True Detective season 4 has been widely heralded as a return to form for the wider anthology, raising the question of how it compares to the original acclaimed story. The show made its debut in 2014, with the combined talents of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson leading an all-star cast in a dark and existential drama. While season 1 received rave reviews from both viewers and critics, subsequent series have failed to live up to expectations. True Detective season 2 was panned, while season 3 failed to garner much attention after its lackluster predecessor.

True Detective season 4, by contrast, is a reset in more ways than one. Dubbed Night Country, the show stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, detectives out to solve the grisly disappearance of eight men from a mysterious research station. The first season without creator Nic Pizzolatto involved as showrunner, True Detective season 4 has been praised by critics for its impressive atmosphere and performances. Surpassing – or even matching – the original, however, is no easy task.

True Detective Season 4’s RT Score Is 98%, Compared To Season 1’s 91%

Surprisingly, despite two below-average previous seasons and a hiatus of five years, True Detective season 4 has not just matched the original show’s Rotten Tomatoes score, but exceeded it. At the time of writing, the series has a “Certified Fresh” critics score of 98%, with no audience score currently available. This compares favorably to True Detective season 1’s 91%, making Night Country the best-reviewed installment in the franchise so far.

RT Critics’ Score
RT Audience Score

True Detective Season 1
91%
86%

True Detective Season 2
47%
19%

True Detective Season 3
84%
49%

True Detective Season 4
98%
–

Although True Detective‘s audience score will have to wait until after the show releases on January 14th, the fact that it has already outstripped season 1 is a very positive sign. Granted, there are a few caveats with this rating, such as the fact that season 1 received 99 official reviews, while season 4 has only received 51. Nonetheless, it’s clear that True Detective season 4 is a marked improvement on the series’ lowest points.

Why True Detective: Night Country’s Reviews Are So Positive

While True Detective season 4’s positive reviews might be slightly surprising, given the overall trajectory of the franchise, there are very good reasons for the reaction. Critics have been particularly warm towards both Foster and Reis for their performances, while the series’ genuinely frightening atmosphere has also garnered praise. The show is also credited with revitalizing True Detective‘s existentialism, combining interesting philosophical discussion with a propulsive story. Here are some of the more positive comments:

Entertainment Weekly:

There is a kind of magic in Foster’s performance; the actress is having so much fun as this DGAF gadfly that she transforms Detective Danvers from a potential cliché into a mesmerizing and often-hilarious antihero.

Vanity Fair:

Despite its hefty sociopolitical concerns, its grave moods of mourning and madness, Night Country can also be fun, a lugubriously overstuffed ghost story that might take place on the outskirts of hell.

USA Today:

As helmed by a new auteur, writer/director Issa López, “Night Country” is as excellent as, and perhaps transcends, that striking first season a decade ago.

Revisiting a franchise that has consistently failed to deliver after a successful first installment is no easy task. Considering the fading audience interest in True Detective, Night Country‘s mission was perhaps doubly difficult. However, as these comments prove, the show has more than managed to deliver on a very difficult brief.