True Detective season 3

One of those shows that requires your full attention, I made a false start with season 3 of True Detective having already falling a number or weeks behind. I only made it a third of the way into episode 1 before I had to stop and returned when I had more time.

I'm glad I decided to hold back because despite the trailer making it look more like the original format I wasn't sure what to expect. Season 1 was fantastic, season 2 not so much. It's not that season 2 was bad, it was just different because it didn't use the same mechanics and that made it feel like a completely different show. Had it been under a different name it may have been better received. It still ranked highly but for me it didn't work anywhere near as well. Thankfully, Season 3 takes us back to the original formula.

The True Detective formula

The better seasons of True Detective follows the lives of two detectives that have had to work a complex case that never reached a satisfactory conclusion and was subsequently reopened after a long period of time. We get two see both acts of the investigations play out intertwined as well as a 'modern day' look at where the characters are. In seasons 1 & 3 we see the ageing detectives team up again to put the case to bed once and for all.

Season 2 followed a single timeline of a group of detectives with no flashbacks or any real significance to their involvement with the case. It was just unremarkable.

Star power

The show has never lacked the talent to be successful, it started with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, moved on to Vince Vaughan, Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell and we are now seeing Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff in the leading roles.

HBO have done a fantastic job of casting the show each time and given Matthew McConaughey’s penchant for rom-coms and Vince Vaughan's for comedy it's all paid of pretty well.

The season finale aired last night in the US and I'll be catching it tonight.

Update

Much like season 1, we got to episode 7 and it felt like there was still a lot to learn but somehow episode 8 brings it all together. I think I like how it ended...