True Detective is back to its best.
While all eyes are on the Seven Kingdoms, there’s another massive TV show that fans are hoping HBO and the creators absolutely nail, season three of True Detective.
Simply put, the first season of Nic Pizzolatto’s gothic noir was a wonderful mix of crime, mystery and superb performances from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
One name that’s often overlooked though is Cary Fukunaga because his tight direction, inventive cinematography and ability to create genuine tension kept audiences gripped as the mystery of The Yellow King slowly unravelled.
Time may be a circle, but audiences didn’t want the first season to end.
With expectations at a sky high level, the rift between Pizzolatto and Fukunaga didn’t help season two’s fortunes and despite a solid performance from Colin Farrell and some genuinely good moments – the shootout was excellent, as was that nightmare orgy sequence – it felt like a pale imitation of what came before.
However, audiences are absolutely pumped for season three because the first promo material has promised a return to what made the first season so good – a deep down and dirty aesthetic, a murder mystery unfolding over different timelines and a rural setting.
Well, the first few reviews are in and they’re all generally saying the same thing. The new episodes are better than season two, not quite as good as season one, but the Oscar-winning star of Moonlight, Mahershala Ali, is absolutely excellent in the lead.
Indiewire – “Complex without becoming convoluted, engaging without being enraging, and solid if not spectacular. True Detective is good again, and that alone is worth celebrating.”
TV Guide – “A well-made, well-acted, intelligently plotted, thematically rich mystery show.”
Collider – “True Detective’s third season is a really engrossing mystery, bolstered by outstanding performances from its leads.”
The Hollywood Reporter – ” Falls into that vast middle ground as less nuanced and rich than the start of the first season yet still in most ways superior to whatever you’ve been trying to repress about the second.
“At the very least, the new True Detective season is a three-tiered showcase for Mahershala Ali, who stays consistently mesmerising even if the mystery around him does not.
“As a vehicle for actors and mood, few shows are better, and with Ali front and centre, the new season is easy to get interested in.”
Polygon – “Returns largely to the successful formula of the first, in which clever flashbacks and small-town secrets stoke the fires of conspiracy and mysticism.”
The first episode of the new season will air on Sky Atlantic at 2am and again at 9pm on Monday 14 January, and the episode will also be added to the Now TV collection on the same day.
As for the plot, the third season sees two detectives investigating a grisly crime involving two missing children in the heart of the Ozarks.
Take a look at what’s in store.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZP6t1FmVO8
Clip via HBO
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