Credit: HBO True Detective: Night Country
“… For we do not know what beasts the night dreams when its hours grow too long for even God to be awake.” ~Hildred Castaigne
Where is the line between the supernatural and spiritual? Watching this season of True Detective: Night Country really brings this question up to me. There was so many times watching it I was like “ok this is a supernatural being that is causing all this harm,” then something happens and then I question it and think more that it’s spiritual and religious.
I have never seen the True Detective series before watching this season. I will say though, I will be watching the other seasons once I am finished with this to see how the seasons differ from one another. From what I understand, each season is its own narrative with different characters. So just jumping in and watching season 4, you wouldn’t miss anything or be lost in the storyline.
We open up in the cold tundra of northern Alaska during the last sunset of the year. We then see the Tsalal Arctic Research Station and its scientists inside before they disappear. This is when we meet the lead characters/detectives on the case to find and figure out what happened to the scientists. We have Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) who’s heading the Tsalal case and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) who thinks it may be connected to an old case of her’s of a Native woman who was killed. The series continues on from there where the two have to solve this case while fighting their own darkness in their lives.
Credit: HBO True Detective: Night Country
This may sound odd but my favorite aspect of this season of True Detective: Night Country was the opening credits scene. First off the theme music is so creepy and mysterious by the way of lyrics and how the singer sings it, but the music is so catchy and upbeat. In a way it gives off the question I brought up in the beginning, where is the line between the supernatural and spiritual, but with this where is the line between creepy and catchy? It pulls you in like the show does. I couldn’t help but to listen to the music and by doing so I started to carefully watch what this theme was playing too.
When you watch the opening credits, you’ll see different things relating to the season. When you first see it, it will not make any sense but pay attention to those details because as you progress through the series it’ll start connecting. At first I didn’t notice it as I was so drawn by the music and actually had to go back to the beginning and see if it was the same opening credits visually. Now when I watch it things start to make sense and I begin questioning how the other stuff connects to one another.
Credit: HBO True Detective: Night Country
If Max gives you the option to skip the opening credits, this would be one show I would advise against. As I have said before, I have never seen True Detective before so I am unsure is this is a standard way they make the credits and theme music or if it was a directorial choice for this season. Which ever it is I throughly enjoyed it.
Speaking of questioning, that is a big thing Liz Danvers does. She always says things like “what’s the question,” “that’s the question,” “start asking questions.” I like it because it shows how much critical thinking and being able to think outside the box is needed on cases like this. Besides for the plot I think it’s more for the viewers to provoke ideas and let them be apart of the investigation as much as the characters. I really liked that as a curiosity soul myself. It helps you think about where these lie and how connected everything really is.
Overall I enjoyed watching this series, it really grabbed my attention and kept me wondering what would happen next. That may be because I watch true crime shows like Law and Order: SVU but that’s beside the point. I think anyone who loves mystery and supernatural shows and/or movies would very much enjoy this one. It definitely kept me on my toes and will be watching the other seasons.
Season 4 True Detective: Night Country premieres on Sunday January 14th, 2024 (9:00-10:00 pm ET/PT) on Max and will run for 6 episodes.
Grade: A-
Check out more of Serena’s articles.
Here’s a link to the trailer: