10 Best TV Performances Of 2017 (So Far)

8. Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Fargo

Fargo's third season didn't start off quite as strong as its two predecessors, but it managed to get better as it went along by focusing less on Ewan McGregor's Stussy bros, and pivoting much more towards Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Nikki Swango.

While the whole cast is great again, it's Winstead who really steals the show the longer it goes on. McGregor and David Thewlis get more showy roles, but Winstead keeps things very much grounded, and in doing so gives a much more powerful performance.

She doesn't easily fall into 'good' or 'bad' person, but instead walks right through the middle. Winstead's a charming presence who - along with Hawley's writing - gives Nikki layers of complexity that she's able to deftly turn between on a dime.

Winstead has long been something of an underrated talent, but that perhaps works to her advantage in Fargo: she doesn't begin in the limelight, yet she's the one we're rooting for by the end. We've already seen her nail the more action heroine side of things before, and she does a great job with that again here, but it's the emotional journey she goes on - and sells so wonderfully - that makes her the standout.