In January 2014, the first season of True Detective aired to rave reviews, becoming a cultural sensation. This unique crime drama series has had its ups and downs throughout the course of its next two seasons, and now, season four is happening at HBO. Even though the seasons have been spread out, with the first two airing in 2014 and 2015 respectively, and the third not airing until 2019, this is one show that doesn’t need consistent airing in order for its story to be told. Each season so far consists of eight episodes, and those episodes tell an entire story. No season directly relates to the other besides minor connections, as each holds the entirety of the story behind whatever crime they are focusing on and even has different actors starring in each season.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
While some people are excited to see more of the show, others are weary, remembering that no season has been better than season one. As the show continues to push forward and actors are already being cast, one question remains: will season four regain popularity for the show as it begins to fall off, or will it begin digging the show’s grave? Take a look at what the other seasons have done right and wrong, and see for yourself if you think the show can be redeemed or not.
The Story Easily Confuses People
HBO Entertainment
Perhaps one of the biggest flaws in the show is the decisions made for the story. Season one is considered the best by many, but maybe there are underlying reasons for that as well. When comparing the seasons, it just seemed like season two didn’t live up to the impact the first season had. Several people didn’t like the new dialogue or story (with Esquire writing a piece titled “True Detective Season 2 Quotes That Almost Made Us Stop Watching”), and a lot of this could be because of the expectations set by the first season.
Then, in the third season three, three separate time periods are explored while investigating a crime involving two missing children, and it doesn’t even solve the crime. Season four would be better off turning to the original format, making the crime straightforward and giving the audience a satisfying ending, or the show may suffer more than it already has.
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Another contributing factor to the second season’s failure could be that, in a typical TV series, each season would be a continuation of the story. Even in other anthology series like this, however, there is a theme carried throughout each season, something that connects them all even if the stories are separate. For example, American Horror Story has a different setting every time, but within the overarching horror stories, they share similar themes (and actors). Another popular one, Black Mirror, consists of different stories each episode, but they all talk about social issues in a near-future sci-fi format.
It seems like the only thing connecting the seasons of True Detective is the crime solving aspect. The cast of season two brought a lot of twists, but this trio (as opposed to season one’s duo) didn’t really connect. They didn’t have a similar outlook on anything, and they didn’t struggle with the same overarching themes and concepts; it just seemed like an entirely new show, and in a sense, it was, but a much weaker one. Season three tried to bring it back in, but when you can’t live up to the expectations set in season one, interest quickly fizzles out. This is what True Detective season four should keep in mind — if they keep making wildly differing stories and the only similarity is that it’s about some detectives solving some sort of crime, it will never live up to season one.
Critics and Audience Are Influential
Though not every show is canceled due to poor reviews or lack of viewership — take Marvel’s Netflix shows for example — most of the time, if the reviews are positive and the viewership is high, then the network or streaming service is making money, so they will want to continue renewing that show until it ends, or until it stops becoming valuable. With the way True Detective has been going, however, if season four doesn’t do well, it could mean the end of the show.
Season one was the perfect season for HBO, as it was wildly popular. The audience loved watching it when it aired, and most critics’ reviews were positive. It was popular enough with both groups that season one went on to be nominated for and win several awards. Some popular ones include winning the TCA award for Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials, being nominated for the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy, and receiving a Golden Globe nomination for Best Miniseries or Television Film. Many of the directors and actors received awards and nominations too at countless other awards shows. Matthew McConaughey’s great performance became immediately iconic. However, the subsequent seasons weren’t as promising.
Season two took a big hit for the show. Critics reviews were mixed to negative; ultimately, they seemed to think the actors were good, but the show itself fell short and was much weaker than its first season. Season three was met with more positive reviews, considering the second season. However, even though some critics believe season three has redeemed the show it still saw a large drop in audience viewership. It seemed it was either too late for a new season to come out, considering the five-year gap between the release of season two or three, so people just weren’t interested anymore, or no one wanted to keep watching after being disappointed by season two.
Season four is going to have to find a way to reach back out to their audience, and the inclusion of Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and writer Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid) is a promising sign, recruiting highly artistic talent and opening up more diversity. Whatever happens, True Detective season four will really have to grab viewers’ attention in the trailers, and then keep their attention for the actual season, or else the entire series might end up down the drain for good.
