True Detective season 4
{{short description|Season of television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox television season
| season_name = True Detective: Night Country
| season_number = 4
| bgcolour = #154365
| image = True Detective season 4.png
| image_size =
| caption = Promotional poster
| showrunner = Issa López
| starring = {{plainlist|
- Jodie Foster
- Kali Reis
- Fiona Shaw
- Finn Bennett
- Isabella Star LaBlanc
- John Hawkes
- Christopher Eccleston
}}
| network = HBO
| first_aired = {{Start date|2024|1|14}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2024|2|18}}
| num_episodes = 6
| episode_list = List of True Detective episodes
}}
True Detective: Night Country is the fourth season of True Detective, an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto, which premiered on January 14, 2024, on HBO. The season is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, during polar night. It follows the investigation of the disappearance of eight men from a research station. The season stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro. It is the first season to carry a subtitle.
Night Country was created by Issa López, who serves as showrunner, writer, and director. It is the first season without the involvement of Pizzolatto; however, he is still credited as an executive producer.{{Cite web |last=Wigler |first=Josh |date=2024-02-19 |title='True Detective: Night Country' Team Explains Ambiguous Ending: "You Should Be Making Theories" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/true-detective-night-country-finale-explained-1235829312/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} Night Country received widespread acclaim from critics and received the highest viewership for the entire series, as well as the most viewed limited or anthology series for HBO in 2024.
The show was ranked amongst the top 10 television programs of the year by the American Film Institute, and garnered 19 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, becoming the most nominated season in the series. Foster won for Outstanding Lead Actress, while its other nominations included Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor (for Hawkes), Outstanding Supporting Actress (for Reis), Outstanding Directing and Writing (for Lopez).{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/true-detective-night-country |title=True Detective: Night Country |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 17, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/emmys-nominations-2024-nominees-list-1235950616/ |title=Emmys 2024: List of Nominees |website=The Hollywood Reporter |first1=Hilary |last1=Lewis |first2=Kimberly |last2=Nordyke |date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=July 18, 2024}} At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it received three nominations including for the Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, with Foster winning Best Actress.
Production
=Development=
File:Issa López.png, showrunner for True Detective: Night Country]]
Initially, Nic Pizzolatto was directly involved in a fourth season of True Detective, but ultimately Issa López would be selected as showrunner, writing and directing the whole season. Pizzolatto remained as an executive producer, marking his first season without a writing credit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-true-detective-season-4-cast-1235172934/|title=HBO Officially Orders 'True Detective' Season 4, Casts Kali Reis|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=June 28, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=The Hollywood Reporter|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033745/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hbo-true-detective-season-4-cast-1235172934/|url-status=live}}
Before the release of the third season, Pizzolatto explained that he had a "really, really wild" idea for a potential fourth season.{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/09/true-detective-nic-pizzolatto-interview-season-3/|title=True Detective creator on season 3, being 'blown away' by Mahershala Ali|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=January 9, 2019|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=February 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203000306/https://ew.com/tv/2019/01/09/true-detective-nic-pizzolatto-interview-season-3/|url-status=live}} After the season finished airing, he explained that he decided to drop his idea, intending to use a new idea after discussing the project with an unnamed actor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/true-detective-season-4-nic-pizzolatto-other-shows-1202129497/|title='True Detective': Nic Pizzolatto Shifts Plans for Season 4 — and Eyes More Projects as a Producer|last=Travers|first=Ben|date=April 30, 2019|website=IndieWire|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523222404/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/true-detective-season-4-nic-pizzolatto-other-shows-1202129497/|url-status=live}} In July 2019, Casey Bloys, HBO president of programming, explained that "If Nic has an idea that he is excited about, we will talk about it but not rushing into anything."{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/true-detective-hbo-programming-chief-on-a-potential-fourth-season-of-nic-pizzolattos-crime-drama-tca-1202652797/|title='True Detective': HBO Programming Chief On A Potential Fourth Season Of Nic Pizzolatto's Crime Drama – TCA|last=White|first=Peter|date=July 24, 2019|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=April 16, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416112839/https://deadline.com/2019/07/true-detective-hbo-programming-chief-on-a-potential-fourth-season-of-nic-pizzolattos-crime-drama-tca-1202652797/|url-status=live}}
In January 2020, Pizzolatto signed an overall production deal with Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions, putting into question his involvement in a potential fourth season.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/nic-pizzolatto-matthew-mcconaughey-redeemer-tv-series-fx-fox-21-deals-1202839208/|title=Nic Pizzolatto And Matthew McConaughey Reteam For 'Redeemer' Drama Series At FX; 'True Detective' Duo Ink FX Productions & Fox 21 TV Studios Deals|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=January 28, 2020|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=January 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114230552/https://deadline.com/2020/01/nic-pizzolatto-matthew-mcconaughey-redeemer-tv-series-fx-fox-21-deals-1202839208/|url-status=live}} By the next year, HBO began exploring ideas for a fourth season with other writers, including Lucía Puenzo and Sam Levinson.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/true-detective-hbo-in-talks-writers-season-4-new-voices-1234691756/|title='True Detective': HBO In Talks With Writers For Fourth Season, Keen To Find New Voices For Dark Crime Series|last=White|first=Peter|date=February 10, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=April 12, 2023|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211212123/https://deadline.com/2021/02/true-detective-hbo-in-talks-writers-season-4-new-voices-1234691756/|url-status=live}} Bloys later said, "There's something in the True Detective area, there's things we're feeling good about. I would say stay tuned on that one."{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/hbo-future-of-true-detective-mare-of-easttown-curb-your-enthusiasm-1234934672/|title=HBO Content Chief On Future Of 'True Detective', 'Mare Of Easttown', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' & 'In Treatment'|last=White|first=Peter|date=February 16, 2022|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=July 25, 2023|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216181348/https://deadline.com/2022/02/hbo-future-of-true-detective-mare-of-easttown-curb-your-enthusiasm-1234934672/|url-status=live}}
In March 2022, HBO announced that a fourth season had entered into development, which would carry a subtitle, Night Country, a first for the series. López would write and direct, and also executive produce the season alongside Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-hbo-1235209571/|title='True Detective' Season 4 in the Works at HBO From Issa López, Barry Jenkins|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=March 18, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Variety|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033746/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-hbo-1235209571/|url-status=live}} In June 2022, HBO officially greenlit the season, with López serving as showrunner.
When preparing season 4, subtitled Night Country, director and writer Issa López chose to create a "dark mirror" of the first season: "Where True Detective is male and it's sweaty, Night Country is cold and it's dark and it's female." In an interview with The A.V. Club, López credited John Carpenter's The Thing, the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, and the spacecraft Nostromo from Alien as inspiration. She said (to HBO), "Guys, me being who I am, I'm going to tap into that and go for it," referring to the supernatural elements of True Detective{{'}}s first season, which has Carcosa and the Yellow King.{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/interview-issa-lopez-true-detective-night-country-1851137463 |title=True Detective's new showrunner on shaking things up and why Jodie Foster is a "beast of an actor" |website=The A.V. Club |first=Christina |last=Izzo |date=January 8, 2024 |access-date=January 9, 2024 |archive-date=January 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240122044537/https://www.avclub.com/interview-issa-lopez-true-detective-night-country-1851137463 |url-status=live }} López has also cited the Dyatlov Pass incident and Mary Celeste as inspirations for the season.{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77NHdjQQ5Y |title=True Detective: Night Country Official Podcast – Episode 1 |publisher=HBO |via=YouTube |date=January 16, 2024 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117205731/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=w77NHdjQQ5Y |url-status=live }}
Another inspiration was Billie Eilish's 2019 song "Bury a Friend", which López described as "such a dark, moody, fun, sinister little song that I thought it could absolutely work." It was used to score Night Country{{'}}s title sequence. López started to listen to Eilish during the COVID-19 lockdown, when she wrote the season, and noticed how similar in theme "Bury a Friend"{{'}}s lyrics were. In a 2019 interview, Eilish said she wrote the song from the perspective of the monster under the bed.{{cite web |url=https://www.altpress.com/billie-eilish-bury-a-friend-music-video/ |title=Billie Eilish announces debut album with new song |website=Alternative Press |first=Rachel |last=Campbell |date=January 30, 2019 |access-date=February 6, 2024}} López was recorded to say "It's perfectly possible that the events of the show happened because I was listening to Billie."{{cite web |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a46412219/billie-eilish-bury-a-friend-true-detective-season-4/ |title=Billie Eilish's 'Bury A Friend' Inspired True Detective Season 4's Opening Credits |website=Esquire |first=Josh |last=Rosenberg |date=January 16, 2024 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/billie-eilish-true-detective-season-4-opening-song-clues-1234943416/ |title=Billie Eilish Had More Sway Over 'True Detective' Season 4 Than Just the Opening Titles |website=IndieWire |first=Ben |last=Travers |date=January 15, 2024 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}
=Casting=
In May 2022, Jodie Foster was confirmed to star in the season, marking her first adult TV role and her first starring role in a TV series since 1975.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/true-detective-jodie-foster-to-star-season-4hbo-1235033965/|title='True Detective': Jodie Foster To Star In Season 4 Of HBO Anthology Series, Marks First Major Adult TV Role|last=White|first=Peter|date=May 26, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=August 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811063139/https://deadline.com/2022/05/true-detective-jodie-foster-to-star-season-4hbo-1235033965/|url-status=live}} Foster described her character, chief Danvers, as awful; an "Alaska Karen".{{cite web |url=https://people.com/jodie-foster-true-detective-character-alaska-karen-8424506 |title=Jodie Foster Says Her True Detective Character Is an 'Alaska Karen': 'No Two Ways About It' |website=People |first1=Scott |last1=Huver |first2=Escher |last2=Walcott |date=January 10, 2024 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-date=January 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117213202/https://people.com/jodie-foster-true-detective-character-alaska-karen-8424506 |url-status=live }}
In June 2022, it was reported that Kali Reis would join Foster as co-lead, in a role originally conceived as Latina{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-cast-kali-reis-jodie-foster-1235304752/|title='True Detective' Season 4 at HBO Casts Kali Reis in Lead Role Opposite Jodie Foster|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=June 28, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Variety|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033745/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-cast-kali-reis-jodie-foster-1235304752/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/11/true-detective-night-country-season-four-first-look |title=True Detective: Night Country First Look: "It's Cold and It's Dark and It's Female" |magazine=Vanity Fair |first=Hillary |last=Busis |date=November 8, 2023 |access-date=December 2, 2023 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203224240/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/11/true-detective-night-country-season-four-first-look |url-status=live }} and as a "hardass" military veteran.{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/kali-reis-true-detective-interview.html |title=Interview: True Detective's Kali Reis Claims Another Victory |website=Vulture |first=Roxana |last=Hadadi |date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=February 5, 2024}}
In September 2022, it was reported that John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, and Anna Lambe would also appear in the season.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-cast-fiona-shaw-john-hawkes-hbo-1235381738/|title='True Detective' Season 4 at HBO Adds Five to Cast, Including Fiona Shaw and Christopher Eccleston|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=September 23, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Variety|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033743/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-cast-fiona-shaw-john-hawkes-hbo-1235381738/|url-status=live}} In October 2022, Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star LaBlanc and Joel D. Montgrand joined the season.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/true-detective-night-country-aka-niviana-isabella-star-lablanc-joel-d-montgrand-season-4-cast-hbo-1235155258/|title='True Detective': Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star Lablanc, Joel D. Montgrand Join Season 4 Of HBO Anthology Series|last=Campione|first=Katie|date=October 26, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Deadline Hollywood|archive-date=November 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119212712/https://deadline.com/2022/10/true-detective-night-country-aka-niviana-isabella-star-lablanc-joel-d-montgrand-season-4-cast-hbo-1235155258/|url-status=live}} Eccleston stated, "I'd never have taken such a small part if it wasn't for Jodie. [A]ll my scenes are with her, and she's been a heroine of mine for many years."{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/christopher-eccleston-true-detective-sex-scene-jodie-foster-b2480975.html |title=Christopher Eccleston on the sex scene that still upsets him: 'An A-list actress implied I was copping a feel' |website=The Independent |first=Helen |last=Brown |date=January 20, 2024 |access-date=February 10, 2024}}
=Filming=
The season was filmed in Iceland and Alaska with a budget of $60 million.{{cite web|last=Mitovich|first=Matt Webb|title=True Detective Season 4: Kali Reis to Help Jodie Foster Solve Alaska Mystery|url=https://tvline.com/2022/06/28/true-detective-season-4-kali-reis-cast-jodie-foster/|website=TVLine|date=June 28, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|archive-date=June 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628142108/https://tvline.com/2022/06/28/true-detective-season-4-kali-reis-cast-jodie-foster/|url-status=live}}{{Cite journal|last1=Fry|first1=Andy|last2=Rajput|first2=Priyanca|last3=Evans|first3=Chris|date=January 5, 2023|title=International Production Guide |url=https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=90c8b8df-e21a-4004-a93e-04010612ac23|journal=Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook|volume=2023 Edition|pages=33|access-date=July 25, 2023|archive-date=February 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227141911/https://edition.pagesuite.com/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=90c8b8df-e21a-4004-a93e-04010612ac23|url-status=live}} Filming began in November 2022 and wrapped in April 2023.{{Cite web|last=Bentz|first=Adam|date=November 8, 2022|title=True Detective Season 4 Set Photo Reveals Filming Start|url=https://screenrant.com/true-detective-season-4-begins-filming/|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Screen Rant|archive-date=December 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221219132832/https://screenrant.com/true-detective-season-4-begins-filming/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Hookstead|first=David|date=April 10, 2023|title='True Detective' Season 4 Finishes Filming, Release Timeline Possibly Becoming Clear|url=https://www.outkick.com/true-detective-night-country-season-four-done-filming-jodie-foster/|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=OutKick|language=en-US|archive-date=June 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626141916/https://www.outkick.com/true-detective-night-country-season-four-done-filming-jodie-foster/|url-status=live}} The conditions included nighttime shoots at {{convert|-23|C|F}}, with director López commenting, "I'm Mexican, so I'm really not fond of the cold." She said that viewers would find the environment authentic "because we were there, because the actors were cold, because the filmmakers were cold."
Cast
=Main cast=
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Jodie Foster talking to Kali Reis 2024 (cropped).png
| width1 = 150
| image2 = Kali Reis talking to Jodie Foster 2024 (cropped).png
| width2 = 148
| footer = Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, who play the lead detectives
}}
- Jodie Foster as Chief Liz Danvers
- Kali Reis as Trooper Evangeline Navarro
- Fiona Shaw as Rose Aguineau
- Finn Bennett as Officer Peter Prior
- Isabella Star LaBlanc as Leah Danvers
- Christopher Eccleston as Captain Ted Connelly
- John Hawkes as Captain Hank Prior
=Recurring cast=
- Dervla Kirwan as Kate McKitterick
- Anna Lambe as Kayla Malee
- L'xeis Diane Benson as Bee
- Aka Niviâna as Julia Navarro
- Joel D. Montgrand as Eddie Qavvik
- Owen McDonnell as Raymond Clark
- Nivi Pedersen as Annie Kowtok
- Erling Eliasson as Travis Cohle
- Donnie Keshawarz as science teacher Adam Bryce
Episodes
{{see also|List of True Detective episodes}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 25
| EpisodeNumber2 = 1
| Title = Part 1
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = Issa López
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|1|14}}
| Viewers = 0.565
| ShortSummary = In the remote town of Ennis, Alaska, the eight scientists working at the Tsalal Research Station disappear, with a woman's severed tongue left at the scene. Local police Chief Liz Danvers deduces that the tongue belonged to an Indigenous woman. Alaskan Native trooper Evangeline Navarro believes the victim to be Annie Kowtok, an Iñupiaq woman who was stabbed to death and her tongue cut out after protesting against the construction of a local mine; the case remains unsolved after six years, which Navarro blames on Danvers. Danvers uncovers photographic evidence of a relationship between Annie and Raymond Clark, one of the missing researchers, and returns to Tsalal, where she finds Navarro also inspecting the facility. The two argue over Annie's case until they are summoned to a frozen lake. Rose Aguineau, a woman living on the edge of town, has discovered the naked bodies of the researchers, frozen in a solid mass, with their clothes carefully folded on the snow.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 26
| EpisodeNumber2 = 2
| Title = Part 2
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = Issa López
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|1|21}}
| Viewers = 0.678
| ShortSummary = As authorities check on the corpses, Danvers discovers that the bodies have strange injuries, with burnt eyes, self-inflicted bite marks and ruptured ear drums. She also notices a spiral symbol on one victim's forehead but does not understand what it means. Danvers is suspicious as her superior Ted Connelly seems to want to hurry to close the case without a proper investigation. As they try to remove the bodies from the ice, one of the officers accidentally breaks a victim's arm off at the elbow. To the group's shock, the victim is still alive and screams in pain. They realize that Raymond Clark is not among the frozen corpses.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 27
| EpisodeNumber2 = 3
| Title = Part 3
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = {{StoryTeleplay|s=Issa López|t=Issa López and Alan Page Arriaga}}
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|1|28}}
| Viewers = 0.602
| ShortSummary = The frozen scientist dies without providing helpful information. While incompetent Deputy Hank Prior leads the search for Clark, his earnest son Deputy Peter Prior asks his mentor Chief Danvers about the murder-suicide case that drove a wedge between her and Navarro. Navarro and Danvers seek out a local hairdresser for insight on Annie -- which leads to a tip. Navarro's relationships with her on-again, off-again boyfriend and her beloved schizophrenic sister Julia are explored.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 28
| EpisodeNumber2 = 4
| Title = Part 4
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = Namsi Khan and Chris Mundy and Issa López
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|2|4}}
| Viewers = 0.722
| ShortSummary = When Julia's mental health struggles worsen, Navarro brings her to a local facility, promising that this time will be better. Plagued by terrifying visions of the dead, Julia walks out into the ocean and dies by suicide. Later, Navarro has visions of her sister which she cannot distinguish from reality. Danvers and Navarro confirm the location of Annie's murder. Danvers struggles in her relationship with her Iñupiaq stepdaughter Leah, who wants to explore her Native heritage, despite Danvers' disapproval. Peter Prior's relationships with his father and young wife Kayla are severely strained as he knows Hank is corrupt and he has little time to spend at home, leaving his wife alone with their baby.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 29
| EpisodeNumber2 = 5
| Title = Part 5
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = Katrina Albright & Wenonah Wilms and Chris Mundy & Issa López
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|2|9}} {{small|(online)}}
{{Start date|2024|2|11}} {{small|(HBO)}}
| Viewers = 0.371
| ShortSummary = As Peter digs into the links between Tsalal and mining company Silver Sky, Navarro rescues Leah from a local protest that has turned violent. At a meeting with Silver Sky executive Kate McKitterick and Ted Connelly, Danvers is warned not to pursue the case any further. Danvers' suspicions about her supervisor are confirmed, so she brings a potential witness, Otis Heiss, to her home to keep him away from Connelly. Hank is sent to murder Heiss and turns his gun on Danvers but Peter shoots his father before he can murder Danvers too. Peter is left behind to conceal the killings while Danvers and Navarro rush to find ice caves that hold evidence of Annie's murder.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
{{Episode list/sublist|True Detective season 4
| EpisodeNumber = 30
| EpisodeNumber2 = 6
| Title = Part 6
| DirectedBy = Issa López
| WrittenBy = Issa López
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|2|18}}
| Viewers = 0.983
| ShortSummary = Danvers and Navarro find a hidden underground lab where Annie was murdered, connected by tunnels to the Tsalal scientific facility. They capture missing scientist Raymond Clark, Annie's former lover. Clark confesses Annie discovered the facility's bogus pollution data and their potentially world-changing secret research. All the other scientists took part in stabbing Annie, but it was Clark who finally smothered her to death. He claims they didn't cut out Annie's tongue, suggesting Deputy Hank did, but Clark dies by suicide before he can provide more evidence. Peter receives support from Kayla and disposes of Hank's body with Rose's help, who warns him of lingering grief. Danvers falls through ice into the ocean below, but Navarro saves her, each woman having a vision, Danvers of her long-lost son and Navarro of her dead mother. Danvers and Navarro find evidence linking a Tsalal cleaning lady and Indigenous women workers from the local crab factory to the researchers' attack. The women admit that they discovered the secret lab and avenged Annie's killing by forcing the researchers out into the cold, believing Annie's spirit punished them. Danvers and Navarro close the case, citing natural causes for the researchers' deaths. Danvers leaks a video left to her by Navarro in which Clark exposes the Silver Sky mine's pollution, leading to its closure. Danvers is questioned about Otis Heiss's murder, with Hank as the prime suspect. When they ask her about Navarro's whereabouts, Danvers claims she has no idea where she is. Before closing the case, Navarro had promised Danvers to return but the ending does not confirm if she has returned as a spirit or in mortal form.
| LineColor = 154365
}}
}}
Release
A first look was unveiled in December 2022 during an HBO sizzle reel.{{Cite web|url=https://tvline.com/casting-news/chicago-med-season-8-spoilers-tv-carpio-cast-new-doctor-grace-song-1234908230/|title=TVLine Items: New Chicago Med Doc, True Detective First Look and More|last=Schwartz|first=Ryan|date=December 21, 2022|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=TVLine|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033744/https://tvline.com/casting-news/chicago-med-season-8-spoilers-tv-carpio-cast-new-doctor-grace-song-1234908230/|url-status=live}} In April 2023, the first trailer for the season was released.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-trailer-night-country-1235580580/|title='True Detective: Night Country' Trailer: Jodie Foster Solves Bone-Chilling Alaskan Mystery|last=Moreau|first=Jordan|date=April 12, 2023|access-date=July 25, 2023|website=Variety|archive-date=July 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726033745/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/true-detective-season-4-trailer-night-country-1235580580/|url-status=live}}
The fourth season premiered on January 14, 2024. It was originally intended to premiere in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://tvline.com/news/true-detective-season-4-release-date-trailer-hbo-night-country-jodie-foster-1235050228/|title=True Detective Season 4 Lands HBO Premiere Date — Watch a New Trailer|last=Nemetz|first=Dave|date=September 27, 2023|access-date=September 27, 2023|website=TVLine|archive-date=September 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927200934/https://tvline.com/news/true-detective-season-4-release-date-trailer-hbo-night-country-jodie-foster-1235050228/|url-status=live}}
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered on Sky Atlantic on January 15, 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/23/some-of-the-sloppiest-writing-ive-ever-watched-how-true-detectives-creator-turned-on-his-own-show|last=MacInnes|first=Paul|title='Some of the sloppiest writing I've ever watched': how True Detective's creator turned on his own show|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-UK|date=February 23, 2024|access-date=February 23, 2024|archive-date=February 23, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240223154146/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/23/some-of-the-sloppiest-writing-ive-ever-watched-how-true-detectives-creator-turned-on-his-own-show}}{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/true-detective-night-country-release-date/|last=Craig|first=David|title=True Detective: Night Country release date, cast, trailer and news|website=Radio Times|date=January 14, 2024|access-date=February 24, 2024}}
Reception
=Critical response=
On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 92% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Frighteningly atmospheric and anchored by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis' superb performances, Night Country is a fresh and frosty variation on True Detective{{'}}s existential themes."{{cite web |title=True Detective: Season 4 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/true_detective/s04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119185301/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/true_detective/s04 |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media}} On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{cite web |title=True Detective: Season 4 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/true-detective/season-4/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240120022609/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/true-detective/season-4/ |archive-date=January 20, 2024 |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=Metacritic}}
David Bianculli of NPR deemed Night Country the best entry of True Detective since season one, comparing its focus on the direction, mood, acting and writing.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1223501760/true-detective-night-country-review|title='Night Country' is the best 'True Detective' season since the original|last=Bianculli|first=David|author-link=David Bianculli|date=January 9, 2024|work=Fresh Air|publisher=NPR|access-date=January 15, 2024|archive-date=January 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115184555/https://www.npr.org/2024/01/09/1223501760/true-detective-night-country-review|url-status=live}} USA Today{{'s}} Kelly Lawler agreed, saying it is "as excellent as, and perhaps transcends, that striking first season a decade ago."{{Cite web |title=Review: 'True Detective: Night Country' is so good, it might be better than Season 1 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/01/11/true-detective-night-country-review-jodie-foster/72177830007/ |date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=USA Today |first=Kelly |last=Lawler |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115045306/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/01/11/true-detective-night-country-review-jodie-foster/72177830007/ |url-status=live }} Lucy Mangan of The Guardian deemed Night Country the best season of True Detective, writing, "At last, this show drops the bloated, male-dominated stories of earlier series for an icy murder case in Alaska – with blistering turns from Foster and Kali Reis."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/15/true-detective-night-country-review-a-blazing-jodie-foster-makes-this-show-better-than-ever-before|title=True Detective: Night Country review – a blazing Jodie Foster makes this show better than ever before|last=Mangan|first=Lucy|author-link=Lucy Mangan|date=January 15, 2024|website=The Guardian|access-date=January 25, 2024}} Caryn James wrote for the BBC that Lopez "created a fierce, absorbing, richly imagined new show of her own."{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240102-true-detective-night-country-review-fierce-and-richly-imagined|title=True Detective: Night Country review: 'Fierce and richly imagined'|last=James|first=Caryn|author-link=Caryn James|date=January 2, 2024|publisher=BBC|access-date=January 15, 2024|archive-date=January 15, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115005210/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240102-true-detective-night-country-review-fierce-and-richly-imagined|url-status=live}} In the Slant Magazine review, Ross McIndoe sums up: "Like the best seasons of True Detective, Night Country thrives on its ability to exist as both a brisk, thrilling genre piece and a weighty, philosophical drama."{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/true-detective-night-country-review/ |title=True Detective: Night Country Review: A Propulsive, Performance-Driven Crime Story |website=Slant Magazine |first=Ross |last=McIndoe |date=January 2, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2024}}
Inkoo Kang writing for The New Yorker considers the season to be "a feminist revision of a series best known for its macho poetry and its ogling eye" and that López "transforms True Detective from a lot of mystical mumbling into a show with something to say".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/01/22/true-detective-tv-review-hbo-max |title="True Detective: Night Country" Finds the Heart of Darkness |magazine=The New Yorker |first=Inkoo |last=Kang |date=January 13, 2024 |access-date=February 8, 2024}} Alison Herman of Variety wrote that Lopez's take on the anthology series invigorated the "hardened female cop in a blue-collar community" archetype by placing it in a new context.{{Cite web |last=Herman |first=Alison |date=January 12, 2024 |title='True Detective' Gets a Rewarding Reboot in the Eerie 'Night Country,' Starring Jodie Foster: TV Review |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/true-detective-season-4-review-jodie-foster-1235866410/ |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115122216/https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/true-detective-season-4-review-jodie-foster-1235866410/ |url-status=live }} Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly praised Foster's performance for eschewing cliché and rendering a "mesmerizing and often-hilarious antihero."{{Cite magazine |title=Jodie Foster revives HBO's flagging franchise with 'True Detective: Night Country' |url=https://ew.com/true-detective-night-country-review-season-4-hbo-8425157 |date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |first=Kristen |last=Baldwin |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115074030/https://ew.com/true-detective-night-country-review-season-4-hbo-8425157 |url-status=live }}
Adam Graham of The Detroit News commended Foster's "full detective mode" performance and the contrast offered by Reis but wrote, "Some of its supernatural underpinnings lead to dead ends and López is sometimes at odds with herself over the direction of her storytelling."{{Cite web |title='True Detective: Night Country' review: Jodie Foster at the end of the world |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/television/2024/01/11/true-detective-night-country-review-foster-leads-dark-crime-series/72179751007/ |date=January 11, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |first=Adam |last=Graham |website=The Detroit News |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115184555/https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/television/2024/01/11/true-detective-night-country-review-foster-leads-dark-crime-series/72179751007/ |url-status=live }} CNN's Brian Lowry similarly felt the performances and chemistry between Foster and Reis worked "reasonably well", but criticized the slow pacing as the season's ultimate failure.{{Cite web |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=January 12, 2024 |title=In 'True Detective: Night Country,' Jodie Foster gets snowed in by side plots |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/12/entertainment/true-detective-night-country-review/index.html |access-date=January 15, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115161048/https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/12/entertainment/true-detective-night-country-review/index.html |url-status=live }}
In a mixed review, Mike Hale of The New York Times wrote: "The mystery steadily dissolves into preposterousness, the characters sink into incoherence, and the horror isn't original or evocative enough to carry things on its own."{{Cite news |last=Hale |first=Mike |date=January 12, 2024 |title='True Detective: Night Country' Review: Iced In |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/arts/television/true-detective-night-country-review.html |access-date=January 15, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115043813/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/arts/television/true-detective-night-country-review.html |url-status=live }} Dylan Roth of Observer.com wrote, "While Night Country offers plenty of intrigue on the macro level, the individual characters and relationships are more grim than they are engaging. Everyone has texture, but no one has chemistry."{{Cite web |title='True Detective: Night Country' Review: Mystery, Misery, Horror, And An Endless Night |url=https://observer.com/2024/01/true-detective-night-country-review-mystery-misery-horror-and-an-endless-night/ |date=January 12, 2024 |access-date=January 15, 2024 |first=Dylan |last=Roth |website=Observer |language=en-US |archive-date=January 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115122316/https://observer.com/2024/01/true-detective-night-country-review-mystery-misery-horror-and-an-endless-night/ |url-status=live }} Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune believed the "blunt" traits of the leads were ultimately "stand-ins for character development".{{Cite web |date=January 11, 2024 |title='True Detective: Night Country' review: A long day's journey into ... just another cop show |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/what-to-watch/ct-ent-review-true-detective-night-country-s4-20240111-u6vgxuo3kvgi3c7ehlfiq2eqqe-story.html |access-date=January 15, 2024 |first=Nina |last=Metz |website=Chicago Tribune |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114102734/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/what-to-watch/ct-ent-review-true-detective-night-country-s4-20240111-u6vgxuo3kvgi3c7ehlfiq2eqqe-story.html |url-status=live }}
Nic Pizzolatto received attention for his criticism of the fourth season where he claimed its connections to earlier seasons "so stupid" and wrote "can't blame me" for its perceived weaknesses. He later deleted his comments after getting backlash from fans, but after the finale of the season decided to again double down on his criticisms by sharing several negative opinions of other users of social media. This prompted Paul MacInnes writing for The Guardian to describe it as "Nic Pizzolatto throwing a tantrum over his own show," while Vulture writer Roxana Hadadi noted how season 4's reception by critics compares favorably to Pizzolatto's own seasons 2 and 3.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/23/some-of-the-sloppiest-writing-ive-ever-watched-how-true-detectives-creator-turned-on-his-own-show |title='Some of the sloppiest writing I've ever watched': How True Detective's creator turned on his own show |newspaper=The Guardian |date=February 23, 2024 |last=MacInnes |first=Paul |access-date=February 25, 2024}} Responding to Pizzolatto's negative comments, showrunner López stated:
{{blockquote|"I wrote this with profound love for the work he made and love for the people that loved it. And it is a reinvention, and it is different, and it's done with the idea of sitting down around the fire, and [let's] have some fun and have some feelings and have some thoughts. And anybody that wants to join is welcome."{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2024/01/true-detective-night-country-nic-pizzolatto-issa-lopez.html |title=Issa López Responds to Nic Pizzolatto Criticism of True Detective: Night Country|website=Vulture |first=Roxana |last=Hadadi |date=January 31, 2024 |access-date=February 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a46612027/true-detective-season-4-nic-pizzolatto-criticism/ |title=True Detective Creator Nic Pizzolatto Isn't a Fan of Night Country |website=Esquire |first=Josh |last=Rosenberg |date=February 1, 2024 |access-date=February 2, 2024}}}}
=Accolades=
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by True Detective}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.hbo.com/true-detective}}
- {{IMDb episodes|2356777|True Detective|season=4}}
{{True Detective}}
Category:2024 American television seasons
Category:Christmas television series
Category:Fiction about patricide
Category:Television series set in 2023
Category:Television series set in 2024
Category:Television shows about Native Americans