True Detective Season 1 was a masterpiece. It was some of the finest television I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing. It took place right in the midst of the McCona-issance, giving us what I would argue is Matthew McConaughey’s best performance. We were also treated to stellar performances from Woody Harrelson and Michelle Monaghan. And, while the story may have been a little hard to follow at times, it still produced one of the most nail-biting episodes I’ve ever seen and had a phenomenal finale.
Then season 2 happened. Writer/creator Nic Pizzolatto was flying high off an Emmy nomination for ‘Outstanding Drama Series,’ and HBO was all too happy to sign him on in hopes of a repeat. Things looked promising when the stars were announced and included Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch. However, alarm bells started sounding once Vince Vaughn was named as antagonist. Right from the start the season was missing the dreary feel of the deep south where season 1 had been based. There was also virtually no enjoyable dynamic amongst his characters, which was another one of the single greatest parts of season 1. The story was virtually impossible to follow, and the season received reviews so bad that the fate of future seasons was at stake.
I was admittedly skeptical to dive back into season 3. The first two seasons had been such a roller coaster, and I still had a sour taste in my mouth from the second. After watching the initial trailer it was clear that Pizzolatto was looking to repeat his formula of success from season 1. He set up another mystery/thriller that takes place in multiple timelines, with the unmistakable southern tone we had grown to know and love. Mahershala Ali was the big name signed on to lead, and fans of Blade were happy to see Stephen Dorff as his trusty sidekick. This was enough for me to go ahead and give it a chance.
Now, having watched 5 of the 8 episodes this season, I can comfortably say it’s safe for fans of season 1 to get back on board. The premise of season 3 is simple enough, two children are kidnapped and Ali and Dorff are the officers assigned to the case. The timelines that the story jumps between are when the kidnapping first happens, then it picks back up 10 years later once some new evidence comes to light, and finally another 24 years after that when Ali is 70 and an investigative reporter is re-opening the case. In an effort to avoid spoilers I’ll leave the premise at that.
It’s almost comical looking at how similar Pizzolatto made this season to the original. As mentioned, the tone and setting feel eerily similar, which has caused some to speculate that seasons 1 & 3 occur in the same universe. Then we have our main characters. Ali is clearly the McConaughey of this season, a man with some deep troubles as a result of war who is a bit of a loner and has an obsession with the case. And then we have Dorff as our Harrelson, playing the “good-ole-boy” partner who does the driving and brings some comedic relief to the table. Although their chemistry isn’t quite as fluid as that of Harrelson and McConaughey, it’s pretty darn close and is very enjoyable.
Virtually anyone that watched season 1 will tell you that episode 4 is their favorite. It features McConaughey going undercover with a drug peddling biker gang, and all hell breaks loose as they try and pull off a robbery in a ghetto. The end of the episode is capped off by a six-minute single take tracking shot with no cuts or edits. You can credit director Cary Joji Fukunaga for pulling off the amazing feat, and the result is one of the best scenes in television history (in my opinion). Although season 3 hasn’t had a scene quite that good yet, it certainly has one of those “WTF?!” scenes that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Will there ever be a season of True Detective as good as the original? I have trouble believing so. It’s often so hard to outdo an original, and the partnership of Harrelson and McConaughey is one for the ages. However, we do have a season of True Detective that, so far, is well past the realm of watchable and turning into a very enjoyable season. I had my doubts as much as the next person, but now that we’re a little over halfway through the season, I’m giving it my seal of approval.