So Night Country won’t be the last season of True Detective afterall. Which isn’t really surprising to anyone who has been paying attention to the sheer amount of viewers that Night Country has attracted due to its controversies.
Audiences don’t seem fooled, with Night Country’s fresh rating sitting around a rotten 58% as of this writing. However, critics were much more generous with the Issa López driven season, with the majority of critics giving it a 92 percent fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com. I wish I could have watched the same show they did, because despite Night Country’s careful depiction of Native Alaskans, I didn’t find the portrayal particularly flattering for that group, and the story itself was a jumbled, illogical mess. The only thing saving the season was the great portrayals of Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) and Officer Carol Danvers (Jodie Foster) who really played the hell out of their roles.
“From conception to release, Night Country has been the most beautiful collaboration and adventure of my entire creative life," López said. "HBO trusted my vision all the way, and the idea of bringing to life a new incarnation of True Detective with Casey, Francesca, and the whole team is a dream come true. I can’t wait to go again.”
Pizzolatto, the show’s original creator, has taken to social media to create backlash against the show. Which, to me, is a baffling move bound to hurt his career more than anything else. And while there are a lot of fans and some critics that didn’t enjoy Night Country, there are some fans (and most critics) that did.
Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films had nothing but kind words to say about Night Country and its creator: “Issa López is that one-of-a-kind, rare talent that speaks directly to HBO’s creative spirit," she said. "She helmed True Detective: Night Country from start to finish, never once faltering from her own commendable vision, and inspiring us with her resilience both on the page and behind the camera. Alongside Jodie and Kali’s impeccable performances, she’s made this installation of the franchise a massive success, we are so lucky to have her as part of our family.”
This controversy has definitely led to higher viewership for Night Country. Will this trend follow through the 5th season of True Detective? Or is it the curse of that show’s lead to only strike gold once?
Only time will tell.