What makes Season 3 work on Fargo

Season 3 of the FX series Fargo, in which each season is an entirely new plot, though w/ the same Minnesota setting, the same quirky behavior, the same juxtaposition of Midwestern innocence and horrendous crimes of violence, the same indefatigable police detective work (led by a woman officer), and the same bumbling idiocy on the part of at least one feckless criminal (Note: Haven't yet seen Season 2.) About half-way through Season 3 I'm impressed with all aspects - the quirky acting, the establishments of a sense of place (the series captures the wintry climate and the flat landscapes of the north), and especially the tight plot; most of the mystery series I've watched succeed in spite of the story line, which often feels spun out for length and largely out of control, as if the writers are figuring things out week by week and, when pressed, come up with an unlikely and unsatisfying conclusion (with generally an open strand to be picked up in the following season). Like the under-appreciated series American Crime, which also commits to an entirely new plot with each season, Fargo feels in control and logical, if not probable, given the improbable mix of comedy and high crime. All told, a very successful project; more on Season 3 as we near the conclusion.