True Detective season 4: Expected release date and the latest rumors

After nearly five years, True Detective is coming back to the screen with a brand new mystery, set in the ice of the Artics.

Here’s everything we know about the True Detective season 4 release date, cast, and plot possibilities.

When does True Detective season 4 start?

True Detective: Night Country premieres on January 14, 2024, on both HBO and HBO Max. This matches the release pattern of past seasons — season one kicked off in January 2014, season two in June 2015, and season three in January 2019.

The season was originally expected to debut in 2023 but was pushed back slightly to early 2024.

True Detective season 4 cast

Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster is leading the cast as Detective Liz Danvers, her first major TV role since the 1970s. Foster is a Hollywood legend and has been in the movie business since a child. She’s known for films like Taxi Driver and Contact. We’re hoping she’ll bring some of The Silence of the Lambs essence to True Detective this season.

Co-starring opposite Foster is up-and-comer Kali Reis as Detective Evangeline Navarro. Reis made her acting debut in the 2021 indie film Catch the Fair One. She brings a background as both an Indigenous activist and professional boxer to the mysterious new role. That’s a rare, interesting combination.

Other notable cast members include:

• John Hawkes as Hank Prior
• Christopher Eccleston as Ted Corsaro,
• Fiona Shaw as Rose Aguineau
• Finn Bennett as Peter Prior
• Anna Lambe as Kayla Malee
• Aka Niviâna as Julia Navarro

What to expect from season 4 of True Detective?

Season 4 will follow Detectives Danvers and Navarro as they investigate the baffling disappearance of eight men from the Tsalal Arctic Research Station in Ennis, Alaska. Season 4 will consist of six episodes, following the eight-episode first season and the length of subsequent seasons.

According to HBO, the detectives will have to “confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.” This logline hints at dark psychological themes of identity, the past, and buried truth. We love heroes who have to struggle with inner demons, don’t we all?

The isolated Alaskan setting should lend itself to the eerie, mysterious tone that True Detective is known for. Again, Jodie Foster will add to this. Given the show’s track record, conspiracies and corruption likely run deep in this remote outpost.

López is known for magical realist films like Tigers Are Not Afraid and brings a fresh perspective to the brooding franchise. However, original creator Nic Pizzolatto remains an executive producer, so his artistic stamp will still be felt.

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) also joins the production team as executive producer.

Plot and atmosphere-wise, here’s what to expect.

The detective’s pasts

According to HBO, the detectives will have to confront their darkness and buried truths. Flashbacks and references to their past lives seem likely.

Alaskan wilderness

The harsh, isolated Alaskan setting will play a big role in the mystery and atmosphere. Nature may even emerge as a character of its own.

Conspiracy theories

Given True Detective’s track record, conspiracy theories about what is happening in this remote outpost will likely arise. Government experiments? Alien cover-ups? The truth is sure to run deep. Bring on the theories!

Police corruption

With Christopher Eccleston playing the ambitious police chief, corruption in the Alaskan police force could play a part in the story. Are they hiding something related to the disappearances?

Cults or rituals

Images of antlers and Bones in the teasers hint at ritualistic or cult-like elements to the mystery of the missing men. What were they involved in? Is something supernatural on the horizon? The show typically grounds itself in gritty realism, but one can speculate.

Serial killer

A serial killer on the loose is always a possibility in True Detective’s grim universe. If the missing men were murdered, then who or what is picking them off one by one?

True Detective season 4 trailer

HBO has released two short teaser trailers and one full trailer offering a first look at the wintry Alaskan setting.

The teasers depict an isolated, creepy environment perfect for a thriller.

The official trailer is chilling:

Where to watch True Detective season 4?

True Detective season 4 will air on HBO and be available to stream on HBO Max in the US on January 14, 2024.

Previous seasons of the show are available to watch on HBO Max.

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