Hit Or Miss: ‘True Detective: Night Country’ Taps Into Series’ Roots
It's been over three years since True Detective last aired with season three and nearly ten years since it first began. As an anthology series, each season transports viewers to a new time and setting with a fresh cast of characters. In 2014, True Detective’s debut season took the television world by storm, with leads Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Lincoln Lawyer) and Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers, Zombieland, Seven Psychopaths) making it an instant classic. McConaughey and Harrelson’s masterful performances combined with a genuinely intriguing and spellbinding mystery inspired nonstop praise. With such a clear and immediate success on their hands, it was no surprise HBO greenlit the second season that released the following year. This season proved considerably more divisive amongst fans, ultimately receiving less favorable reviews. In the wake of this, the series took a few years off before returning with season three. This time led by Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Luke Cage, House of Cards), season three returned the series into the good graces of many True Detective fans and critics, though it never quite hit the highs of season one. Season four, titled True Detective: Night Country, aims to restore the True Detective name to one of the most prestigious television series to ever air.
Night Country leaves behind season one’s sweaty swamps of Louisiana in favor of Alaska’s harsh tundra. Academy Award Winner Jodie Foster (Taxi Driver, Contact, Flightplan) plays Liz Danvers, a detective enveloped in a quest for answers that is sure to become the case of her career. Partnering with Danvers is Detective Evangeline Navarro, played by Kali Reis (Black Flies, Catch the Fair One). Known more for her boxing career than her acting, Reis appears to have no trouble matching Foster’s intensity.
The trailer alludes to a troubled history between Danvers and Navarro, resulting in a strained relationship. This uneasy partnership is reminiscent of McConaughey and Harrelson’s mismatched pairing from season one. Watching their atypical partnership evolve was as integral to the series as the central mystery. They began highly incompatible but by the season’s conclusion they became a truly dynamic duo. The trailer suggests a similar journey with Danvers and Navarro as they must set their issues aside in order to solve the case.
A compelling mystery is absolutely crucial for any season of True Detective wishing to meet the high standards set by fans, and Night Country seems to understand that. The trailer keeps elements of the case intentionally vague, but there is plenty to tantalize audiences.
“We’ve got five bodies frozen into a giant block of flesh and no answers.”
This unsettling line paints a gruesome image while raising irresistible intrigue. True Detective presents a horrific side of humanity that one never hopes to encounter in real life yet is impossible to look away from on TV. Additionally, the trailer contains a brief glimpse of the mysterious spiral symbol that first appeared in season one, once again suggesting that Night Country aims to tap into the magic that made the first season so special. This foreboding symbol can only mean that whoever, or whatever, is at the center of this mystery is truly sinister and devious.
The trailer excellently teases the strong performances that audiences can expect from their new leads. Foster, who many know from her iconic performance as FBI Trainee Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, once again portrays an investigator coming face to face with unspeakable evil. The trailer’s few lines feature no context, yet they demonstrate the power and earnestness of Foster’s acting abilities. The line, “Those men died out there for real, in the real world, for a real reason,” is just a taste of haunting line deliveries audiences can expect from Foster. The philosophical conversations between detectives as they drive around is another staple of the True Detective Franchise that will return for Night Country. These moments allow viewers to understand the detective’s psyche more intimately, and it appears that Reis and Foster will have plenty to talk about as they cruise Alaska’s icy streets.
Night Country’s biggest challenge is distinguishing itself from previous seasons, especially season one. Taking inspiration from its most acclaimed season is smart, and even encouraged, but a retread will ultimately leave audiences — particularly the diehard fans — unsatisfied. By focusing on two strong and complex women, and changing the setting and nature of the murders drastically, Night Country could easily deliver a unique and impressive season of television. If the acting and writing is as strong and compelling as it seems, Night Country may become many people's favorite show of the new year when it arrives on HBO in January of 2024.