Rent True Detective: Series 4 (2024)

Despite some promise & beautiful cinematography, this is a trite, monotonous & lazy series - True Detective: Series 4 review by TB

When the 1st series of True Detective was released, it genuinely was a game-changer. Whilst it not only had a sensational & brilliant script, amazing direction & flawless performances, it also heralded the start of TV series's (for decades looked down upon as inferior to films,) attracting A-list talent on both sides of the camera. But whilst it's impact on TV as a whole is undisputed, the same can't be said for the series going forward.

Series 2 was atrocious, trying to take some of the themes from the 1st series & wrapping this in a boring & convoluted story. The critical backlash was also significant, following the uniform adoration of the previous series. Series 3 did pull the wheel back a bit, in no small part thanks to Ali & Dorff's performances. But it still was mediocre. Then for 5 years, the anthology lay dormant, until a complete refresh was announced, the 1st without creator Nic Pizzolatto's involvement.

On paper it looked so perfect... Jodie Foster, flawless in almost everything, returning to a police/officer role after The Silence of the Lambs; the enormous budgets/clout of HBO, the various elements of the True Detective world which could be used and finally a staggering cast including John Hawks & Christopher Eccleston. But despite some brilliant individual moments, this is on a par with series 2 for enjoyment.

The occult & supernatural theme, which was a key element in series 1, but one which sat beautifully within the narrative, here is front & center. And whilst this gets very trite VERY quickly, what it also becomes is an extremely lazy way for the writers to attempt to ratchet up tension. So, characters will have visions/hallucinations which perfectly finish at the right time or create a new plot device.

Also, in line with a lot of media content produced, a very large number of the hot-button issues in society today are included in the storyline, such as global warming, indigenous rights, LGBTQ themes ect. I want to be explicitly clear here that I am not going to go down the lazy rabbit hole of just saying "woke" as the be-all-and-end-all to dismiss this, because stories are a crucial way to inform people of these issues.

My problem & another reason why this series is rubbish is because all of those issues & more are simply shoehorned in/thrown into the narrative as if to say "Look at all these things which we have put into this show." It is like a great big gloopy soup of multiple hot button problems thrown onto the screen with very little nuance.

Over 6 episodes, we are taken through the story, with some good elements & tension. But Foster's character in particular spends a lot of time simply being a bitch, with hints of previous trauma to do a lot of heavy lifting for this. Eccleston is wasted, Hawkes doesn't fare much better & Reis ill-served by the script which often simply relegates her to clichéd partner stuff.

But where I really started to hate it was in the lazy callbacks to previous series, mainly the 1st, as a way to try & bridge the narratives. For example, a random character is introduced as being related to another with no mention of it again, solidifying the impression of it being a lazy throwback. This happens several times, again simply mentioning lines in passing.

The final straw was the uttering of an iconic line as an attempt at some kind of pay-off, as which point I just wanted the series to be over so I could actually go & watch a decent series, not just reheated crap which felt so self-congratulatory it was vomit inducing. The final episode, including something which happens to a character which they simply could not come back from, was the final nail in the coffin.

Sadly, I am now done with the True Detective format. What was once the potentially genre-altering brilliance of series 1 has now become just another trite TV show which sullied it's once remarkable name.

Avoid

Flawed yet Watchable Fourth Series Set in the Darkness of an Alaska Winter (filmed in Iceland) - True Detective: Series 4 review by PV

The first series of TRUE DETECTIVE was sublime. Then there was a dire decline in Series 2 and 3. This pulls it back - a bit - yet with so many tickbox issues going on, the story gets lost in the muddy-rainbow native waters...

Honestly, so many woke boxes are ticked the diversity compliance form must have run to several pages - #metoo stuff (yet again all main/good characters are female, and most of colour) global warming, indigenous rights, LGBTQ issues etc. Fine to have such issues but NOT in such a preachy sermonising way, as if the purpose of a feature film is to EDUCATE the audience to THINK CORRECTLY. Nope, TELLING A GOOD STORY WELL is the only rule in fiction, as Dickens did, while including social issues etc. Learn from him.

The EXTRAS admit this, the writer/director (female, Hispanic) making her #metoo intentions clear here, as others the 'native' inuit theme clear too. Sadly, this is real romanticism of 'native' cultures and the throat-singing and other stuff is a real mishmash of many 'native' cultures (earlier immigrants to the Americas anyway so NOT 'native'). Lots of opinions about how somehow 'indigenous people are connected to the land and their ancestors there and future generations'. Yep, can say the same about the British or French or anyone. The glazed-eyed romatisiation of what could be very brutal Stone Age cultures is silly because it is not based on truth. Lots of nonsense here about 'my truth' etc. I would LOVE to see these cultures portrayed as they were - and are. Very brutal harsh Stone Age tribal cultures in the past; now social issues and alcoholism dominates. It is as racist to romantise them as it is to demonise them surely?

And why is there an obsession with socalled 'authentic casting' whenever any character with a skin pigment is cast, yet when it comes to white characters even real people, the demand is the polar opposite, for colourblind casting. BRAZEN HYPOCRISY. So inconsistent, and it will be unless and until we see Ed Sheeran play Nelson Mandela strumming his little guitar singing his ditties on his long walk to freedom, Colourblind casting, right there. IT IS ALL SUCH HYPOCRITICAL NONSENSE.

Of course we have the magical mystical woowoo, as expected with anything connected with 'native' cultures - it's a real stereotype. And this mirrors the X-files with the sceptical boss and the believing 'native in denial' deputy. Crazy plot - in NOW WAY would cops get away with what they do, even in this dark wintery outpost.

Of course, the baddies are all men. Same old same old, and white men too. The occasional token white man who defers to the women and is therefore GOOD. Yawn.

BUT I like snow and ice, and the whole 'native' culture thing as a backdrop. Decent music too.

Jodie Foster is great as ever but not a disadvantaged female as an actor - from a very wealthy family, Ditto the fine young actor Finn Bennett, son of an Irish film director/producer/writer. . I am not sure I believe some of the characters or plot points though and probably it could all be done in 4 episodes, as it did drag and stall a bit in the second half, before those hand-break turn plot points (no spoilers).

Christopher Eccleston looking old (well he is 60-ish though not sure we need to see his bare bum or have a sex scene - NO SPOILERS) and he does a decent Alaska accent though for some reason his character vanishes in the last 2 parts of this 6-parter (maybe he had a reboot Dr Who reunion?)

3.5 stars rounded up. Almost a 3 star.