It’s officially official:True Detectiveis back. While HBOhit something of a pause buttonafter the critically derided second season, buzz aboutTrue DetectiveSeason 3 started surfacing earlier this year, suggesting the show wasn’t entirely dead. Indeed, creator/showrunnerNic Pizzolattowas teamed up with HBO veteranDavid Milch(Deadwood,Luck) to come up with a story for a third season of the anthology series, and Oscar-winningMoonlightactorMahershala Alisigned on to star this summer.
Now HBO has given the official greenlight toTrue DetectiveSeason 3, perTHR, announcing thatGreen RoomandBlue RuinfilmmakerJeremy Saulnierwill direct alongside Pizzolatto, who will make his directorial debut on the third season. As for the story? Buckle up, the Season 3 synopsis is as follows:
Season 3 ofTrue Detectivewill tell the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Ali will play the lead role of Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas.
As you may or may not be aware, Netflix just launched an Ozark-centric crime series of its own withJason Bateman’sOzark, so it’ll be interesting to see ifTrue DetectiveSeason 3 draws comparisons to that drama or if it’ll truly stand out on its own. Regardless, Northwest Arkansas is a fantastic choice of setting, and Saulnier is a tremendously exciting choice to direct having shown a knack for gritty and visceral storytelling with his previous work.
Pizzolato wrote every script for Season 3, save for Episode 4 which he co-wrote with Milch. It has not been announced exactly how many episodes Season 3 will entail because Pizzolatto is still writing (the first two seasons were eight episodes each), but this marks a return to form of sorts. Pizzolatto wrote the entirety of the critically acclaimed Season 1, but brought in co-writers to work with onTrue DetectiveSeason 2, which also utilized multiple directors.
Indeed it very much sounds like Season 3 is going to return to the roots that made this show great in the first place, with Saulnier filling the role thatCary Fukunagafilled on Season 1. ThatMatthew McConaugheyandWoody Harrelson-led season was a tremendous melding of the creative minds of Fukunaga and Pizzolatto, whereas Season 2 saw a handful of different directors serving solely Pizzolatto’s vision. By bringing Saulnier as the primary director of Season 3,True Detectiveis adding another strong creative voice that will be consistent throughout the new season.
When Season 2 faltered with critics (side note: ratings-wise, it did great), HBO presented Pizzolattowith a few options for a potential third season, one of which was teaming him up with a co-showrunner. A variation of that appears to be the choice he settled on, working with Milch to craft the overall story arc for Season 3 instead of going it alone like he did on Season 2.
Pizzolatto serves as showrunner forTrue DetectiveSeason 3 and executive produces alongside Saulnier and returning executive producersScott Stephens,Steve Golin,Bard Dorros,Richard Brown, and Season 1’s McConaughey, Harrelson, and Fukunaga who no doubt have “executive producer in perpetuity” in their contracts for helping create that initial season.
This is all really exciting news.I didn’t wholly hate Season 2—I think Pizzolatto was trying some bold things and taking the series in a new, L.A. Film Noir direction. It didn’tallwork, but there were bright spots to be sure and I’m generally a fan of Pizzolatto’s writing. So I’m excited to see what Pizzolatto and Saulnier put together for Season 3.
It must also be noted that this newscouldhave an impact on theGame of ThronesSeason 8 premiere date. There’s been talk that the final season of the ratings juggernaut may not premiere until 2019, and ifTrue DetectiveSeason 3 starts filming later this year to take that Fall 2018 slot on HBO’s calendar, combined withWestworldSeason 2 earlier in 2018 HBO may be plenty satisfied with next year’s lineup, meaning delayingGame of Thronesto 2019 won’t be too much of a sweat ratings-wise.
