The history of “True Detective” is a mixed bag, to say the least. After a first season that was beloved by fans and felt like a true breath of fresh air, the following two seasons were middling, at best, and basically derailed all of the momentum and goodwill gained from the first episodes. Now, after a five-year break, “True Detecive” is back with a fourth season, titled “Night Country,” and filmmaker Issa López hopes to recapture that magic once again.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, director Issa López talked about what is to come in the new season of “True Detective.” Basically, she wants to assure fans of the first season that the series is going back to its roots…but in a completely different way.
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“Where ‘True Detective’ [Season 1] is male and it’s sweaty, ‘Night Country’ is cold and it’s dark and it’s female,” she explained.
Despite the difference on the surface, there is a real attempt to recapture the essence of the original season, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrellson, and spawned millions of memes for years to come. Much like the characters that duo gave us in Season 1, Jodie Foster and Kali Reis are giving viewers something similar. In fact, López confirmed that Season 4 exists in the same universe as Season 1.
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“One is utterly rational and verbal and works in deduction, and the other one is instinctual and knows how to relate to people,” explained López about her two lead characters.
‘Night Country’ takes place in Alaska and follows the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a group of researchers. And for those hoping for a good mystery without any filmmaking tricks, the director confirms that the guilty party (or parties) “that committed the deed are right there in front of you through the entire series.”
Even though ‘Night Country’ aims to mimic the success of the first season, copying some of its winning formula, López also described the new season in a bit of a surprising way.
“When I talked to HBO about the first draft, I was like, deep down, this is a rom-com,” she explained. “These are two characters that love each other, found each other and fell in love, and then fell out of love terribly. Now they’re enemies. And that’s when we meet them. And the show is the story of how they fall back in love. This is friendship. But in the end, it’s the same thing.”
But don’t worry, the new season will still be really dark.
“I’m not so much of a fan of the cozy mystery,” she said. “I like the dark, fucked-up mystery.”
“True Detective: Night Country” debuts on HBO and Max on January 14, 2024.