In January 2014, the series “True Detective” was released on HBO. The production with the Matthew McConaughey-Woody Harrelson duo delighted viewers and critics. Today it is considered a model for modern crime series. Following the wave of popularity, the creators decided to create an anthology, and a year later the second season was released on HBO. At the beginning of 2019, HBO decided to give the series another chance. Unfortunately, the sequels were no longer positively received and most people had already buried the series. Surprisingly, last year, information about the creation of a fourth season circulated in the media.
The fourth installment is the responsibility of Mexican producer, screenwriter and film director – Issa López. Importantly, the series was not put into her hands, but created independently of Pizzolatto’s work. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, López admitted that she came to HBO with an idea for a “story about a murder in the ice.” However, the producers decided that it was worth creating this project under the “Detective” banner. However, the showrnner did not want to create a copy of the original.
According to Variety, in the United States the final episode of the series “True Detective: Nightfall” attracted 3.2 million viewers of HBO and subscribers of the Max platform. Viewership was 57% higher than the premiere episode, which was released in January.
In Poland, “Detektyw: Land of Night” was also very popular. According to data from Nielsen and Warner Bros. Discovery’s first four episodes were watched by 12.7 million viewers. The broadcast of the first two episodes attracted higher viewership than in the case of such hits as “Sukcesja” or “Biały Lotos”.
Although the series attracted huge crowds, some critics’ reviews are not as enthusiastic as the viewing figures. The creator of the first three seasons, Nic Pizzolatto, also expressed criticism. “I certainly had no influence on this story or anything else. You can’t blame me,” the writer wrote on the X platform, responding to one of the fans who were dissatisfied with the level of the series. These were not the writer’s only malice towards the fourth season.
However, Issa López has reasons to be happy. The producer received the green light from HBO to create a fifth season. “From concept to premiere, ‘Nightland’ was the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life. HBO trusted my vision the entire time, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of ‘True Detective’ with Casey (Bloys), Francesca and the entire team was great.” a dream come true. I can’t wait to hit the road again,” The Hollywood Reporter quotes López as saying.