260 reviews
Foster is one of the greatest actors of all time and doesn't know how to give a bad performance. Reid is a revelation and I can't wait to see what she does next. But the screen writers are the BIG problem.
Fortitude and The Thing are great, but they don't need a 2024 remix. True Detective is a mixed bag. Season 1 is peerless, season 2 was seriously underwhelming, season 3 was great but with the original creatives gone season 4 suffers the same issues as 2. It's not fundamentally bad, but it's too derivative and also doesn't know quite what it wants to be.
Season 1 and 3 had the slightest injection of magical realism. Are these hallucinations? Exaggerations? Everything can be explained rationally but there is just the subtlest question marks. Here the whole season has leaned out right into the supernatural. True Detective is not supernatural horror. The solution shouldn't be ghosts, it's rarely satisfying in a detective story and it isn't here. Also the fate of one person makes no sense at all and counts on a group of people not acting in anyway like actual humans. It's not "spur of the moment" it's terrible writing. Unbelievable revelation is stacked on irrational behaviour in this episode. Plus people are freezing to death with no hope only to not be in the next scene- what? Just profoundly disappointing.
An average horror movie stretched over a season of TV that thinks it's much smarter than it is.
Fortitude and The Thing are great, but they don't need a 2024 remix. True Detective is a mixed bag. Season 1 is peerless, season 2 was seriously underwhelming, season 3 was great but with the original creatives gone season 4 suffers the same issues as 2. It's not fundamentally bad, but it's too derivative and also doesn't know quite what it wants to be.
Season 1 and 3 had the slightest injection of magical realism. Are these hallucinations? Exaggerations? Everything can be explained rationally but there is just the subtlest question marks. Here the whole season has leaned out right into the supernatural. True Detective is not supernatural horror. The solution shouldn't be ghosts, it's rarely satisfying in a detective story and it isn't here. Also the fate of one person makes no sense at all and counts on a group of people not acting in anyway like actual humans. It's not "spur of the moment" it's terrible writing. Unbelievable revelation is stacked on irrational behaviour in this episode. Plus people are freezing to death with no hope only to not be in the next scene- what? Just profoundly disappointing.
An average horror movie stretched over a season of TV that thinks it's much smarter than it is.
- dancinqueen-38603
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
- TartanScorsese
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
- bobcobb301
- Mar 2, 2024
- Permalink
I've been on the Reddit threads watching the vitriol, and then tonight just perusing the headlines prior to watching the final episode.
Honestly, I was ready to be hugely disappointed. Thankfully, I'm an intelligent and independent thinker. As an EMS dispatcher in my own remote Alaskan community, and having now watched the entire season, I stand by my defense of the intricate detail to the truth of Alaska life that Night Country portrays.
From indigenous women's issues, the razor's edge of spirituality, paranormal, superstition, and the polar night, to the flawless storytelling, I give it a 10.
Honestly, I was ready to be hugely disappointed. Thankfully, I'm an intelligent and independent thinker. As an EMS dispatcher in my own remote Alaskan community, and having now watched the entire season, I stand by my defense of the intricate detail to the truth of Alaska life that Night Country portrays.
From indigenous women's issues, the razor's edge of spirituality, paranormal, superstition, and the polar night, to the flawless storytelling, I give it a 10.
- angie-83-103270
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
- GhostReturns
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
I've been very critical to the past 2 seasons of true detective. So I was hesitant going into this one. But after now watching it all I actually liked it a lot? Maybe it's because im a huge fan of supernatural elements in crime, but I dont get why everyone hates it? I don't get how people can rate this show below a 5. It's mindboggling to me. The atmosphere, the actors, the plot, the mood of the show - everything is amazing to me. Sure it's a bit slow at times, but isn't that part of true detectives DNA? Even season 1 is a slowburn show, and it's still amazing. Enough with the hate!!
Don't mind the haters, give it a chance yourself.
Don't mind the haters, give it a chance yourself.
- noahhaxbender-44197
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
This season wasn't very good and you don't need to try to guess why I think this. It's not because I'm a misogynist. It's not because I'm a season 1 fan boy. It's not because I'm afraid of examining history. And it's not because I don't understand the story.
It is really quite simple. Season 4 had a fantastic setting, a mediocre story, terrible dialogue, and mostly terrible acting. The pacing was poor. Almost entire episodes would go by with no plot advancement and minimal character development. There were too many ancillary characters that did nothing to develop the main characters. And by episode 6, when I should have been invested in the characters, I flat out was not. The moral lessons some are going on about were told with the subtlety of a brick to the face.
I will say it again - like what you like. I'm not going to be so arrogant as to assume why you like this season if that's how you feel. Most of these negative reviews quite clearly state why they didn't like the season - and there are plenty of reasons to not like this season. There's no need to hypothesize why when there are glaring reasons staring you right in the face.
It is really quite simple. Season 4 had a fantastic setting, a mediocre story, terrible dialogue, and mostly terrible acting. The pacing was poor. Almost entire episodes would go by with no plot advancement and minimal character development. There were too many ancillary characters that did nothing to develop the main characters. And by episode 6, when I should have been invested in the characters, I flat out was not. The moral lessons some are going on about were told with the subtlety of a brick to the face.
I will say it again - like what you like. I'm not going to be so arrogant as to assume why you like this season if that's how you feel. Most of these negative reviews quite clearly state why they didn't like the season - and there are plenty of reasons to not like this season. There's no need to hypothesize why when there are glaring reasons staring you right in the face.
- jimmatheson
- Feb 23, 2024
- Permalink
Storytelling from the perspective of indigenous peoples and especially focusing on the crises of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW) and girls in North America is NECESSARY in mainstream art and media. That being said, being part of a major franchise inevitably comes with restrictions and limitations; Night Country should've been its own entity, allowed to focus on exactly who and what the storytellers wanted to focus on.
True Crime season 1 purists will trash talk this season until the end of time. NOTHING will compare to season 1 and nothing should be forced to. I agree that season 1 - excessive male gaze aside - was damn near perfect, in large part thanks to the truly lightning-in-a-bottle teaming of two extraordinary Academy Award-winning and -nominated leads and a singular, visionary writer/director.
I've said in past episode reviews that this season should have focused more deeply on the Iñupiat community and the lead characters' tense interactions and strengthening connections within it. The writers and director seemed to focus more on the investigation, though it felt more like a straightforward procedural taking us from point A to B. Had the community been more deeply involved with the main mysteries, I feel the season would've had more of that True Detective vibe: More emphasis on the stillbirths or at least a supporting character having a stillbirth; an episode or half an episode focusing solely on Annie Kowtok; having a stronger build up to the protest and intercutting that suspense with the investigation's suspense.
The major reveal in the season finale proved this even more - without spoiling anything, it goes to show that more community-focused plot points would have built up quite nicely and provided a much more artistically-satisfying major reveal. We do get scenes in the community, but those felt mostly superficial to push the main story (searching for Tagaq) or character-building peripherals (Julia, Leah, Kayla, Qavvik).
I commend the filmmakers for not focusing on murdered women in the same way as season 1. There's discourse on the overuse of marginalized peoples' traumas for the sake of horror/thriller storytelling (see: Them, Lovecraft Country), and a season 1-esque obsession with murdered, abused, and oversexualized women would not have been the way to go. However, diving even deeper into the community and its tensions with the police and the mining corporation could have created a similarly dark and bleak season.
By no means was Night Country perfect, but it was necessary for indigenous stories to reach larger audiences. Though, I still wish it was a standalone series because tere was so much character- and story-based potential that felt stunted by the fact that it was part of a mainstream franchise.
True Crime season 1 purists will trash talk this season until the end of time. NOTHING will compare to season 1 and nothing should be forced to. I agree that season 1 - excessive male gaze aside - was damn near perfect, in large part thanks to the truly lightning-in-a-bottle teaming of two extraordinary Academy Award-winning and -nominated leads and a singular, visionary writer/director.
I've said in past episode reviews that this season should have focused more deeply on the Iñupiat community and the lead characters' tense interactions and strengthening connections within it. The writers and director seemed to focus more on the investigation, though it felt more like a straightforward procedural taking us from point A to B. Had the community been more deeply involved with the main mysteries, I feel the season would've had more of that True Detective vibe: More emphasis on the stillbirths or at least a supporting character having a stillbirth; an episode or half an episode focusing solely on Annie Kowtok; having a stronger build up to the protest and intercutting that suspense with the investigation's suspense.
The major reveal in the season finale proved this even more - without spoiling anything, it goes to show that more community-focused plot points would have built up quite nicely and provided a much more artistically-satisfying major reveal. We do get scenes in the community, but those felt mostly superficial to push the main story (searching for Tagaq) or character-building peripherals (Julia, Leah, Kayla, Qavvik).
I commend the filmmakers for not focusing on murdered women in the same way as season 1. There's discourse on the overuse of marginalized peoples' traumas for the sake of horror/thriller storytelling (see: Them, Lovecraft Country), and a season 1-esque obsession with murdered, abused, and oversexualized women would not have been the way to go. However, diving even deeper into the community and its tensions with the police and the mining corporation could have created a similarly dark and bleak season.
By no means was Night Country perfect, but it was necessary for indigenous stories to reach larger audiences. Though, I still wish it was a standalone series because tere was so much character- and story-based potential that felt stunted by the fact that it was part of a mainstream franchise.
- yoshimasu_k
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
- thegraydude
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
It is hard to imagine something with Jodie Foster in it being this horrible. Every aspect of this season is ridiculous after a fairly interesting episode 1. From there is just went completely off the rails with bad acting, bad cinematography, bad editing, and ridiculous writing. The story of the young detective and his father are the most interesting plot line in the season. Everything about the Jodie Foster character is uninteresting and it's unlikeable.
I had really high hopes for this season but it just doesn't deliver. It was too big of a challenge to pull off a believable season in Alaska, the fake snow is some really low grade production value.
I had really high hopes for this season but it just doesn't deliver. It was too big of a challenge to pull off a believable season in Alaska, the fake snow is some really low grade production value.
Night Country sputters to a bland and unsatisfying conclusion. The entire season was comprised of tedious conversations between unlikeable characters interspersed with random creepy images. The show spent an inordinate amount of time on its protagonists' personal lives but their behavior and interactions were so repetitive that they felt underdeveloped. There was little in the way of backstory or character development to justify why any of them did the things they did. The modicum of detective work undertaken by the two leads was largely the product of happenstance. The season finale is more of the same. Danvers and Navarro have the fifth version of the same conversation they've been having since episode two, then they stumble onto a trite resolution of the central mystery. Most of the other inconsistencies, plot holes and contradictions remain unexplained. I guess the screenwriters were going for thought-provoking and ambiguous but it comes across as incoherent and inane.
- johnspringer-95440
- Feb 19, 2024
- Permalink
I cannot understand for the life of me how this season finale is so low. Like another user stated who is male and loves this season I too am in the bracket. The hate for this finale is beyond stupid. The pure stupidity of people is beyond me. This season was hated even before it started and when people didn't get another Season 1 the hate machine started. People can't seem to get over the fact that this season is written and directed by a woman and has 2 female leads. Now don't get me wrong. If the show is really bad like The Last Jedi or The Marvels then fine, but we are no where near that level of terrible here.
I found this ending to have a brilliant payoff and to be hugely satisfying. Not only did we find out who the killer was but also how the scientists came to be frozen. On top of this, the mood of this final season was generally excellent and was unpredictable until the end. This was easily the best season since the show's first. How this is rated a 5.7 is just ridiculous. These are most likely the same morons who voted 1/10 for the Better Call Saul finale. I have never understood the hate for this season and really hope they move forward with a season 5.
I found this ending to have a brilliant payoff and to be hugely satisfying. Not only did we find out who the killer was but also how the scientists came to be frozen. On top of this, the mood of this final season was generally excellent and was unpredictable until the end. This was easily the best season since the show's first. How this is rated a 5.7 is just ridiculous. These are most likely the same morons who voted 1/10 for the Better Call Saul finale. I have never understood the hate for this season and really hope they move forward with a season 5.
- glyn-25860
- Feb 19, 2024
- Permalink
I thought it was great! Like nothing I've ever watched before! Definitely strange premise, but nice to have a show entirely different. Liz and Navrarro make a great team! Wish there was more episodes to watch! More to the story, untold!
Strong women at every turn! Need more of this!
The ending couldn't have been any better in my opinion. They got exactly what they deserved! Revenge for Annie! These women were a force to be reckoned with! Especially Annie! She was determined to make them pay and leave a story behind to be told to future generations!
Perfect ending to a tragic story! Don't understand the negative reviews!
Strong women at every turn! Need more of this!
The ending couldn't have been any better in my opinion. They got exactly what they deserved! Revenge for Annie! These women were a force to be reckoned with! Especially Annie! She was determined to make them pay and leave a story behind to be told to future generations!
Perfect ending to a tragic story! Don't understand the negative reviews!
It is obvious that the director doesn't have much experience directing mystery/thriller work.
A good thriller not only needs a good story and characters but also a creative cinematography and a director with style and vision things that this show doesn't have.
It tries badly to imitate a bit Twin Peaks and Lost and fails miserably.
This show could have really used David Fincher, Kubric, David Lynch or John Carpenter at the helm.
There was a good story somewhere there. The script was undercooked and needed more revisions.
The story given was poorly constructed and edited.
The supernatural elements were poorly developed and displayed.
Characters were poorly developed. I did not care for any of the characters specially for the secondary ones.
This could have had been a great whodunnit mystery/supernatural/scifi/horror/thriller but it landed in amateurish hands.
A good thriller not only needs a good story and characters but also a creative cinematography and a director with style and vision things that this show doesn't have.
It tries badly to imitate a bit Twin Peaks and Lost and fails miserably.
This show could have really used David Fincher, Kubric, David Lynch or John Carpenter at the helm.
There was a good story somewhere there. The script was undercooked and needed more revisions.
The story given was poorly constructed and edited.
The supernatural elements were poorly developed and displayed.
Characters were poorly developed. I did not care for any of the characters specially for the secondary ones.
This could have had been a great whodunnit mystery/supernatural/scifi/horror/thriller but it landed in amateurish hands.
- Ar_Pharazon_the_golden
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
So many people giving it one stars are delusional. Not the best ending considering the mystery we were presented with in the start, but clearly a lot of people ain't fond of women being the heroes of the series.
I guess the bad rating for the finale which was a bit disappointment is a cadeou to the rest of the episodes as how else could it anger so many people.
And yes men bad women good is bit overdone but looking past that it was interesting the whole way through.
Would've loved to hear more about that scientific breakthrough these scientist apparently would've killed for. Sadly that is one of the unwrapped things that makes it feel a bit weak.
Anyway a solid 7! First season is a 10 no one can touch so stop comparing it to that.
I guess the bad rating for the finale which was a bit disappointment is a cadeou to the rest of the episodes as how else could it anger so many people.
And yes men bad women good is bit overdone but looking past that it was interesting the whole way through.
Would've loved to hear more about that scientific breakthrough these scientist apparently would've killed for. Sadly that is one of the unwrapped things that makes it feel a bit weak.
Anyway a solid 7! First season is a 10 no one can touch so stop comparing it to that.
- alexbmonrad
- Feb 20, 2024
- Permalink
After the last episode, I changed all my previous ratings from 5 -7 stars to one star for all episodes.
I mean, the audacity to pretend this is a story!
Aside for the issues the other people underlined (lazy writing and half-baked plots and futile second characters) the disinterest to deliver at least the scheme of a narrative is mind-blowing. Do they really think people watching are half-wits?
While they still tried in season two and three to deliver, season four is an insult. To storytelling, to actors, to Innuit lore.
I don't know who greenlighted this s**t and I'm not that mean so to wish the writer and producers won't get work again.
Someone has to carry the blame, though.
Someone has to take some creative lessons in what charaters, themes, story arc is about. How ridiculness is defined in Merriam Webster.
Someone in a high chair at HBO has to step down for this waste of money. This is not entertainement. It's insult.
I mean, the audacity to pretend this is a story!
Aside for the issues the other people underlined (lazy writing and half-baked plots and futile second characters) the disinterest to deliver at least the scheme of a narrative is mind-blowing. Do they really think people watching are half-wits?
While they still tried in season two and three to deliver, season four is an insult. To storytelling, to actors, to Innuit lore.
I don't know who greenlighted this s**t and I'm not that mean so to wish the writer and producers won't get work again.
Someone has to carry the blame, though.
Someone has to take some creative lessons in what charaters, themes, story arc is about. How ridiculness is defined in Merriam Webster.
Someone in a high chair at HBO has to step down for this waste of money. This is not entertainement. It's insult.
- dylanpatterson1987
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink
Almost all of these bad reviews are from people that either missed major plot points because they weren't paying attention or they are mad about the heroes being women.
The supernatural parts of this season really set a tone that I enjoyed, not all of the characters were likeable and some plot points were far fetched but its a tv show. If you want realism watch documentaries. All in all watch the show and make up your mind for yourself but don't let all of these negative reviews from thin skinned people keep you from watching it. It's better than season 2 even though 2 has my favorite scene from the series.
The supernatural parts of this season really set a tone that I enjoyed, not all of the characters were likeable and some plot points were far fetched but its a tv show. If you want realism watch documentaries. All in all watch the show and make up your mind for yourself but don't let all of these negative reviews from thin skinned people keep you from watching it. It's better than season 2 even though 2 has my favorite scene from the series.
- andrewrussell-66334
- Feb 19, 2024
- Permalink
This season has received some poor reviews, mainly due to the comparisons drawn between this and season 1. This episode really makes this season stand out on its own. This was an excellent episode that served a payoff that we deserved. The ending of the last episode felt a bit out-of-place with the tone of this season and it feels like they've corrected the path here. They go back to The Thing in terms of inspiration and we get the closure we need on almost all the loose ends. Jodie Foster is phenomenal in this episode and the direction is masterful. Admittedly some of the middle episode wander in the snow, but they definitely course correct in this.
I don't really understand the absolute negative reviews. If you're here you've seen the last 5 episodes so you know what you're in for. This just stuck the landing so well.
I don't really understand the absolute negative reviews. If you're here you've seen the last 5 episodes so you know what you're in for. This just stuck the landing so well.
- alexhellyer
- Feb 18, 2024
- Permalink