We may yet see another season ofTrue Detective, HBO’s pitch-black mystery series about broken detectives caught up in heinous crimes. The famously dormant series has aired just three seasons since it premiered in 2014, but the cable network is reportedly looking to deliver fans another grim-as-all-hell whodunnit sooner rather than later.
In a recent interview with Deadline, HBO and HBO Max’s chief content officerCasey Bloysoffered an update on the popular series, which last aired back in 2019:
“It’s safe to say we’re working with a couple of writers to find the right tone and take. It’s definitely an area that could be very interesting and I think it would be interesting with a new voice. Quality is what’s going to guide us so if we end up with scripts that we don’t feel are representative or are not at a high enough quality, we’re not going to do something just to do it.”
Bloys’ statement is interesting for a few reasons, most notably that a Season 4 ofTrue Detectivewill almost certainly not involve series creatorNick Pizzolatto. Pizzolatto wrote the first three seasons of the anthology crime series, but effectively left the show for an overall deal at FX that has stalled in recent months, making him unlikely to return. Bringing on new writers isn’t a bad idea though - as electrifying as Season 1 was, in particular the performances ofMatthew McConaugheyandWoody Harrelson, Season 2 struck even the show’s most ardent fans as a boring dud of a follow-up (myself included). Season 3, which starredMahershala AliandStephen Dorff, was essentially a course-correction for the series, and while it was much better received, it felt a little formulaic. Personally, I wouldn’t mind if McConaughey returned, if only so that my social media timelines might be blessed with more Rust Cohle memes.
