It looks like the original True Detective creator isn't the biggest fan of Night Country, due to the writing and the inclusion of season 1 Easter eggs.
Despite the internet being well and truly hooked on True Detective’s latest installment, series creator Nic Pizzolatto feels otherwise and wants to make it clear he hasn't had anything to do with season 4. Via comments on Instagram, which have since been deleted but are now posted on Reddit, he stated "I certainly did not have any input on this story or anything else," adding, "Can’t blame me." Then when one Instagram user asked Pizzolatto about Night Country's extension of season 1's lore, the writer replied, "Haha. So stupid."
Starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, True Detective season 4, otherwise titled Night Country, follows two female detectives hellbent on uncovering the mystery surrounding a group of scientists who suspiciously freeze to death in a remote Alaskan town. As the pair get closer to the truth, seemingly supernatural elements occur and connections to season one’s cases and cult themes emerge such as the ominous spiral and mention of The Yellow King. It seems as though it is those very Easter eggs that Pizzolatto does not approve of.
Pizzolatto served as showrunner, producer, sometime director, and almost entirely sole writer for the first three seasons of True Detective, meaning that Night Country is the only installment he has almost no involvement with. The baton was passed on to writer and director Issa López, and although Pizzolatto still retains an executive-producer credit, the change in position may explain his salty comments.
In an interview with Vulture, López responded to the remarks saying, "I believe that every storyteller has a very specific, peculiar, and unique relation to the stories they create, and whatever his reactions are, he’s entitled to them." López later added that she wrote Night Country "with profound love for the work he made.” We don't know about you, but that sounds like a sweet tribute to us.
Other than the extension of season 1’s lore, Night Country also takes inspiration from David Fincher’s Se7en, includes some sneaky The Silence of The Lambs Easter eggs, and is even loosely based on a true story.
True Detective: Night Country airs on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and NOW every Monday in the UK. For more check out our list of upcoming TV shows heading your way in 2024 and beyond.
