Was True Detective: Night Country Finale Really That Bad? It Actually Was, Fight Us

Summary:

• The final episode of Night Country became the lowest rated episode in the show's history on IMDB, though the season itself became the most watched.
• The finale revealed that the polar explorers were killed by women avenging the death of Annie, who had learned of the scientists' research.
• Season 1 references like the spirals and the "time is a flat circle" line were just Easter Eggs that went nowhere.
• The anti-capitalist and eco-activist messages in the plot were so obvious that it was clear from the first episode that the main villain would be a corporation.

True Detective has completed its fourth season, Night Country, which was entirely directed and written by Issa Lopez. And the finale left fans baffled, to say the least.

What Happened in the Night Country Finale?

The main suspect, polar explorer Clark, was implicated in the murder of environmental activist Annie, but not his colleagues.

It turns out that the scientists were looking for the DNA of microorganisms in the permafrost, which could potentially save the world. And they succeeded, because pollution from the town's mine had softened the soil.

Polar explorers encouraged the Silver Sky Corporation to produce more pollutants because it made it easier for them to work with the soil. Annie found out about it – and the scientists killed her. So the desperate women of Ennis killed them in turn.

Are The Thing References Coincidental?

At the same time, the development of this plot is suspiciously similar to the development of events in John Carpenter's The Thing (and is perhaps the most entertaining detail of the finale).

In The Thing, the main intrigue was that the men at the polar station thought the alien creature was the polar explorer Clark, and in the finale it turned out to be Dr. Blair.

In Night Country, the main suspect, the polar explorer Clark, turns out to be innocent of the murder of the polar explorers, and the crab factory worker Blair is involved in the crime. Whether this is a deliberate reference or just a coincidence remains a mystery.

References to Season 1 Went Nowhere

As for the spirals, they led nowhere and remained just Easter eggs. Like Clark's line in the finale that "time is a flat circle".

Like the appearance of Rust Cohle's father. Viewers weren't given a single clue as to how the Alaska story was connected to the Louisiana swamp murders – so why were those Easter eggs there in the first place?

Night Country’s Messages Are Too Direct

Of course, the fourth season is a well-produced project, but even haters of the canonical True Detective will probably agree that in terms of dialogue, Night Country is inferior to the brainchild of Nic Pizzolatto (and all three of his seasons).

Night Country, despite its impressive number of viewers, doesn't have such high ratings on IMDb – they're even lower than those of Season 2, which was harshly criticized.

Issa Lopez blames the not-so-high ratings on fanboys who deliberately lower the scores. But even if that is the case, it is impossible to ignore the shortcomings of Season 4.

The tone of the series quickly turns into moralizing, and the anti-capitalist and eco-activist messages are presented so directly that it becomes clear from the first minutes that the main villain is the corporation.

Jodie Foster Is the Main Reason to Watch Season 4

Jodie Foster is one of the main reasons why Night Country is worth seeing. And while you still can't take your eyes off her charisma, it's unlikely that the fourth season of True Detective will be the same grand acting comeback for her that the first season was for Matthew McConaughey.

After all, Rust Cohle is one of the most important roles in the actor's career, while Danvers is just one of many for Foster.