Going in to Thursday morning's Golden Globes nominations ceremony, I wasn't questioning whether or not FX's Fargo would nab any Golden Globe nominations for Season 2 — I was just questioning how many Golden Globe nominations FX's Fargo would get for Season 2. But honestly, can you blame me? If you've ever seen the show, you'll know that, like the film it's based on, it's really borderline flawless, and that Season 2 featured an amazing cast including Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Ted Danson. (Season 2 even has a 96/100 rating on Metacritic, which is a huge feat!) The show deserves as much love this awards season as it can get in every category possible — Best Limited Series to Best Actress to Best Actor — and I had absolutely no doubts that it would nab Golden Globe nominations when the time for the nominations announcements rolled around in December.
As for how many... well, that was the real question. Luckily, with the nominations ceremony taking place on Dec. 10, we don't have to wait too long at all to answer that question: Fargo Season 2 nabbed a total of three Golden Globe nominations this year. Sadly, that's two fewer nods than the limited series earned in its freshman season. While nominations predictably went to stars Patrick Wilson as Minnesota State Trooper Lou Solverson and Kirsten Dunst as small town beautician Peggy Blumquist, as well as to the series itself, Fargo was inexplicably shut out of the Supporting races. That means no recognition for the stellar (if quieter) turns by the likes of Ted Danson as Hank Larsson, Jean Smart as Floyd Gerhardt, or Jesse Plemons as Ed Blumquist.
The reason for this bizarre shutout is simple... if still hugely disappointing. Unlike the Emmys, the Golden Globes consolidate all three TV categories — Drama, Musical or Comedy, and Limited Series/TV Movie — into one group for the Supporting races. That means Danson, Smart, and Plemons were going up against a crowded field that included actors from heralded new dramas (like Mr. Robot's Christian Slater) and actresses from awards-favorite comedies (like Orange Is The New Black's Uzo Aduba).
In fact, the Supporting fields were so crowded this season, that not a single actor from Game Of Thrones — not Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clark as Daenerys Targaryen, or even former Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister — received a nomination... this in the same year that the HBO fantasy series finally won the Best Drama trophy at the Emmys.
While it's hard to argue against nominations as inspired as Ben Mendelsohn for Bloodline, Tobias Menzies for Outlander, Regina King for American Crime, and Judith Light for Transparent, I can't help but wish the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had found room for Danson and Smart — if only because Fargo's stellar second season deserved to match the first in total number of nominations. But don't despair just yet: Fargo Season 2 will still be competing for more awards when the next round of Emmys comes around in September. I know that's a long time to wait for recognition... but good things come to those who wait, right?
Image: Chris Large/FX (3)
