There are certain shows within the history of television that can be seen as game changers, and HBO is responsible for many of them. Both The Sopranos and The Wire helped television gain the respect as a serious dramatic medium, but it was the 2014 debut of True Detective that proved that television could be a legitimate opportunity for auteur filmmakers. While most shows are directed by a team of filmmakers, the entire first season was directed by Cari Joji Fukuagua, who brought his signature stylistic sensibilities to a gripping murder mystery storyline. It was also impactful to see movie stars as influential as Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson working on a weekly television series, as there has traditionally been a firm line that separates film and TV actors.
While the first season of True Detective is considered to be among the greatest single seasons of all-time, the later installments were not as broadly acclaimed. Each season introduces a new set of characters, and thus the series is often regarded as a show that peaked early. However, a frightening report from Rolling Stone on the allegations of disturbing sexual misconduct on the part of Fukunaga does detract from the season’s legacy, even after it was hailed as the best show of 2014 by The Daily Beast. This doesn’t mean that True Detective should be shrouded in controversy forever, as its past and future suggest that the first season isn’t the only great moment in the show’s history.
Season 2 Is Subversively Strange
True Dectective Season 2 was directed by a series of interesting filmmakers, including Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin, Borg/McEnroe director Janus Metz, Brooklyn director John Crowley, and Game of Thrones regular Miguel Sapochnik. Each of these directors applied a different perspective, and it was interesting to see a season that peppered in different cinematic styles as opposed to one that came solely from one auteur’s vision. McConaughey and Harrelson did not return, as the new season introduced an entirely different storyline revolving around a corruption scandal that involves the Los Angeles’ mayor’s office in a smuggling operation. Rather than telling a confined mystery revolving around a serial killer like its predecessor, Season 2 expanded the True Detective universe into a political commentary with metaphorical connections to the Western Book of the Dead.
The new season followed the corrupt detective Raymond Velcro (played by Colin Farrell), the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office CID agent Annie Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams), the scandalous California Highway Patrol Officer Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch), and the career criminal Frank Seymond (Vince Vaughn). While these characters weren’t as instantly iconic as Rust and Cohle were in the first season, the performances are quite interesting compared to the other work by these stars. Vaughn rarely takes on dramatic roles, but he proves himself with a complex character whose history of criminal activity comes back to haunt him.
Farrell is easily one of the best actors of his generation, and Velcro instantly ranks among his most unusual performances; a broken family man who experiences frequent bouts of anger, Velcro is perhaps the most unpredictable series lead in True Detective’s history. It’s also fascinating to see McAdams as an emotionally closed-off character, as she is best known for romantic comedy roles that emphasize her endearing qualities. Season 2 ends on a highly experimental note that analyzes the lasting impact of the crimes that have been committed, and how little will actually change. It may not have been the definitive ending that viewers expected, but it’s the perfect sendoff for an ambitious, flawed, and thoroughly fascinating single season.
Season 3 Features an All-Time Great Performance
If True Detective made waves as an outlet for legendary movie stars, then it couldn’t have asked for a better leading man than Mahershala Ali. Considering that Ali had just won two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in the Best Picture-winners Moonlight and Green Book, respectively, it was a big deal for him to join the True Detective universe. While it’s not quite as tightly mapped out as the first season, or as boldly experimental as the second season, Season 3 is worth watching single-handedly because of Ali’s extraordinary work. Even if True Detective season 3 feels repetitive at points, the character of Wayne Hayes is one of the greatest protagonists in recent memory.
Considering that the third season takes place across multiple timelines from different points of view, Ali had to undergo makeup changes and show how Hayes’ perspective evolved over the course of his career. It’s a more nuanced character study, as Hayes is haunted by the mistakes he made, and feels that he must return to the once case that he never felt had been properly cracked. Not only did this require him to be vulnerable in a way that he had never been before, but it created a slightly unreliable narrator whose point-of-view couldn’t always be trusted. The season even managed to make some subtle allusions to the first season; while viewers certainly didn’t need to watch season 1 to know what was going on, it was a fun series of Easter Eggs for longtime fans that had defended the series.
Barry Jenkins Could Insert New Life into the Series
The great thing about True Detective is that it provides opportunities to a wide variety of storytellers and actors without burdening them with story limitations. The upcoming season, marketed as True Detective: Night Country, features Jodie Foster in a starring role from acclaimed director Barry Jenkins. The early footage teases a chilling new mystery that isn’t anything like its predecessors.
Jenkins is among the best film directors working today, but he also proved that he could create great television with the Prime Video limited series The Underground Railroad. Foster’s resume is packed with classics, but she proved that she had lost none of her creative spirit with her recent work in The Mauritanian and Elysium. True Detective: Night Country is easily one of the most anticipated shows of the year.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
