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True Detective season 4

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True Detective
Season 4
Promotional poster
Starring
No. of episodes1
Release
Original networkHBO
Original releaseJanuary 14, 2024 (2024-01-14) –
present (present)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 3
List of episodes

The fourth season of True Detective, an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto, premiered on January 14, 2024, on HBO. The season is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, and follows the investigation behind 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.

Issa López serves as showrunner, writer, and director. It is the first season without Pizzolatto as showrunner or writer, but he still serves as an executive producer.

Production

Development

Before the release of the third season, Nic Pizzolatto explained that he had a "really, really wild" idea for a potential fourth season.[1] After the season finished airing, he explained that he decided to drop his idea, intending to use a new idea after discussing with an unnamed actor about the project.[2] 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."[3]

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.[4] By the next year, HBO began exploring ideas for a fourth season with other writers, including Lucía Puenzo and Sam Levinson.[5] 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."[6]

In March 2022, HBO announced that a fourth season entered into development, which would carry a subtitle, Night Country, a first for the series. The first episode would be written by Issa López, who would also direct it. López would executive produce the season, alongside Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak.[7] In June 2022, HBO officially greenlit the season, with López serving as showrunner. Pizzolatto would remain as an executive producer, marking his first season without a writing credit.[8]

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."[9] In an interview with The A.V. Club, López credited John Carpenter's The Thing, Stanley Kubrick's Overlook Hotel, and Ridley Scott's Nostromo 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, that it had Carcosa and the Yellow King.[10] López has also cited the Dyatlov Pass incident and Mary Celeste as inspirations for the season.[11]

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.[12] Foster described her character, chief Danvers, as awful, an "Alaska Karen".[13]

In June 2022, it was reported that Kali Reis would join Foster as co-lead, in a role originally conceived as Latina.[14][9]

In September 2022, it was reported that John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, and Anna Lambe would also appear in the season.[15] In October 2022, Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star LaBlanc and Joel D. Montgrand joined the season.[16]

Filming

The season was filmed in Iceland and on location in Alaska with a reported budget of $60 million.[17][18] Filming began in November 2022 and wrapped in April 2023.[19][20] The conditions included nighttime shoots at −23 °C (−9 °F), which director López commented on by quipping, "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".[10]

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

See also: List of True Detective episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		Title [21]Directed byWritten by [22]Original air date [23]U.S. viewers
(millions) [24]
251"Part 1"Issa LópezIssa LópezJanuary 14, 2024 (2024-01-14)0.565
262"Part 2"Issa LópezIssa LópezJanuary 21, 2024 (2024-01-21)N/A
273"Part 3"Issa LópezStory by : Issa López
Teleplay by : Issa López and Alan Page Arriaga		January 28, 2024 (2024-01-28)N/A
284"Part 4"Issa LópezNamsi Khan and Chris Mundy and Issa LópezFebruary 4, 2024 (2024-02-04)N/A
295TBAIssa LópezKatrina Albright & Wenonah Wilms and Chris Mundy & Issa LópezFebruary 18, 2024 (2024-02-18)N/A
306TBAIssa LópezUnknownFebruary 25, 2024 (2024-02-25)N/A

Release

Broadcast

The fourth season premiered on January 14, 2024. It was originally intended to premiere in 2023.[25]

Marketing

A first look was unveiled in December 2022 during an HBO sizzle reel.[26] In April 2023, the first trailer for the season was released.[27]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 93% based on 108 reviews with an average rating of 8.45/10. 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."[28] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[29]

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.[30] USA Today's Kelly Lawler agreed, saying it is "as excellent as, and perhaps transcends, that striking first season a decade ago."[31] Caryn James wrote for the BBC that Lopez "created a fierce, absorbing, richly imagined new show of her own."[32] 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.[33] Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly praised Foster's performance for eschewing cliché and rendering a "mesmerizing and often-hilarious antihero."[34]

Adam Graham of The Detroit News commended Foster's "full detective mode" performance and the contrast offered by Reis, but wrote that "some of its supernatural underpinnings lead to dead ends and López is sometimes at odds with herself over the direction of her storytelling."[35] 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.[36]

Mike Hale of The New York Times was less enthusiastic: "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."[37] 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."[38] Nina Metz of the Chicago Tribune believed the "blunt" traits of the leads were ultimately "stand-ins for character development".[39]

References

  1. ^ Hibberd, James (January 9, 2019). "True Detective creator on season 3, being 'blown away' by Mahershala Ali". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Travers, Ben (April 30, 2019). "'True Detective': Nic Pizzolatto Shifts Plans for Season 4 — and Eyes More Projects as a Producer". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  3. ^ White, Peter (July 24, 2019). "'True Detective': HBO Programming Chief On A Potential Fourth Season Of Nic Pizzolatto's Crime Drama – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 28, 2020). "Nic Pizzolatto And Matthew McConaughey Reteam For 'Redeemer' Drama Series At FX; 'True Detective' Duo Ink FX Productions & Fox 21 TV Studios Deals". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  5. ^ White, Peter (February 10, 2021). "'True Detective': HBO In Talks With Writers For Fourth Season, Keen To Find New Voices For Dark Crime Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  6. ^ White, Peter (February 16, 2022). "HBO Content Chief On Future Of 'True Detective', 'Mare Of Easttown', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' & 'In Treatment'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Otterson, Joe (March 18, 2022). "'True Detective' Season 4 in the Works at HBO From Issa López, Barry Jenkins". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  8. ^ Hibberd, James (June 28, 2022). "HBO Officially Orders 'True Detective' Season 4, Casts Kali Reis". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Busis, Hillary (November 8, 2023). "True Detective: Night Country First Look: "It's Cold and It's Dark and It's Female"". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Izzo, Christina (January 8, 2024). "True Detective's new showrunner on shaking things up and why Jodie Foster is a "beast of an actor"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  11. ^ True Detective: Night Country Official Podcast – Episode 1. HBO. January 16, 2024. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ White, Peter (May 26, 2022). "'True Detective': Jodie Foster To Star In Season 4 Of HBO Anthology Series, Marks First Major Adult TV Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  13. ^ Huver, Scott; Walcott, Escher (January 10, 2024). "Jodie Foster Says Her True Detective Character Is an 'Alaska Karen': 'No Two Ways About It'". People. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Otterson, Joe (June 28, 2022). "'True Detective' Season 4 at HBO Casts Kali Reis in Lead Role Opposite Jodie Foster". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  15. ^ Otterson, Joe (September 23, 2022). "'True Detective' Season 4 at HBO Adds Five to Cast, Including Fiona Shaw and Christopher Eccleston". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Campione, Katie (October 26, 2022). "'True Detective': Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star Lablanc, Joel D. Montgrand Join Season 4 Of HBO Anthology Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 28, 2022). "True Detective Season 4: Kali Reis to Help Jodie Foster Solve Alaska Mystery". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Fry, Andy; Rajput, Priyanca; Evans, Chris (January 5, 2023). "International Production Guide". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. 2023 Edition: 33. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Bentz, Adam (November 8, 2022). "True Detective Season 4 Set Photo Reveals Filming Start". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  20. ^ Hookstead, David (April 10, 2023). "'True Detective' Season 4 Finishes Filming, Release Timeline Possibly Becoming Clear". OutKick. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  21. ^ "HBO TV Schedule". HBO. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "True Detective: Season 4". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  23. ^ "Shows A-Z - true detective on hbo". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  24. ^ "True Detective: Season Four Ratings (Night Country)". TV Series Finale. January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  25. ^ Nemetz, Dave (September 27, 2023). "True Detective Season 4 Lands HBO Premiere Date — Watch a New Trailer". TVLine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  26. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (December 21, 2022). "TVLine Items: New Chicago Med Doc, True Detective First Look and More". TVLine. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  27. ^ Moreau, Jordan (April 12, 2023). "'True Detective: Night Country' Trailer: Jodie Foster Solves Bone-Chilling Alaskan Mystery". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  28. ^ "True Detective: Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  29. ^ "True Detective: Season 4". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  30. ^ Bianculli, David (January 9, 2024). "'Night Country' is the best 'True Detective' season since the original". Fresh Air. NPR. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  31. ^ Lawler, Kelly (January 11, 2024). "Review: 'True Detective: Night Country' is so good, it might be better than Season 1". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  32. ^ James, Caryn (January 2, 2024). "True Detective: Night Country review: 'Fierce and richly imagined'". BBC. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  33. ^ Herman, Alison (January 12, 2024). "'True Detective' Gets a Rewarding Reboot in the Eerie 'Night Country,' Starring Jodie Foster: TV Review". Variety. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  34. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (January 11, 2024). "Jodie Foster revives HBO's flagging franchise with 'True Detective: Night Country'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  35. ^ Graham, Adam (January 11, 2024). "'True Detective: Night Country' review: Jodie Foster at the end of the world". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  36. ^ Lowry, Brian (January 12, 2024). "In 'True Detective: Night Country,' Jodie Foster gets snowed in by side plots". CNN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  37. ^ Hale, Mike (January 12, 2024). "'True Detective: Night Country' Review: Iced In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  38. ^ Roth, Dylan (January 12, 2024). "'True Detective: Night Country' Review: Mystery, Misery, Horror, And An Endless Night". Observer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  39. ^ Metz, Nina (January 11, 2024). "'True Detective: Night Country' review: A long day's journey into ... just another cop show". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
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