I have to admit. Launching myself head first into another season of Fargo didn’t sound particularly appealing.

Martin Freeman’s bumbling lead grew wearisome enough to turn me off the series permanently, regardless of how many well crafted shots Noah Hawley managed to seduce me with.  And Colin Hanks? Colin Hanks’ name alone is enough to deter me from any television show after he successfully butchered (no pun intended) Dexter’s sixth season.

Thankfully then the second season of Fargo borrows heavily from the style and atmosphere of the first but reuses none of the original cast, instead employing some incredible sorts like Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Jean Smart, and Australia’s Angus Sampson to tell this tale of organised crime in the 70’s. The real casting catch is Breaking Bad’s unassuming uber villain Jesse Plemons who teams up with Kristen Dunst to play to unsuspecting small town couple caught up in an absolute shitstorm, and – like Lester in season one- continue to painfully dig their own graves with their shocking naivety.

Don’t let my shithouse and rather stereotypical synopsis deter you from this show either. Much like the original 1996 Coen brothers classic, the crime story really is the very basic building blocks upon which bizarre deadpan humour, entertaining twists and enduring subplots can dance. Plus like any complex crime drama, the plot thickens exponentially throughout the season eventually leaving little doubt whether you’ll see the season out.

Am I now positively hankering for season three? You betcha!

Fargo Season 2 airs on Wednesday nights on SBS and you can catch up using SBS On Demand.