'True Detective: Night Country' Review: The Good, The Bad And The Wild Sex
"True Detective: Night Country" is incredibly solid, and OutKick is here to break it all down for you.
The fourth season of the hit HBO series premieres this Sunday night, and hype is absolutely off the charts. The entertainment world has been talking about it nonstop ever since the first trailer dropped, myself included.
Naturally, I had to reach out and get the episodes ahead of the rest of the country. Don't get jealous. It's just a perk of the job. Life in the content trenches does have some upsides.
On behalf of the OutKick audience, I've been cruising through all six episodes to make sure you guys have a great look at what's coming Sunday night.
Before getting into the good and the bad, let's layout the plot of "True Detective: Night Country." It centers around a group of men who go missing from an Arctic research center in December when there's only darkness. Law enforcement officers Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) find themselves deep in a mystery that takes them places nobody excited.
That's about as much as I can give away without getting into spoilers, which I simply can't do. Having said that, let's dig into what viewers need to know.
"True Detective: Night Country" premieres January 14th on HBO. (Credit: HBO)
What's positive about "True Detective: Night Country"?
Let's start with what I really loved about season four of "True Detective," and make no mistake, there is a lot to love.
The plot:
In terms of a pure mystery, "Night Country" is the most intriguing plot and mystery since the original season with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. It's not even close. It's better than season three by a considerable gap and it's lightyears more fun than season two.
Everything about the plot and the missing men is unbelievably dark, sinister, unnerving, unsettling and there's nothing to laugh and smile about.
We're talking about a plot that revolves around horrific deaths in the Alaskan winter. Does that not amp you up? There are countless twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing at the end of every episode. As with previous seasons, the backstories of the officers investigating also plays a MAJOR role in what happens, but I can't discuss that at all. Just know it doesn't disappoint.
When talking about plot, it's impossible to not grade it an A+.
Dyatlov Pass incident:
Sticking with the plot, it's been known for some time that the show would be inspired by the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident in the Soviet Union. A group of hikers died in the Ural Mountains.
The connections and influence are obvious from the start. Without spoiling too much, there's even a similar theory floated at one point that's a theory some have floated for what happened in the Soviet Union.
As a history buff and as someone intrigued by the paranormal, I liked the influence a lot.
"True Detective: Night Country" is the fourth season of the hit show. (Credit: HBO)
The setting:
It really does feel like the snow, the outdoors, Alaska in general, the wind and the rest of the elements are almost their own character in "True Detective: Night Country." Hearing the wind whistle put a chill in my bones and I was watching from the comfort of my couch.
Similar to a lot of Taylor Sheridan's work, the setting and beauty/horror of the landscape serves to elevate everything around it. Sometimes that's a positive. Other times it's used to scare the hell out of you.
Paranormal elements:
I'm not sure if paranormal is the way to sum it up, but there's elements with "Night Country" fans have simply never seen before in previous seasons. It leans HEAVILY into Native American culture and lore, and it's very well executed.
There are moments that it felt like I was watching a Taylor Sheridan masterpiece when it came to how it framed Native Americans and how the characters were portrayed. That includes parts of the culture you don't often see in media, and I'll leave it at that.
Jodie Foster:
It's hard to put into words how great Foster is in "True Detective: Night Country." She's outstanding from the jump through the end.
Every scene she's in is captivating and impossible to look away from, even if it's wildly uncomfortable at times. Young people might not be too familiar with Foster, but she's a legit grade-A talent. That's on display the entire series.
You remove her from "Night Country," and it would be immediately downgraded. She put on a masterclass of what it's like to play a bitter, lonely, old woman with a chip on her shoulder for many reasons.
The ending:
It should be obvious, but I can't get into specifics about how the show ends. It would ruin it forever everyone, but I will say that it DOES NOT DISAPPOINT! It's incredibly satisfying, and once you see it, you'll agree 100%.
What went wrong with "Night Country"?
Overall, there's not much I want to criticize with "True Detective: Night Country." I hate when people drill down on just one or two things in an overall solid show to derail the overall quality. I'm not going to do that here, BUT I do have some thoughts.
I'd like to sit here and say there were zero cringe moments. Unfortunately, that's just not the case. There are very few but they exist.
"True Detective: Night Country" has a lot of upside with a couple drawbacks. (Credit: HBO)
Most of the cringe moments revolve around a young Native American character. The character itself isn't cringe, and it's not unlike anything you might see in "Yellowstone." However, some of the dialogue is unbelievably forced at times and it shows.
There's also a line delivered from Navarro to Danvers early in the series involving race that's cringe on the surface, but also might have been done purposely that way. Hard to say for sure. Outside of the one young Native American character's dialogue - you'll know it when you hear it - it's hard to find too much to pick apart.
Random observations and notes for "True Detective: Night Country":
1) Kali Reis' (a former star boxer) performance grew on me over time. Honestly, wasn't a fine of her acting or Navarro as a character during the premiere episode. However, as time passed, I found myself coming around on her as an actress and the character she portrays. I don't know if this was a deliberate choice from showrunner Issa López on how to frame and present Navarro, but she's a bit of an acquired taste as a character.
2) There's a sex scene in this series that is so outrageous and outlandish with how it's portrayed that I felt equal parts weirded out and that I needed to take a quick shower. There's more than one sex scene, but trust me, you'll know the one I'm talking about when you see it. It goes against all common sense and logic of everything you've ever been told since high school health class.
3) Did I mention there's a paranormal element? I know I did, but I want to do it again. I can't get enough of that stuff, especially with Native roots.
4) It's really unfair how little attention John Hawkes gets from the general public when it comes to entertainment. The man simply doesn't miss, and he managed to, once again, shine through in "True Detective: Night Country." His character is an incredibly sad human often trying to connect with a son battling duel loyalties, but there's hope there. One of the most captivating characters of the whole series.
5) There is an EPIC callback to one of Rust Cohle's greatest lines for season one. Diehard fans will know it as soon as they hear it.
Is "True Detective: Night Country" worth watching? (Credit: HBO)
Overall, "True Detective: Night Country" mostly delivers across the board with a few minor misses along the way. It's the best mystery since season one, and the setting couldn't have been better. I give it my total and absolute seal of approval! Let me know your thoughts once you catch it at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.