Though the current fourth season of HBO's True Detective has received mostly positive feedback from critics and viewers alike, not everyone is on board with some of the creative decisions - including the show's creator Nic Pizzolatto, who had a hand in writing all previous episodes of the series.
Though the post has since been removed, Pizzolatto - who is credited as an executive producer on season 4 - made it clear that he is not involved in any creative capacity with Night Country, referring to the plot points that connect to the show’s acclaimed first season as “so stupid.” When a fan responded, he added: “I certainly did not have any input on this story or anything else. Can’t blame me.”
Night County is (or appears to be, at least) the first season of True Detective to include explicitly supernatural elements, with the ghost of one character seemingly being revealed to be the father of Matthew McConaughey's Rustin Cohle from season 1.
There are several other connections to season 1, including the reveal that the Tsalal research facility is funded by a company called Tuttle United (Tuttle was the name of the Yellow King-worshipping family Cohle and Martin Hart were investigating), and the spirals... lots and lots of spirals!
New showrunner Issa López, who co-wrote and directed all six episodes of the new season, was asked about Pizzolatto’s comments during an interview with Vulture, and gave a very classy response.
“I believe that every storyteller has a very specific, peculiar, and unique relation to the stories they create, and whatever his reactions are, he’s entitled to them. That’s his prerogative. 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.”
Despite mostly positive feedback, Night Country has been "review bombed" on Rotten Tomatoes, and López took to X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the season premiere to call out the trolls.
“So, if you liked last night’s [episode] of [True Detective: Night Country], and have a Rotten Tomatoes account, maybe head over there and leave an audience review?” Lopez wrote to her followers. “The bros and hardcore fanboys of [Season 1] have made it a mission to drag the rating down, and it’s kind of sad, considering all the 5 star ones.”
"When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice."
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