new tricks for Season 2: “You can’t surprise people the same way twice.”

Fargo Season 2 will likely premiere in fall 2015.