| True Detective: Night Country | |
|---|---|
| Season 4 | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Showrunner | Issa López |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Release | |
| Original network | HBO |
| Original release | January 14 (2024-01-14) – February 18, 2024 (2024-02-18) |
| Season chronology | |
← Previous Season 3 | |
| List of episodes | |
True Detective: Night Country is the fourth season ofTrue Detective, an Americananthologycrime drama television series created byNic Pizzolatto, which premiered on January 14, 2024, onHBO. The season is set in the fictional town of Ennis,Alaska, north of theArctic Circle, duringpolar night. It follows the investigation of the disappearance of eight men from aresearch station. The season starsJodie Foster andKali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro. It is the first season to carry a subtitle.
Night Country was created byIssa López, who serves asshowrunner, writer, and director. It is the first season without the involvement of Pizzolatto; however, he is still credited as an executive producer.[1]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 theAmerican Film Institute, and garnered 19Primetime Emmy Award nominations, becoming the most nominated season in the series. Foster won forOutstanding Lead Actress, while its other nominations includedOutstanding Limited or Anthology Series,Outstanding Supporting Actor (for Hawkes),Outstanding Supporting Actress (for Reis),Outstanding Directing andWriting (for Lopez).[2][3] At the82nd Golden Globe Awards, it received three nominations including for theBest Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, with Foster winningBest Actress.
Initially,Nic Pizzolatto was directly involved in a fourth season ofTrue Detective, but ultimatelyIssa 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.[4]
Before the release of thethird season, Pizzolatto explained that he had a "really, really wild" idea for a potential fourth season.[5] 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.[6] 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."[7]
In January 2020, Pizzolatto signed an overall production deal withFox 21 Television Studios andFX Productions, putting into question his involvement in a potential fourth season.[8] By the next year, HBO began exploring ideas for a fourth season with other writers, includingLucía Puenzo andSam Levinson.[9] Bloys later said, "There's something in theTrue Detective area, there's things we're feeling good about. I would say stay tuned on that one."[10]
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 alongsideBarry Jenkins,Adele Romanski and Mark Ceryak.[11] In June 2022, HBO officially greenlit the season, with López serving as showrunner.
When preparing season 4, subtitledNight Country, director and writer Issa López chose to create a "dark mirror" of thefirst season: "WhereTrue Detective is male and it's sweaty,Night Country is cold and it's dark and it's female."[12] In an interview withThe A.V. Club, López creditedJohn Carpenter'sThe Thing, the Overlook Hotel fromThe Shining, and the spacecraftNostromo fromAlien 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 ofTrue Detective's first season, which hasCarcosa andthe Yellow King.[13] López has also cited theDyatlov Pass incident andMary Celeste as inspirations for the season.[14]
Another inspiration wasBillie 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 scoreNight Country's title sequence. López started to listen to Eilish during theCOVID-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 themonster under the bed.[15] López was recorded to say "It's perfectly possible that the events of the show happened because I was listening to Billie."[16][17]
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.[18] Foster described her character, chief Danvers, as awful; an "AlaskaKaren".[19]
In June 2022, it was reported thatKali Reis would join Foster as co-lead, in a role originally conceived as Latina[20][12] and as a "hardass" military veteran.[21]
In September 2022, it was reported thatJohn Hawkes,Christopher Eccleston,Fiona Shaw,Finn Bennett, andAnna Lambe would also appear in the season.[22] In October 2022, Aka Niviâna,Isabella Star LaBlanc and Joel D. Montgrand joined the season.[23] 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."[24]
The season was filmed inIceland andAlaska with a budget of $60 million.[25][26] Filming began in November 2022 and wrapped in April 2023.[27][28] The conditions included nighttime shoots at −23 °C (−9 °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."[13]
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| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) [29] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "Part 1" | Issa López | Issa López | January 14, 2024 (2024-01-14) | 0.565 | |
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, anIñupiaq 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. | |||||||
| 26 | 2 | "Part 2" | Issa López | Issa López | January 21, 2024 (2024-01-21) | 0.678 | |
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. | |||||||
| 27 | 3 | "Part 3" | Issa López | Story by : Issa López Teleplay by : Issa López and Alan Page Arriaga | January 28, 2024 (2024-01-28) | 0.602 | |
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. | |||||||
| 28 | 4 | "Part 4" | Issa López | Namsi Khan and Chris Mundy and Issa López | February 4, 2024 (2024-02-04) | 0.722 | |
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. | |||||||
| 29 | 5 | "Part 5" | Issa López | Katrina Albright & Wenonah Wilms and Chris Mundy & Issa López | February 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)(online) February 11, 2024 (2024-02-11)(HBO) | 0.371 | |
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. | |||||||
| 30 | 6 | "Part 6" | Issa López | Issa López | February 18, 2024 (2024-02-18) | 0.983 | |
Danvers and Navarro find the 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 destroyed their secret research. All the other scientists took part in stabbing Annie, but it was Clark who finally smothered her to death. Clark dies by suicide before he can provide more evidence. Peter disposes of Hank's body with Rose's help. Danvers falls through ice into the ocean below, but Navarro saves her. 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. 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. Months later, 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. | |||||||
A first look was unveiled in December 2022 during an HBO sizzle reel.[30] In April 2023, the first trailer for the season was released.[31]
The fourth season premiered on January 14, 2024. It was originally intended to premiere in 2023.[32]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it premiered onSky Atlantic on January 15, 2024.[33][34]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 93% based on 210 reviews. 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 onTrue Detective's existential themes."[35] OnMetacritic, the season has aweighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 48 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[36]
David Bianculli ofNPR deemedNight Country the best entry ofTrue Detective since season one, comparing its focus on the direction, mood, acting and writing.[37]USA Today's Kelly Lawler agreed, saying it is "as excellent as, and perhaps transcends, that striking first season a decade ago."[38]Lucy Mangan ofThe Guardian deemedNight Country the best season ofTrue 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."[39]Caryn James wrote for theBBC that Lopez "created a fierce, absorbing, richly imagined new show of her own."[40] In theSlant Magazine review, Ross McIndoe sums up: "Like the best seasons ofTrue Detective,Night Country thrives on its ability to exist as both a brisk, thrilling genre piece and a weighty, philosophical drama."[41]
Inkoo Kang writing forThe 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 "transformsTrue Detective from a lot of mystical mumbling into a show with something to say".[42] Alison Herman ofVariety 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.[43] Kristen Baldwin ofEntertainment Weekly praised Foster's performance for eschewing cliché and rendering a "mesmerizing and often-hilarious antihero."[44]
Adam Graham ofThe 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."[45]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.[46]
In a mixed review, Mike Hale ofThe 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."[47] Dylan Roth ofObserver.com wrote, "WhileNight 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."[48] Nina Metz of theChicago Tribune believed the "blunt" traits of the leads were ultimately "stand-ins for character development".[49]
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 forThe Guardian to describe it as "Nic Pizzolatto throwing a tantrum over his own show," whileVulture writer Roxana Hadadi noted how season 4's reception by critics compares favorably to Pizzolatto's own seasons 2 and 3.[50][51] Responding to Pizzolatto's negative comments, showrunner López stated:
"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."[51][52]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Limited Series | Francine Maisler, Amber Wakefield, Molly Rose, Jessica Ronane, and Deborah Schildt | Nominated | [53] |
| Astra TV Awards | Best Limited Series | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [54] |
| Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Jodie Foster | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Finn Bennett | Nominated | ||
| Christopher Eccleston | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Kali Reis | Nominated | ||
| Best Directing in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Issa López | Nominated | ||
| Best Writing in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Nominated | |||
| British Academy Television Awards | Best International Programme | Production Team | Nominated | [55] |
| British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Sound: Fiction | Howard Bargroff, Stephen Griffiths, Tom Jenkins, Andy Shelley, Mark Timms, and Michele Woods | Nominated | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – One Hour | Skuli Helgi Sigurgislason, Howard Bargoff, Mark Timms, Goetz Botzenhardt, Nick Kray, Keith Partridge(for "Part 6") | Nominated | [56] [57] |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Limited Series | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [58] |
| Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Jodie Foster | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Kali Reis | Nominated | ||
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [59] |
| Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Jodie Foster | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series | Issa López(for "Part 6") | Nominated | [60] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [61] |
| Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Jodie Foster | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Kali Reis | Nominated | ||
| Ivor Novello Awards | Best Television Soundtrack | Vince Pope | Won | [62] |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | Issa López, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda, Jodie Foster,Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Chris Mundy,Nic Pizzolatto, Matthew McConaughey,Woody Harrelson,Steve Golin, Richard Brown,Cary Joji Fukunaga, Alan Page Arriaga, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, Layla Blackman, and Sam Breckman | Nominated | [2] [63] |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Jodie Foster | Won | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | John Hawkes(for "Part 5") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Kali Reis(for "Part 4") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Issa López | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Issa López(for "Part 6") | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Francine Maisler, Deborah Schildt, and Alda B. Gudjónsdóttir | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Florian Hoffmeister(for "Part 6") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Alex Bovaird, Linda Gardar, Rebekka Jónsdóttir, Tina Ulee, Giulia Moschioni, and Brian Sprouse(for "Part 5") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Peter Swords King, Natalie Abizadeh, Kerry Skelton, Flóra Karítas Buenaño, and Hafdís Pálsdóttir(for "Part 5") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup | Dave Elsey, Lou Elsey, and Brian Kinney(for "Part 3") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics | "No Use"(for "Part 5") Music and Lyrics by John Hawkes | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Music Supervision | Susan Jacobs(for "Part 4") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Matt Chessé(for "Part 4") | Nominated | ||
| Brenna Rangott(for "Part 6") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) | Daniel Taylor, Jo Riddell, and Charlotte Dirickx | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | Martín Hernández, Stephen Griffiths, Tom Jenkins, Michele Woods, Andy Shelley, Jake Fielding, Stuart Bagshaw, Barnaby Smyth, Rebecca Glover, and Ben Smithers(for "Part 6") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Howard Bargroff, Mark Timms, Skúli Helgi Sigurgíslason, and Keith Partridge(for "Part 6") | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode | Barney Curnow, Jan Guilfoyle, Eggert "Eddi" Ketilsson, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Manuel Reyes Halaby, Tiago Faria, Panos Theodoropoulos, Cale Pugh, and Tim Zaccheo(for "Part 1") | Nominated | ||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television | Issa López, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda, Jodie Foster, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Chris Mundy, Sam Breckman, Alan Page Arriaga, Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Cathy Tagnak Rexford, and Layla Blackman | Nominated | [64] |
| Saturn Awards | Best Action / Thriller Television Series | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [65] |
| Best Actress in a Television Series | Jodie Foster | Nominated | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated | [66] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Nominated | [67] | |
| Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Drama | True Detective: Night Country | Nominated | [68] |
| Individual Achievement in Drama | Jodie Foster | Nominated | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Limited Series | Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, and Wenonah Wilms | Nominated | [69] |
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