REVIEW: ‘True Detective’ returns to its dramatic roots with tense season 3 premiere


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Directed by Nic Pizzolato, the third season of “True Detective” stars Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as Wayne Hays, a Vietnam War veteran turned detective, as he attempts to unravel a mystery that spans three decades. (Photo from IMDb)

A missing persons case in the eerie rural South, a harrowing journey across three time periods and troubled detectives with difficult pasts: “True Detective” season 3 goes back to the same dark formula that made the first season such a hit.

The newest release in the anthology series follows state detective Wayne Hays, a Vietnam War veteran, through the course of 35 years and three different timelines as he tries to solve the case of two missing children in the Ozarks region of Arkansas. Brought to life by the exceptional Mahershala Ali, Detective Hays finds his mental state slowly deteriorating, creating a visual narrative that’s as much a puzzle to us as to the protagonist himself.

Coming into season 3, “True Detective” and its auteur creator, Nic Pizzolatto, had much to prove. After a masterpiece debut season that featured stellar performances from both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the second season paled in comparison. On Sunday, Academy Award-winner Ali took the lead after nearly four years. So, does the premiere live up to the hype? Well, in short, yes.

Pizzolatto once again creates a rich atmospheric landscape which entices the audience yet instills a constant fear of what secrets might lie beneath its veneer. Jeremy Saulnier deftly directs the two episodes with a fractured framework that mirrors the protagonist’s own mental state through stellar cinematography and production design.

Ali gives another captivating and human performance as Officer Hays. Shown across three distinct timelines, each version of the character is different and encounters new demons. Ali makes each version of Hays feel separate and the same at once. In supporting roles, Scoot McNairy steals his scenes as Tom, a broken father of two missing children, while Carmen Ejogo also gives a solid outing as the empathetic schoolteacher Amelia.

It’s fascinating to behold Ali’s stellar performance as Hays in present day, as a 70-year-old man tormented by his past. A huge part of that is due to the amazing hairstyle and make-up he dons. It may be some of the most realistic aging makeup ever put on screen. And with Ali’s physical acting, it is truly incredible.

However, while the show’s writing is its strongest aspect, it can also be its weakest at certain points. The story sometimes feels forcefully jumbled in its shifting timelines and the clear similarities between the first and third season are sometimes too obvious. It feels like after a lackluster sophomore effort, Pizzolatto played it too safe by employing all his old tricks, but holding back on any new ones.

While the familiarity of the premiere disappointed, the return to form is still exciting. There are glints in the show hinting at new and unexplored secrets. If the show manages to deviate from its formula and deliver more surprises this season, it could be a really wild ride.

The much-improved third season of “True Detective” starts off with much intrigue and mystery. However, its familiar tactics lose some of the show’s novelty along the way.