True Detective (2014)★ 8.5/10

While series like House of Cards and Game of Thrones caters to the mainstream audiences easily, True Detective has more depth.

In a time when movies increasingly resemble formulaic essays and TV shows that seem to be churned out on an assembly line, True Detective boasts a unique texture and individuality, with a watertight, three-act narrative that resembles a long film. This series is like a piece of art, unique and irreplicable.

The director seems to have bitten off more than she could chew, resulting in nothing being done effectively. It's chaotic and disorganized, lacking the meticulous unraveling characteristic of the True Detective series, and the multiple storylines aren't helping either. Instead, it feels like a mishmash of contemporary international political correctness issues. Many enigmatic elements remain unexplained throughout.

At the core of True Detective is the mystery, which impacts the lives of everybody and the surrounding environment. In the first and third seasons, the characters' life trajectories were intricately linked to the case's development. However, in the fourth season, the characters' personal lives become secondary and almost irrelevant to the case itself.

Initially reminiscent of Fargo and later resembling Alien, the consistent presence of supernatural forces adds a considerable sense of horror to the suspense. The eerie and chilling atmosphere, complemented by indigenous culture and the icy wilderness, along with the singing of the young girl, is crafted exceptionally well. Despite a significant change in style, the series still maintains its tradition of exploring the psychological backgrounds of detectives. The case is sufficiently mysterious, the character development is solid, and as long as the plot doesn't veer too much into the realm of the supernatural, it should be quite engaging.

The fourth season, True Detective: Night Country, has received widespread acclaim — with a remarkable 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 8.5. Critics have been effusive in their praise of performances by Judy Foster and Carly Rees, noting not only their spine-chilling performances but their showcase of a new evolution of existential themes in the True Detective series. Some critics have hailed Night Country as a triumphant return to form for the series, with its strong ensemble cast and dark, melancholic tone making the storyline compelling and validating the revival of the True Detective franchise.

Only watched the first season until now, but it alone it's a masterpiece. Need to watch the other ones to see if they are good as well.

I'm LOVING the new season. Jodie Foster is so amazing, I wish her character wasn't so gross, tho.

One of those heartbreaking cases in which the whole ensemble starts out living up to its potential, and then some, what with in its first season Woody Harrelson tackling a role in which he shows the true range of his talent (i.e. a role in which he doesn't just seem to be paid to play himself), and paired with Matthew McCounaghey to top it off. The first season was just an incredible and innovative refresher in the crime show sub-genre, on a storytelling format level, in the way it was slow-burningly developed, the way the characters themselves changed and interacted with the bleak, dry, environment. Despite some other noteworthy performances in following seasons, the insanely talented Mahershala Ali, for instance, what came after unfortunately just didn't live up to the standard in more ways than one. Still recommend the first season, as I stopped watching somewhere along the way.

Being a police officer is no easy task, since some cases may completely take control of your life. This series takes a closer look at policemen suffering and their relationship with their most terrible cases.

HBO created one of the best series of the decade, a story that gathers the elements of Lovecraftian literature to immerse us in a mystery full of darkness and nihilism.

A diretora parece ter mordido mais do que conseguia mastigar, resultando em nada sendo feito de maneira eficaz. É caótico e desorganizado, sem a meticulosa característica da série True Detective, e as múltiplas histórias também não estão ajudando. Em vez disso, parece uma mistura de questões contemporâneas de correção política internacional. Muitos elementos enigmáticos permanecem inexplicáveis.