User Reviews

Season 1 still remains the greatest television I've ever seen. McConaughey's best performance to date and Harrelson goes toe-to-toe with him. Everything from the acting (including every minor character) to the writing to the cinematography to the score is phenomenal.

Season 1 of True Detective may be the best television I've ever seen. Its written brilliantly and has some of the best performances I've ever witnessed with Woody and Matthew. They were robbed by not winning an Emmy or Golden Globe.

The first season of True Detective is among the best television I've ever seen. Just read through the reviews to see how loved that first season was. This show is an anthology series and every season is different in quality. Season 1 is BY FAR the best and again some of the best tv of all-time, Season 2 was not good despite a great cast and Season 3 was back to be watchable again. Now about that first season...it sucks you into the story from the beginning of the first episode and holds onto you throughout the season until that phenomenal ending. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are so amazing in this that you forget that they're A-list actors and actually become the characters they are playing. Both of their performances are as good as anything you'll see from a television show. They're about to start filming season 4 and it should be out some time in late 2023. If you haven't seen this series yet then make time as soon as you can (except you can skip Season 2).

If you want to skip this review just jump to the IMDb list of awards and nominations, and you're done.

If you want the skinny, let me say this is one of the most perfect dramas ever to grace your flat screen.

Harrelson, you need to understand, is no slouch. He does crazy better than crazy people. And he usually steals any scene not nailed down.

But Matthew McConaughey operates at such a level here -- not to mention the astonishing makeup which makes him appear to be playing his own father -- that he walks off with this production. Mesmerizing.

Everyone is pitch perfect, which I believe explains the casting awards. Even Michelle Monaghan, usually known for getting by on her amazing looks, does more acting her than anytime in her career

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Before season one aired I had never seen anything so compelling in storytelling or filmmaking in my entire life. The following two seasons are watchable and well-made but nowhere near as phenomenal as season one. This is a paint-by-numbers example of how to do a gripping and unique story. There is nothing negative I can say about season one. Everything is top-notch. The acting, the story, the camera work, the music, the mood, everything.

We see through the relationship of the two main characters a complicated and sometimes volatile relationship. They aren't enemies but they aren't exactly friends either. The dialogues they share together are some of the most interesting filmmaking I've ever seen. They aren't good men or bad men either. They exist in the grey area. They are just good enough to not be bad but bad enough to not be good. They are stark contrasts of one another as well. The relationship Rust and Marty have evolves constantly throughout the series and is the highlight of the entire show. I cannot recommend this season enough.

Right when the opening credits start and you hear that morbidly beautiful song 'Far From Any Road' by 'The Handsome Family', you know that this isn't going to be your usual cop show. Now, if you're more into action films, avoid this at all costs - but if you like amazing performances and dark, brooding cinema peppered with some black humour and a slight psychedelic touch, you're going to love this. The atmosphere and the southern ambiance of this show are so rich and the cinematography is so beautiful, I can hardly think of anything in recent TV-history that compares to this. To make a musical analogy: if the crazy, creative energy of 'Breaking Bad' felt like 'Led Zeppelin', this feels more like 'The Doors'. The slow, bluesy, hypnotic pulse of this show draws you in and hooks you - and then it doesn't let go. By the way, the original music is also excellent (T-Bone Burnett) and fits the mood perfectly.

As far as the actors are concerned, there's nothing but great performances. Even the smaller parts are perfectly cast and the two leads: wow, just - wow! Harrelson (freshly returned from 'The Hunger Games'), plays the "normal", more down to earth character, while McConaughey (still marked by his own personal hunger games) nails the part of his slightly mad, highly intelligent but nihilistic and severely depressed partner. Watching them play off each other (again, after 'Edtv' and 'Surfer, Dude') while their conflicted - and conflicting - characters try to solve a ritual murder is so captivating (and so much fun) I honestly don't care that much if they are ever going to solve that crime.

So for the moment, I'm giving this 10 stars (I can still take back a few if it all goes downhill from here), because in my opinion, there wasn't a single note out of key so far. The writing is top notch, and if the creative team behind this can keep it up, this could turn out to be HBO's next 'Wire' in terms of quality. Cary Fukunaga ('Sin Nombre','Jane Eyre'), who will hopefully one day adapt Stephen King's 'It', proves once more that he's a very accomplished director and a talent to look out for in the future.

My verdict: if you like a well told, character driven story (that might lead you to some very dark places) and if you're not put off by a rather considerate pace, I can't recommend this show enough - this is some great television.

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Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

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Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Season one is a beautiful thing.

Then Vince Vaughan happened and the less said about that the better.

Season 1 True Detective, different actors, different story, different class....absolutely amazing.....the following seasons average in comparison.

Cohle and Hart play off eachother so amazingly well, and I was stunned by the constant wisdom on humanoids thrown out by Cohle constantly in the first episodes. I've never felt such a deep connection to a characters' thoughts ever and was taken aback by how deeply I could resonate to these thoughts on humanoids.

These constant spurts of wisdom sold me on S1 from the first episode. It was amazingly depicted and I had to calm down through the dialogue and replay some bits because there was just so much stuff being said which required processing. I'll return to S1 in a couple of years to understand the wisdom bits deeper, and enjoy this masterfully created piece again.

There was not a single dull moment in this series, despite being a slow-burner if that's what you want to call it. I'd say it's similar to mindhunter S1 but they're not really comparable in that way. You'll understand once you see it.

Hart and Cohle played their characters ridiculously well and built this incredible depth to their stories and personalities that I have never seen before in TV. It made the series feel extremely mature in a sense that only people with proper understanding of their own emotions could understand the thought processes depicted in the series. Maggie was such a perfect character to make sure these thought processes were fished out. Amazing performance! I really have nothing but praise for S1.

Just like Maggie said, Hart did not know what he wanted, and Cohle knew what he wanted. It is such a small line but it says so incredibly much. This world is divided like this and you can see it in all adults of all ages. Some people know who they are and therefore content with themselves, with integrity (just like Cohle) and some people are figuring things out at their own pace, but never really reaching the destination in terms of self actualization (Hart). Maggie was much more similar to Cohle and it was depicted masterfully.

Either way I'm just going off on nothing here. Best Series I've watched and I feel like I evolved as a person after S1. Thank you!

I'm not mentioning S2 and S3 and will not watch them as other reviews have made it clear I shouldn't. Haha.

The first season is an amazing

I watched season 1 again last week and I am still in awe of every element of this masterpiece. The pace, the acting, everything is so perfect it is mindblowing. I remember the excitement of waiting for season 2, which evaporated after episode 1. Vince Vaughan seems to always carry the can for this seasons issues but they were far larger than one man. I was astounded how bad the second was to the first. The third season, I watched it, I can't remember it. Other than to say it was better than the stinker in the middle.

(Review updated after Season 4).

A murder-mystery series with each season set in a different location, with different characters, and independent from the others.

Season 1 of True Detective was great. A slow-burning, incredibly intriguing crime-drama. Viewers were fed pieces of information regarding the crime, complete with a few red herrings and sudden bursts of action. All this was interspersed with the private lives and dramas of the two detectives (played superbly by Matthew McConoughey and Woody Harrelson). Plus, the finale was an incredible adrenaline rush of action. This all made for a highly intriguing, engaging and entertaining season.

In Season 2 creator Nic Pizzolatto tried the same thing: a slow-burn, with a rush of action towards the end. However, the first half of the season is too unfocused to be engaging. You have whole 50- minute episodes where you feel you really only got maybe 10 minutes of entertainment or information out of it. So many scenes with people staring blankly at each other for minutes on end...

I understand what he was trying to do: develop the characters, give us small pieces of information, build the background and intrigue. However, this time the story develops too slowly to maintain, or even develop, any engagement with the characters.

By the time you reach the climax of the season, you are so disengaged you hardly care who the characters are. E.g. Someone dies. You're pretty sure you're supposed to know the character and their relevance to the story but you were zoned out whenever their character was mentioned or had screen time. Thus, a piece of the puzzle dissolves.

All this leads to a massive dissipation of intrigue, and watching is just a chore - you're in this far, might as well see it through.

Add in some terrible miscasting and performances - Vince Vaughan should stick to B-grade comedies and Taylor Kitsch should stick to whatever he does best (this isn't it) - and a damp squib of a finale and Season 2 is very disappointing.

Season 3, released 3½ years after Season 2, initially looked very promising and had the potential to see a return to the form of Season 1. Puzzling mystery and a 3-time period storyline made for intriguing and engaging drama.

However, the mystery soon dissipated as the 3-time period formula gave away much of where the mystery was heading. Rather than being a murder mystery it became a human/relationship drama, and not a very interesting one. Nic Pizzolatto did his best to recreate the dark, brooding atmosphere that permeated Season 1 but it can't hide the lack of genuine intrigue or of character engagement. Good ending though.

Season 4 is easily the worst season of the lot. After Seasons 2 and 3 were so lacklustre I was hesitant to watch it. However, the plot seemed interesting so I gave it a go. Initially the plot was intriguing and the setting - Alaska during days with 24 hours of night - made for a great backdrop that should have created a great atmosphere. This initial watchability was short-lived, however: the season reached its highpoint about 20 minutes in and then went continuously downhill from there.

All the potential shown in the first 20 minutes is wasted as for the next five episodes all we largely have is pointless domestic stuff and other empty filler. The mystery, despite being the reason everyone watched the show, seems to take a backseat. Even when things do progress on that front it's in implausible, random, style-over-substance ways. The ending is particularly disappointing - I'd rather not have known what happened and who did it as the plot is incredibly weak, to the point of being laughable.

Hopefully this is the final season as everything that has happened after Season 1 just brings down the True Detective brand.

Season ratings: S1 - 9/10, S2 - 5/10, S3 - 6/10, S4 - 4/10.

Watch the show and make up your own mind. I've seen too many people regurgitating the same "SEASON 1 IS AMAZING, SEASON 2 IS THE WORST OF ALL TIME" junk, and it's simply not true.

Fact of the matter is this is an anthology series. Different people, different stories, different feels. If they wanted a show with 3 seasons of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, they would have done that.

Some detective stories are eerie and disturbing. Some are broody and slow burning. Season 2 is the latter, and all the hate it gets for basically not being exactly like the first season detracts from the performances and character arcs within.

There are also a lot of complaints about Vince Vaughn? Aside from some stiff writing, I hardly see the issue. He's got some great scene-chewing moments as a brutal crime boss!

I honestly can't believe some publications labeled this as one of the worst seasons of television in 2015. Just goes to show that some people have no clue how to manage their expectations, and this site is no different. Look at what I've said, and now put it up against so many here...it's ridiculous.

Like I said: watch it and make up your own mind. I avoided it for 5 years because of this site and I regret it. Season 2 isn't season 1, just like season 3 isn't 1 or 2. If you want the same thing over and over again, watch CSI.

This crime drama is centred on two Louisiana detectives, Marty Hart and Rust Cohle and their investigation of a particularly disturbing murder. A woman's naked body was found at a remote location; posed with a stag's antlers on her head and with strange 'stick sculptures' nearby. This crime took place in 1995 and we are shown it in flashback as other officers interview them about the case in 2012. Inevitably as the season progresses the plot deepens, more potential victims emerge along with various suspects.

If you like your crime drama to be fast paced and action packed then this might not be for you; it moves at a fairly slow pace. This doesn't mean it is boring though; quite the opposite. I was gripped from start to finish. While there isn't a lot of action there is some and occasionally there are sudden moments of shocking violence. As much as the story is about solving a crime it is about its effects on our two protagonists; Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey really impress in these roles. The latter is particularly good as Cohle is so different in 1995 and 2012. The series has a great look with the Louisiana scenery almost being another character... it looks as if nature is just waiting to take over. As the story approaches its conclusion it employs tropes one might expect in a horror film leading me to wonder about the safety of Marty and Rust. Overall I'd definitely recommend watching this; this season has a proper conclusion so it can be enjoyed on its own; on the strength of this I'll watch further seasons given the chance.

When i first heard about the show , i thought to myself that with a premise and cast like that , what could go wrong with this show? Well there could have been a lot of things. For example the plot may have been overdone or under thought , direction may have been all over the place , but the first episode proved that it was not to be so.

The plot looks delicious...yes it does and the neat direction just purely compliments the smooth design of the show. Even though story telling is non linear at times , but it has been managed very well with subtle dialogue and the growing suspense. It does get dark at times but handles all its complications with ease.

The casting is clever...very clever. Both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are brilliant actors and at the same time have a certain mystery about them that is Perfect for the show. They have a firm grip of their respective characters and seem dissolved in them.

This show is NOT just a regular cop drama or a clichéd murder mystery. It is much much more and has already proved so in the first episode. Much is expected from it and the future looks bright for True Detective.

UPDATE ( Episode 2-6 ) - Now 6 episodes have gone by and i believe my views have changed a little. The richness of the show in the first couple of episodes completely PALES in comparison to the speed, smoothness and uniqueness in the latter episodes. From the 4th episode is when the show actually picked even more momentum and proved its worth as possibly the greatest thing on television at the moment. McConaughey is truly having the golden period of his career. The future (probable) Academy Award winner (For DBC) is at his freaking best as Rust Cohle. Harrelson is brilliant as the angry and flawed Marty Hart. I liked this show. But now i am addicted to it.

With 2 more episodes of the season to go , one can only expect the best from this fast-paced , beautifully crafted show.

So far, an obvious 10/10.

Final update: ( Episode 7 & 8 )-- Well the series ended last night on a very thoughtful note. Up until the 7th episode, the show had picked up so much speed and given us so much to think about that i was expecting a little too much from the last couple of episodes. Who wasn't.

*********** If you haven't seen the series , please Don't read on*********

The 7th episode was truly amazing as it set the stage for Rust and Marty's final adventure of the series. There was too much anticipation for the final episode, but did it deliver. Yes and No, depending entirely on how you look at it. There were no unusual shocking twists and there were no unrealistic happenings. It was quiet a daring and a brilliant end to a show that explored beyond any other show's reach. But to be very honest, as a single episode , the finale wont stand out. But as an entire series , i believe we have been treated to one of the best television series ever made. The writing and direction have been top notch. Acting has been flawless. Am gonna miss it.

10/10

This show is fantastic. Both Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are stellar and the rest of the cast are amazing. Every person gives meaning to there character. The story is dark but it never gets to dark. It adds some humor every now and then which is done well. Also there is not a lot of Action so if your looking for a Action filled series this is not for you. Dialogue is well written you can tell that a lot of time was put into the shows script. Cinematography is absolutely jaw dropping they have some beautiful shots in the first 3 episodes. There is 0 shaky cam for those that hate it. I hope this show has a long run because it's fantastic and it really stands out from the rest of the crime shows out right now. Overall I recommend this show to people that are looking for a stellar story. Absolutely brilliant 10/10

*Edit* 2/24/14: Just finished episode 6 and I like how this is all playing out. I am really looking forward to watching the rest of the season.

*Edit* 3/10/14: Now that True Detectives first season is over. I have to say that this season will go down as one of the best achievements in Television history. The amount of emotions this season had was unbelievable. Truly some of the best Television I have watched.

True Detective is an absolutely incredible crime series. I've had to come back and revise my original comment because they just released season 4 so I had to include that in my comment. Like most others here have already said, Season 1 was on a different level. It was so good, so original and so incredibly acted, written, directed, etc that it was hard for the other seasons to live up to that first season. Season 2, even though it had an amazing cast, was not very good at all and easily the weakest of them. Season 3 was better and absolutely worth watching. Now, season 4 just ended and it was fantastic. I couldn't stop watching, I waited to the end of the season before I started it so I can binge it and I'm glad I did because that's the best way to watch it. Every season is different with a different story and a different cast so you don't have to watch in order. I absolutely recommend you watch season 1 and 4 though. If you have the time you can watch season 3 without being disappointed but skip season 2 all together.

A brilliant first season filled with great suspense, top 3 characters, stunning cinematography and a hooking plot, also to mention the mood setting creative intro that plays at the start of every episode. Its gory and a perfect example of crime TV having reached its peak. With heavily flawed characters, their fault or not, they are incredibly believable. There is no episode i can mention which disappointed me in any way. The quality of these episodes are consistent. It is a crime, mystery with undertones of horror which I'd recommend to anyone. The world building, grittiness and engaging plot is enough to make this my favourite TV season of all time.

I have only watched the first season of True Detective and currently do not intend to watch the other two seasons. Season 1 is absolutely brilliant. Woody Harrelson is great as Marty Hart but Matthew McConaughey shines as Rust Cohle. The story is fantastic. The cinematography is gorgeous. The opening credits are awesome. The balance between the crime investigation and character development on point. This is probably one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

Nic Pizzolatto, creator and writer of the magnificent first season of True Detective, had nothing to do with Season 4. At this point, the series has become a sad exercise in branding.

Season 4 is set in small-town Alaska with a cast of sad-sack characters leading lives of quiet desperation under the long Arctic night when a horrific, possibly supernatural mass murder takes place. In the hands of a talented writer, that's a terrific set-up. Unfortunately the writing is dull and unimaginative. The characters are two dimensional, unlikeable, their personal problems uninteresting, stumbling from one cliche to the next. Four episodes into Season 4, the story seems barely interested in the crime as much as these dull characters. It even seems barely interested in the Arctic setting which so lends itself to horror (see Fortitude or The Head for how to do this well). The portrayal of native Alaskans, another potentially interesting part of the setting, is trite and one-dimensional (dignified spiritual warriors who know so much the clueless white folk don't...).

Is it right to dismiss a series based only on four episodes? It's not the destination, it's the journey. When the journey thus far is so uninspired, the ending is beside the point.

If you loved True Detective Season 1, and kept the hope alive through subsequent disappointing seasons that the original magic might return... Season 4 should be the final clue that it's time to let it go.

Season one is special, burning, shining actors, good story. Not to shame any of the actors or the involved, but latest season is just dreadful to watch, boring to say the least, the artic theme could for example have been used way more.

I guess these different seasons shouldn't be compared.

The minutes and hours drag along without proper tempo or some form of excitement, it's a bit reminiscent of bad nordic noir with dull screenplays and endless drama talk/shouting.

Just a major fumble in my humble opinion, why hbo would drop the ball like this is pretty remarkable, what are they trying to prove with this?

True Detective Season 1 is one of the greatest pieces of television ever conceived. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson both deliver the best performances of their careers. Especially McConaughey. Nic Pizzolatto's writing is some of the best I've ever seen. All 8 episodes are directed by the same person (Cary Joji Fukunaga) which help create consistency. It has a very cinematic feel to it. Which makes sense considering it was shot on film. True Detective is one of the most philosophically deep shows of all time. Pessimism, nihilism, morality, decay, the value of human life are all themes that are masterfully explored and depicted. But at it's core, this show (or season) is about the love/hate relationship between the two leads. I have yet to see seasons 2 and 3, which is why I haven't rated the show overall. However, True Detective Season 1 is undoubtedly a 10/10.