For the past decade (which includes some sizable breaks), True Detective has been one of the most riveting shows on TV, and with the series being picked up for a fifth season, it looks like it’ll be that way for some time. The HBO crime saga created by Nic Pizzolatto and then later taken over by Issa López for its fourth season, subtitled Night Country, has been a fun, engaging, and oftentimes mind-bending experience like no other.
But, after finishing the True Detective: Night Country finale, I’ve been left with not only questions about the latest season, but also many thoughts on what the series could do moving forward to not only keep the momentum going but also get even better. Below is a breakdown of six things I think True Detective should do moving forward, be it retooling several characters of the series or doubling down on others. But before I get started, please don’t take this as an overly critical view of the show, for I have long been obsessed with True Detective and its thoughtful stories.
Go Full Supernatural With The Story Instead Of Taking The Scooby-Doo Approach
There have been supernatural elements here and there throughout the entire run of True Detective, but nothing like what we saw in Night Country, which teased everything from angry spirits forcing a group of scientists to march to their deaths in the tundra, to similar beings convincing people to walk out onto the frozen ocean. And while the supernatural teases worked well throughout the fourth season, they were later revealed to be just that, and there were no otherworldly elements at play. In the end, it was revealed that local cleaners, upset over the murder of Annie K., killed the Tsalal scientists as revenge.
What I would love to see instead of this “Scooby-Doo” approach in future seasons is a full-on supernatural story where there is a real payoff with some kind of demonic or otherworldly forces behind whatever crime is at the center of the story. Would it be difficult to make this work within the scope of the series? Yes. But, Issa López is talented enough to figure it out.
Continue To Explore More Diverse Settings Outside Of The South
One thing that helped True Detective: Night Country stand out from previous seasons was its remote, isolated, and extreme setting, the unforgiving town of Ennis, Alaska. Shrouded in darkness and blinding wind and snow, the location was a major departure from earlier seasons, especially the first and third installments, which were set in and around the American South. For all its misgivings, Season 2 branched out, as well, with its Southern California setting, but not to the level seen in the most recent story.
I’m not saying we have to return to Alaska during the long day or anything like that, but it would be great to see True Detective explore some other territory in its fifth season. It doesn’t even have to be America. Send us to Australia, send us to Japan, send us to Argentina.
Keep Up The Great Representation Of Local Cultures
There are reasons to nitpick True Detective: Night Country, but there’s no denying that Issa López did a tremendous job when it came to representation and the depiction of local tribes and cultures seen throughout the season. This is mostly because the HBO show collaborated with the Iñupiaq Advisory Council to make the story and those depictions as accurate as possible, according to Alaska Public Radio. We saw this in earlier seasons, especially with the portrayal of the various cultures that make up Southern Louisiana, but with Night Country it reached new heights.
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with my last point, but it still needs to be stressed. Finding a way to tell new stories while also introducing audiences to a culture they may have never heard of before is something, that when done properly, can make a good show into a great show.
Find A Way To Craft A Story That Doesn’t Revolve Around A Corrupt Official/Preacher/Businessman
It’s sort of become a hallmark of the show over the years, but I wish True Detective would find a way to craft a story that doesn’t fully revolve around a corrupt preacher, businessman, or government official pulling the strings. Sure, it has added another dynamic to the show over the years, but it’s sort of become a distraction at this point, as I am constantly trying to figure out which big wig is pulling some nefarious scheme in the background.
Again, it works, so it’s doubtful HBO will remove this aspect of the series moving forward, but this could be a creative exploration worth undertaking to figure out a way to offer a unique spin on the crime drama.
Have A Story That Isn’t Connected To Past Seasons
There were a ton of references to True Detective Season 1 throughout Night Country, so much so that it became a major distraction partway through the Ennis murder story. These connections to Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle, the Tuttle family, and the famous “time is a flat circle” line caused me to lose focus of the events that were unfolding on the screen, and instead of trying to figure out the mystery, I was left trying to find more clues.
Again, referencing past events is cool and all, and does a great job of building and expanding the lore of the franchise, but it would be nice to have a standalone story that isn’t tied to anything that came before.
If We're Going To Keep Referencing Tuttle United, Can It At Least Lead To Something?
Tuttle United, in varying capacities, was the entity behind pretty much everything that went down in the first and fourth seasons of True Detective, and there’s probably some connection from Seasons 2 and 3 that I’m missing. That being said, if we’re going to keep referencing the company that has its hands in everything from Southern churches and politicians to mining operations in Alaska, can it all lead to something instead of having the nefarious corporation being nothing more than a puppet master?
Like, will we ever see a case so extreme and so devastating that it finally leads to Tuttle United being taken down once and for all? If so, sign me up. If not, I wish the show would find some other villain to prop up, some new direction to take.
If you’re like me, there’s a good chance you’re excited to see where Issa López takes us with the series moving forward. But while we wait to learn more about True Detective Season 5, now would be a good time to go back and watch the entire series with a Max subscription, which will also give you access to some of the biggest shows on the 2024 TV schedule.
