True Detective is back! This time it's heading into the Night Country. The fourth instalment of True Detective, created by Nic Pizzolatto, landed mid-January on HBO, Binge in Australia. The season concluded whilst I was away, landing before the next two miniseries are set to air on HBO, The Regime and The Sympathizer.
Season four of the anthology crime series is set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, and follows the investigation behind the disappearance of eight men from a research station.
High profile lead, Jodie Foster joins Kali Reis as Detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro.
Night Country was created by Issa López, who serves as showrunner, writer, and director. It is the first season without the involvement of Pizzolatto; however, he is still credited as an executive producer. So was the new leadership, along with a series title an improvement on the second and third stories?
SPOILERS AHEAD! WARNING!
In episode six (the shortest of all True Detective seasons) Danvers and Navarro find a hidden underground lab where Annie was murdered, connected by tunnels to the Tsalal scientific facility.
They capture missing scientist Raymond Clark, Annie's former lover. Clark confesses Annie discovered the facility's bogus pollution data and their world-changing secret research. All the other scientists took part in stabbing Annie but it was Clark who finally smothered her to death.
He claims they didn't cut Annie's tongue, suggesting Deputy Hank did, but commits suicide before he can provide more evidence.
Peter receives support from Kayla and disposes of Hank's body with Rose's help, who warns him of lingering grief.
Danvers falls through ice into the ocean below, but Navarro saves her, each woman having a vision, Danvers of her long-lost son and Navarro of her dead mother. Danvers and Navarro find evidence linking a Tsalal cleaning lady and Indigenous women workers from the local crab factory to the researchers' attack.
The women admit that they discovered the secret lab and avenged Annie by forcing the researchers out into the cold, believing Annie's spirit punished them. Danvers and Navarro close the case, citing natural causes for the researchers' deaths.
Danvers leaks a video left to her by Navarro in which Clark has exposed the Silver Sky mine's pollution, leading to its closure.
Danvers is questioned about Otis Heiss's murder, with Hank as the prime suspect. When they ask her about Navarro's whereabouts, Danvers claims she has no idea where she is. Before closing the case, Navarro had promised Danvers to return but the ending does not confirm if she returns as a spirit or in mortal form.
This was honestly a bit whack. I did lose interest after episode two. The first episode was interesting, I was excited about the new turn for the show, however it just got annoying as the season rolled on. HBO has however renewed the show for a fifth season recently. Which truly is no surprise. Apparently the series received powerhouse ratings in the USA across all HBO platforms.
So will there be a big break between seasons again? All we know is Issa López will return for her second crack at the True Detective series.
Honestly HBO is off to a strong start to 2024 with The Regime starting next Monday followed by The Sympathizer, then likely the highly anticipated second season of House of Dragon. 2025 will see another Game of Thrones spin-off along with The White Lotus, The Last of Us and Euphoria apparently all returning. Now that is a strong ass lineup!
Directed by the visionary filmmaker Tran Thanh, Mai was the third and final film I saw whilst in Vietnam. It will also break up my big TV catch up week on finales. True Detective and Power Book III: Raising Kanan's posts coming this week.
So while in Vietnam if you are going to see two average Western films, you need to support the local box office over Tet too.
Mai tells the enchanting tale which transcends borders, inviting audiences into a world where love blooms in unexpected places.
The audience follows the journey of Mai, a devoted single mother navigating the complexities of Eastern Asian culture while yearning for companionship.
There is drama, both in the workplace, home and family. Poor Mai can not win.
We see the real life issue of problem gambling with the impact on the family left behind to pick up the pieces. We see children giving birth to children in heartbreaking circumstances. Mai has a tough life from the early years till the present day in the film.
Which is in post COVID Vietnam. Largely at a massage spa along with her not so friendly style Melrose Place housing.
There are some crazy moments in the film, however it was heads and tails above the recent Western films, I will not mention again.
Mai was good watch which also might assist a little more with my Vietnamese language skills.
A nice break from a tired Hollywood post writers/actors strikes.
I'm back from holidays so expect some backed up posts as I catch up with three massive Sizzlin' Summer Streaming 24' finales.
There was some damn fine titles wrap whilst I was living it up in Vietnam, returning for Taylor Swift's Era's tour.
Maybe I went for the best, the pick of the pack first, the series finale of Aussie hit series, Total Control.
The ABC Australian television political drama series which first aired back in October 2019.
The final season got the ABC out of the gat (in a BIG way!) mid-January. Other than the Newsreader, does the ABC have a bigger drama title than Total Control? The answer is simply, no.
The final episode aired earlier this month. The six episodes were released (free) on ABC iView, week-to-week. We started off when I was in Melbourne with the third season kicking off two years on since the explosive events of the second season. Outsider turned kingmaker, Alex Irving (Deborah Mailman), is now completely at home in the nation's capital. She's at the centre of power, holding the Government on a short leash, but it's taking a toll.
Rob Collins continues to shine throughout this season as Alex's brother. Whilst her son (played by Wesley Patten) is an excellent young talent. The use of (soon to be touring) Missy Higgins music also makes the series blockbuster!
In the series finale, the fate of Alex and Rachel Anderson's (Rachel Griffiths) political careers becomes clear in a final power play which will shape the future of Australia's democracy.
Griffiths shines as an anti-hero also. Her acting just gets better and better!
I loved this series. Every episode, even at times with long breaks between seasons. Yes COVID, yes everything else. With politicians barely working in this country at least they would have had unlimited access to Parliament House/regions around Canberra easily and freely.
Australia today is faced with the choice offered in this series. Two main political parties with little difference between them. Or independents who are held to a much higher regard, must do everything by the book or the media or Liberal or Labor takes them to task. It's a sad state of affairs.
The show at times was more like a mirror being held up to Australia. I loved this show so much, it really is one of the best Aussie shows of the last few decades. Alongside Wentworth, Deadloch and Get Krackin', this show was at all times, a delight.
Well done all involved. EXCELLENT! Maybe the Sizzlin' Summer Streaming 24' series of the first quarter for 2024.
