True Detective Creator Calls New Season Stupid

Pizzolatto’s scathing feedback is all because the fourth season of True Detective has continually shown connections to the show’s critically acclaimed and fan-favorite premiere installment, which starred Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. This exact reason is part of why fans have been tuning in week after week to watch Jodie Foster and Kali Reis attempt to solve a missing persons and homicide case in Ennis, Alaska. 

But, perhaps Pizzolatto feels a sort of competition with the latest batch of episodes as they were created, written, and directed by Issa López, whereas the first three were all handled by the original creator. Despite telling fans to not place any “blame” on him for how this season of True Detective is shaping up, it’s worth noting that he had credits as an executive producer on the series, which would likely give him at least some sort of say in the final project.

Having just aired its fourth episode on Sunday, True Detective: Night Country has followed two detectives (Jodie Foster and Kali Reis) during the darkest days of winter in Ennis, Alaska when the sun isn’t seen for weeks on end. After a group of men from the Tsalal Arctic Research Station go missing, a search goes underway that digs up some disastrous results as well as dark connections to the town’s past. Meanwhile, there’s a supernatural element in Night Country which brings us back to the first season. 

Between a design that’s tied to the Tuttle family of Season 1 and a character with a connection to Matthew McConaughey’s Rustin Cohle, the bonds between the first and fourth installments are popping out left and right. It’s more than likely that the creative team behind True Detective: Night Country wanted to come back with a bang and, since the first season is a beloved piece of the show’s history with Seasons 2 and 3 not being that much of a hit with critics and fans, they were hoping to recreate some of that eerie magic.

Depending on where you land on the True Detective: Night Country love or hate spectrum, you likely have mixed feelings surrounding the rumors that Matthew McConaughey will appear in a cameo capacity at some point during the remaining episodes. But, it would seem that that’s out of the question as Pizzolatto has shut the rumor down – something he knows about even though he didn’t have any creative control. Interesting.

Along with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country also features performances from a handful of other recognizable players. From the Harry Potter franchise and shows like Killing Eve and Fleabag there’s Fiona Shaw, The Leftovers and Doctor Who’s Christopher Eccleston, and Winter’s Bone and The Sessions’ John Hawkes. The first four episodes are now streaming on Max with two more installments on their way to round out the season on February 18.