Can Jodie Foster Save the Pretentious Bro-Fest That Is ‘True Detective’?

If anyone can save Season 4 of True Detective from being yet another sleepy, neo-noir bro-fest, it’s Jodie Foster. Last month, it was reported that the Academy-Award-winning actor and director would be starring in the newest installment of HBO’s anthology crime series. Now, the upcoming season has officially been greenlit with Foster in the leading role and actor-slash-boxer Kali Reis starring opposite her.

Created and written by Nic Pizzolatto, each season of True Detective is a self-contained mystery. The first season premiered on HBO in 2014, receiving critical acclaim for its moody southern Gothic vibe and the performances of stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. It was a serial killer drama before serial killer dramas became romanticized and overdone.

As fun as it is to watch Matthew McCounaughey chain smoke and spout nonsensical stoner philosophy, however, the second season starring Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams was met with lukewarm reviews. Season 3 was anchored by a strong performance from Mahershala Ali, but by 2019, True Detective’s convoluted plots and characters with fake-sounding men’s deodorant ad names like “Rust Cohle” were no longer refreshing.

Enter Jodie Foster. Season four of True Detective is subtitled “Night Country,” and it will star Foster as a detective in Ennis, Alaska, named Liz Danvers. When six men working at an arctic research station suddenly disappear, Detective Danvers and her partner, Detective Evangeline Navarro (Reis), are tasked with solving the case. The perpetual darkness of Alaska’s long winter nights is rivaled only by the darkness within Danvers and Navarro, because it wouldn’t be a season of True Detective without some emotionally tortured, PTSD-ridden cops.

‘True Detective’ Season 3 Premiere: What the Hell Just Happened?

Mexican filmmaker Issa López is set to write, serve as showrunner, and hopefully bring some much-needed female energy to the new episodes. True Detective will be the second ever acting role for Reis, who is the first Indigenous American female boxing world champion.

Season four of True Detective is in the early phases of development and will be filmed in Iceland.

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