“True Detective: Night Country” - A Tale of Two Plots

Even the dead get bored.

The format for this review - True Detective: Night Country (Season 4) - is a discussion with fellow pop culture and Prestige TV (HBO) fan

Patrick Regal

of

Feature Presentation Video

. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it.

Beth: Patrick, it’s so nice to be talking with you about True Detective: Night Country. Thanks for suggesting we watch it! What made you want to talk about this limited series? And did you watch all four seasons of the anthology mystery crime drama? 

Patrick: Thanks for watching it with me! I think anyone who covers the goings on in pop culture, as you and I do, has to pay attention to HBO’s Sunday night programming. It’s where they’ve programmed The Sopranos, Oz, and The Wire in the past and The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and Succession in the recent past. After all, as Paul Rudd’s character says in I Love You, Man, “You ever watched Sunday night programming on HBO? It’s spectacular.”

As for True Detective specifically, I’ve done what probably no one else has done: I’ve only seen Season Two. Yes, the season many consider to be the worst one. That’s what happens when you host a Vince Vaughn podcast! And I liked it! What about you?

Beth: I’ve watched three of the four seasons of True Detective (S1, S2, and now S4). While nothing compares to the exceptional execution of Season 1 and watching Harrelson and McConaughey work their onscreen magic in a hauntingly dramatic crime series, this season’s pairing of our detectives, Jodie Foster (Liz Danvers) and Kali Reis (Evangeline Navarro) was also memorable. As was the Alaskan Winter backdrop of perpetual darkness. I should note that this season at 6 episodes, was shorter than the other seasons by 2 episodes (120 minutes) and I’m still thinking that perhaps some additional time would have made for the tying up of loose ends a bit more neatly, but all said, it was a brilliant finale and ended just the way it should have. 

Patrick: For those who missed this standalone season (True Detective is largely an anthology show), we will keep it spoiler-free for the beginning of our discussion. This Alaska-set season, the first to be written and directed by Issa López (and the first to not be directed by the show’s creator Nic Pizzolatto, who not only actively disliked this season, but called it “stupid”), follows Ennis Police Chief Danvers (Jodie Foster) and State Trooper Navarro (Kali Reis) as they investigate possibly interlocking crimes, from the disappearance of a local research center’s crew to the unsolved murder of a local Indigenous woman. Taking place in Alaska’s period of uninterrupted darkness, the titular Night Country might be more than we think. What did you think of the show’s mysteries?

Beth: It’s a good question. And also “ouch” to Pizzolatto’s comment. Way to show up for your fellow True Detective auteur. This show has an abundance of mysteries and for the first few episodes, the task at hand is to figure out how all these mysteries connect and if they even intersect. You mentioned the disappearance of the Tsalal scientists. That’s the catalyst that sets off the chain of events in the first episode, but we also know their fate pretty early on so the showrunner, Issa López, very deftly takes our attention back to a prior murder - that of a girl named Annie K, an indigenous woman and midwife/ social activist from Ennis, who died six years before the current timeline. 

What the show navigates really well is something that at first we think is a subplot but is actually the main plot (or maybe it’s two plots!) - and that is why there is not more being done to protect the indigenous people of Ennis against the pollution and environmental factors which are believed to be attributed to the mine, the major employer in the area. The other enigma throughout the season is some of the eerie supernatural elements at play, which takes a page out of True Detective S1 in terms of blurring the lines between reality and the audience’s willingness to prescribe to the fantastical elements unfolding. How did these elements land with you? Did they have any sort of effect?

Patrick: To avoid spoilers, I’ll say this much: the supernatural elements worked better for me thematically than they did as actual elements of the plot. The early episodes leaned more into that possible explanation and the show almost seemed like it was heading squarely into science-fiction/horror territory. As the mystery unraveled and our dynamic duo got to the bottom of it, it seemed less important to the plot. I do have to say, however, it’s the perfect way to say just take things as they are. In the final episode, Jodie Foster’s character, the most suspicious of all the show’s inhabitants, comes to terms with it. “Some questions just don’t have answers,” she says. Thematically strong or a plot cop-out? That’s for you to decide.

Beth: The transformation of Danvers was a major part of this season’s narrative. She’s an angry individual who is grieving and exhibits a lot of self-destructive behaviors, but she also loves her people hard. It’s the delivery of that love that gets twisted when she pushes others away in the most vile of ways. In an interview, Foster mentioned that this season wasn’t really about her, but about Reis’ character’s arc and that she was really there to support her. I thought that was an interesting take and wondered if this was Issa López’s intent because if so, why did we see so much of Danvers? 

That said, I’ve been thinking about something López shared in the official HBO True Detective: Night Country podcast, “The most important thing is the sense that no one will come and solve your problems and the story you create about your life has to be the story you tell.” The reason this has preoccupied my mind is that the “stories we tell” aspect hit very hard for me in the finale, which was by far the series’ strongest episode (though not flawless). There are a few different stories we’re being confronted with told by unreliable narrators and it’s up to us to decide what to believe. In turn, this becomes our story.  Also, a very present theme is that the creator of the stories is the group or the person who holds the power in any given situation. This became evident as the S4 narrative evolved and with the justice that is ultimately doled out by the marginalized group.

Patrick: That became especially true in the final episode when we as the audience learn both the true story and the story that will be told by the show’s characters after the show ends. It is definitely interesting that Foster would say those things, especially considering she’s doing a lot of capital-A Acting in this show. Her character is told, on more than one occasion from more than one person in more than one way, “It’s not all about you.” Turns out it wasn’t! But you’re right, it sure felt like it was. 

Beth: I love that line because yes, this is The Danvers Show and Peter Prior (Finn Bennett), the young cop and Danvers’ mentee along with his rightfully resentful wife Kayla would attest to this. I want to talk a bit about the rest of the cast because I think the acting here all around is HBO prestige TV worthy. First off, the more innocent, hopeful and kind Prior is a perfect foil for Danvers. He brings some levity to her gravitas. I thought Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve, of late) as Rose, a former professor who has landed up in Ennis living remotely in a cabin, was phenomenal here. She’s worldly, very nature-savvy and also can commune with the dead, namely Travis Cohle, Rust’s father (Matthew McConnaughey - S1). Her interactions with just about everyone, but especially Evangeline Navarro, who is coming to terms with her trauma and the mental illness (?) that plagues the females in her family is touching and I found myself wanting more of her. Were there any standouts for you?

Patrick: Listen, we all know and love Jodie Foster. The same can be said of Fiona Shaw and John Hawkes - if you don’t know their names, you know their performances. But the real standouts are the show’s discoveries: Kali Reis and Finn Bennett. I agree that Bennett’s Prior is a great foil, their relationship reminds me of the Jesse Stone/Suitcase Simpson relationship in the Stone novels by Robert B. Parker, which I’m making my way through right now. Reis is phenomenal in her third (!) ever performance. Her agent is going to be very busy for awhile.

Beth: Agreed. Kali Reis is also a professional boxer and former world champion in two weight classes, (thank you, Wikipedia.) Early on in the season, I googled her because she looked familiar but I couldn’t place her. She only started acting in the past few years. I’ve never read the Jesse Stone series, but I’m familiar with Tom Selleck playing him if this wins me any points in trivia. At the risk of disclosing too much of a spoiler, I alluded above to the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the finale, but I also found the loose ends a little unnerving. This cognitive dissonance has been assuaged by my pivot to focus more on what the stories are pointing to - and that is, how things that are right in front of us can also allude us because of bias. This was especially true with the invisibility of the Indigenous women on this show and their lack of trust in the justice system, which is well founded. What did you think of this? Does the bigger and more important message trump the mystery aspect here?

Patrick: I often do not feel this way, but for this show, I’m going to say yes. This is a mainstream, prestigious, acclaimed HBO show saying: we don’t listen to women, we don’t listen to Indigenous people, we’re polluting our environment beyond repair, we’re slowly killing ourselves if we don’t tear ourselves apart first. After the first few episodes, I was looking forward to a show that could’ve been on Shudder if HBO had passed on it. When it all ended (and I think we can wrap our discussion with spoiler talk - spoilers from this point on!) and the mystery of the water contamination, the stillbirths, and the disappearance of Annie K. was solved, I thought to myself, “Ah, I was wrong. It wasn’t about the horror, it was about this.” If you can get me to be alright with something that promised horror not being horror, I think you’ve done right.

Beth: The horror elements were grotesque but not scary and I scare easily. I couldn’t really get into it. While we’re talking spoilers, here are the two things that I think are on everyone’s mind: 

1) How did Annie K’s tongue, which would have been cut six years ago from her mouth, end up on the floor of the kitchen of the laboratory? None of the flashbacks from her former deranged boyfriend’s POV nor the “Justice Ladies” circle mentioned the tongue. Also, do I even care? I mean every analysis of the show is talking about this and to me, it’s missing the point because the bigger point is how a group of cleaners (aka “Justice Ladies”) could have pulled off their “Justice for Annie K” mission and stayed under the radar because no one ever really saw them in the first place. They were hiding in plain sight. 

2) Does Navarro die? To that question, I think she definitely does. Onscreen, she walks out onto the ice into the great beyond. To substantiate this point, at the end when she’s standing apart from Liz out on the porch, she’s wearing the same clothes that she does when walks out toward the ice earlier in the six months ago timeline, and seemingly following her mother’s voice to her frozen death. You recall Liz says to her in the finale, “You told me back then that you wanted to do it. Just walk out and disappear. Well if you do it, if you decide to, just try to come back okay.” Thoughts?

Patrick: Danvers says in her final scene interrogation, “Some people come to Alaska to escape, you know?” I think it’s fair to say that others might need to escape Alaska. Or anyplace. The place they came from, the place where the memories are. And hell, as far away from that Night Country as possible. I’ve enjoyed my visit to Alaska, but I don’t have to live there. I hope Navarro found the light she needed. So, what’s next?

Beth: I think she did. Her name, Siqinnaatchiaq after all means “"the return of the sun after long darkness,” so I think with her Iñupiat name reveal in the final episode by way of her dead mother, she can finally be that light. There’s a line early on that Rose says to Navarro about why certain people can see the dead - because they are to be taken (like Navarro’s sister and mom), or to listen to something that they need to hear (Navarro). I think that the show closes the loop on this. Also, I don’t want to live in the Night Country either. But I wouldn’t be entirely shocked if Navarro is somehow integrated into Season 5, which will probably happen in another four years! Any parting thoughts?

Patrick: Later this week, we’ll be running a piece on FeaturePresentationVideo.com called “What to Watch After True Detective: Night Country.” At only six episodes, it might not be enough for some people. I’ll be recommending five similar movies for those that just want more from this story and these themes. If you enjoyed this conversation, look out for that piece. (PS - I love the song “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish and was quite pleased to see it used for the show’s opening titles. I never clicked “skip intro!”) Oh, and thanks for watching this with me!

Beth: I can’t wait to check it out Patrick. Thanks for the Billie Eilish nod. Love that song. I think all the eerie, slow melodic covers were interesting choices. Notably, Prince’s “Die 4 U” sung by Perfume Genius stood out. Thank you too for doing this with me.

Lines from the show that will stick with me for a while: 

• Everytime Danvers or Navarro dropped an “F bomb" 

•  Danvers uttering, “Ask me the question” or some variation of this. 

  • Note:I will be constantly checking myself on how I ask the question for at least a few weeks.

• Danvers doing a mean Jack Nicholson impression with Peter Prior in the penultimate episode, “Some questions you don't need to know the answers to” (or some variation of this) was akin to Jack Nicholson to Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men (“You can’t handle the truth!”) 

Can’t wait to trade thoughts on Season 5.

The More You Know:

• Alaskan natives are more likely to be a victim of violent crime than any other racial group, girls and women in particular. The Data for Indigenous Justice started in 2020 to document these crimes. 

• 83% of American Indian and Alaskan Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime

For additional fab collabs between Feature Presentation and BEVP:

• “Fall of the House of Usher” (BEVP/ Feature Presentation)

• “Fleishman is in Trouble” Review: We’re All in Trouble (BEVP / Feature Presentation)

Other True Detective Fodder Worth Listening to (Once you watch the entire season):

True Detective, Season 4, Episode 6 (BrainPilot)

The Official True Detective: Night Country Podcast (HBO)

On Subject of “Stories We Tell”

From 2012: Through a series of revealing interviews, filmmaker Sarah Polley (Women Talking, Take This Waltz) investigates the truth about her family history. (Stream on Prime- Stories We Tell)