Sorry for the weird edit at a minute and a half. The scene with Marty and Ledoux got the video an age restriction which kills the views so I had to trim it out. It feels like the end is going to come quick. Let me know what you think at the halfway point.
I don't say it flippantly, but your review is more entertaining than the show itself! Finding S4 a slog but your analysis makes it so much more engaging. Sláinte! 🍻
This may seem random but there is a village in France called Port Saint Esprit that the water caused people there to have hallucinations and go mad in the 50s. I used to live there and it loomed large in the mythology there and did happen. They never knew why, speculation about government testing of chemicals .... it reminds of this in some ways... a very mysterious place even today.
Ground water is naturally mixed with whatever is around it. There have been more than one case of communities in low valleys falling down dead after a co2 bubble deep in the ground burst upward pushing through a well or a lake, pushing the lighter O2 upward temporarily, smothering anything on the ground without warning or recourse.
I feel that the polluted water was the reason why the men ran out to their deaths. It caused hallucinations connected to their guilt of killing/covering up the murder of Anne (her ghost chasing them). That would be the most grounded explanation instead of a sudden supernatural entity.
Danvers had a (seemingly) throwaway line about Navarro dating women. I feel like that’s gonna come back in a reveal that Navarro was involved with either Annie K or Danvers. (Could explain Danvers’ line about the cans too.)
Fear of the unknown is a huge theme this season. -Danvers fear of her daughter embracing the culture of her people, and ending up dead or hurt. -Navarro's fear of becoming like her mother. -Annie K i the video is pure fear, but we don't know of what. Interesting points: When we first see Blair with her eye covered (like the polar bear) in a split second we can see she only has 3 fingers. In episode 2 we see the partial print, which also has 3 fingers. Another HUGE clue: Episde 2 at the hockey rink: "5 pair of pants, 3 shoes." In the same scene at 23:55 we see 5-3 on the score board. 5 fingers on the left hand, 3 fingers on the right. All pointing to Blair.
Thank you! That was bugging me for the longest time knowing there was something to the 5-3, & having nowhere to start with too broad of a search parameter. They also gave us Player 9 in the penalty box with :53 on the clock in the timeout. Clues pointing to the scene or bringing clues to the scene (bringing the bodies to the ice rink owned by Silver Sky with games sponsored by Blue King), there are more crimes that we haven't seen yet, the whole town is like a crime scene.
@@zzz7zzz9 'Woke' has become the poster child for a piss poor excuse for intelligent commentary. What does 'woke' even mean ? Answer ? anything that doesnt fir your own worldview ... Pathetic.
Not a fan of the dialogue or pacing this season. Also not sure it deserves the True Detective label. The frost-bitten zombie coming back to life and speaking as if he's in conversation with the dead is just too much. The whole season seems so damn out of place and completely in contrast with any reality establishrd in previous seasons including the disaster of S2.
I don't see how the show can redeem itself if it's this bad halfway through. They will have to pull a complete 180 if they want this score anything higher than a 6/10
Great review, Pete. This is one of your best and examines all of the questions and reactions I've had perfectly. Thanks. That scene where what we see doesn't match Danvers' unreliable narration is really intriguing. Has anybody seen this storytelling method used before? I like your take on Deputy Pete and I feel like he's the moral center of the show.
I really liked the Annie intro. I actually didn’t like the Lund scenes. I thought they were silly and cheesy. So much is going on and though I love supernatural I hope things come together in a believable way. Great review as always
Like Pete said, there are some potential “answers” but they don’t explain everything. One thing I was thinking is that Annie discovered something (seen in her phone video) that would cause the mine to have to shut down. Some cultural artifacts or dinosaur fossils that would be important enough for an authority to say the mining company can’t disturb the ground. And this would be motive for her murder and cover up .
I like this theory a lot, in next week's trailer the cave is shown to be a mapped location but the high school geology teacher says it would be a death trap, so something fossilized could have gone a long time undiscovered & be a potentially significant find that would justify an archeological dig that would put Silver Sky (& maybe a Tuttle United vested interest) out of business. The severed tongue sure seems like a message that anyone like her getting in their way is going to be silenced.
Im concerned they will not stick the landing and will go for the "open to interpretations", let the viewer decide type of ending. X-Files did this very well, but this is not it. They don't have a 20 episodes season to work on it. This episode was so nothing that I slept midway though it, woke up when they were arriving to talk with Tagaq and didn't feel i lost anything important. Too much world building and not enough payoff, in a 6 episodes season? Doesn't look like it will work at all. Also, the ice cave in the end and the Tavviq fishing spot will in the shed will connect, I think.
same. i tuned right out this episode. that opening birthing scene? wtf was that? minutes wasted, of a very short season, for nothing. they could have connected this to season one/rust so easily, but it looks like they dropped the ball. the trailer used to be Rust's, while he was up there. he could have left lots of his notes, etc, behind, and then annie and clark found it all when they lived in the trailer. they became obsessed with the case and especially the spiral symbol.
The high school science teacher had told Danvers that the scientists were looking for something that would extend cellular life… I think they were experimenting with this possibly on a dead body, maybe even Navarro’s dead mother’s body? And they woke her up! Also, Peter walked away from Danvers and Navarro while they were watching the video of Annie… he knows something about her death. Thanks for your episode break down!
Hi Pete, thanks for the excellent review. I’m so glad you mentioned ‘The Terror’ series. It was the first thing I thought of when I read the scientists’ blackboard saying ‘We are all dead’. I’m pretty sure Crozier from the Terror said, ‘We are all gone’, meaning that everyone from the Franklin expedition was dead (probably expecting himself to perish too) and people should stop sending rescue parties to such a dangerous part of the world. I have no idea what this might mean for S4 - maybe written by Clark? - but I’m sure there is a Franklin expedition reference in there somewhere.
They woke the "water goddess" with the contaminated black water . So She lead the scientists out into the frozen tundra where she has created a hot springs pool in the middle of ice tundra. The scientists took off their clothes and neatly placed on the ice. Then they all got into the warm water naked. But soon after the water begins to freeze up around them. They all huddle up in middle of the pool, climbing onto top of each other to escape. But none escape. The goddess gets her revenge.
Hey boys let’s leave our uneaten lunches on the table & all get naked to jump in a hot spring. But before we do, let’s write “we are all dead” in huge letters on a white board. Jesus fucking Christ
I was also remìnded of "The Terror". I only read the novel, and I didn't like solution at all. Therefore I didn't watch the show. But it's obvious that it had a strong influence on TD season 4. The only member of the Franklin expedition who survives in the novel got his tongue removed. But he finds out that he can survive without his tongue. I thought that the novel was well written, but it wasn't rooted in reality. It was a horror novel with supernatural elements.
I’m fairly sure the “hillbillies” are Tuttle operatives from Louisiana. The truck the my pulled up in played “Dixie” (not something generally associated with Alaska). If the mine is Tuttle owned and we have these season one connections I think the hillbillies are there to protect some secret nasty Tuttle stuff at the mine
This season is so good at times and then extremely network television at others and I’m mad at the kind of cheesy parts taking away from what feels like prestige-y tv at times. People will not like the supernatural explanations being the cause of the deaths and if it isn’t, the show is wasting a lot of time trying to make us believe it is which isn’t in the spirit of the type of show people have come to expect of True Detective.
“Everything can be explained.” That line basically made me focus on the microbial, bad water, still births. But then I really started focusing on the missing women and mental illness. Then I saw a scene that told me who the killer(s) is/are.
Thank you Pete. Love all your recaps. For me the best thing about this season is the connection to Season 1, which is a masterpiece and classic. I do not feel this is close to being as good as that, however, as I find a few things that just don't seem to work for me. I love Jodie Foster but she does look a bit old to be playing this part. That said, I'm in it til the end and hope it gets better as we go along. That's a big improvement over S2 and S3 which I couldn't even watch at all.
I wonder if what Annie K found in the ice caverns is considered to be sacred to the Inupiat since it sounds like whatever the mining company is working on can potentially erase their history in Ennis. I can see why this season is Navarro's story because she is mixed race and like Leah, slowly coming to learn their Inuptiat heritage at a bad time.
Really? I thought this season was the worst by far! It’s got a completely different tone than the first three seasons, and not in a good way. The original writers being gone is probably the reason for that.
Since the evil rocket chair guy was whistling ”twist and shout” i belive that he had something to do with the accident that ruined Danvers life… and that she shot him. Maybe even that Danver and Navarro in some way was the reason that the woman was dead.
Has anyone mentioned the paint connection yet? Eroll from season 1 was painting and was identified because of the green paint. Then season 4 Hank is painting that room an almost green blue. Maybe it's a red herring but it felt like a connection and Hank is kinda turning out to be the suspect in plain sight that no one on the show is seeing.
weird theory, emerging... I was chatting with a friend and he pointed out that the hand print on the boot matched the lady at the crab factory who was missing some fingers. She also walked away SUPER suspicious when Danvers was questioning her and was distracted by the woman at the elevator. (Call back to when Rust missed Eroll in that first meeting?) She was wearing that blue green color. and with her cap on she also had the illusion of blue/green ears. The hockey rink was lit blue green when the lady owner and hank had the exchange and she said "I'm counting on you". I am starting to think we are maybe being told who is in linked in on the "real world" murders/cult by the subtle use of the color blue green. No idea how this would connect to the supernatural elements. Just a theory.
If you listen to rose there is a difference from being a "Medium" vs mental health she is a medium and rose explain that its ok I believe Avangelean went to that in between place when she was in combat and I believe the little boy pulled her in to give his mother a message
IMO, something supernatural has to be happening. The things Navaro saw and the things she didn't see. Animals that ran off the cliff, whatever happened at the crime scene. The lady following Jake(I believe) in the storm then finding the bodies and etc.
Many of you have already said it. Many things we have seen are scenes to movies. This season so far The Deer Hunter Star Wars (Also in season 1 ,2 and 3) Ferris Bueller's day off Vegas Vacation the Godfather Old Yeller ET The Shining The thing the exorcist the Blair Witch project The Graduate The Dayotlov pass incident. THE ACCUSED was reenacted by Jody Foster herself Annie??? because the sun will come out tomorrow? I thought the polar bear reminded me more of a Coca Cola commercial at Christmas, rather then an evil omen. And we are only on episode 3 There was an ode to Woody in season 1 where they show and later Marty wears the big belt buckle that his character won in "The Cowboy Way" in which he starred with Kieth Sutherland. The Godfather was in there too and Hardcore These are NOT eastereggs, but overt clues to the entire series
She found it. It is the entity they were looking for. It was in her dreams and the reason for getting the tattoo. She deliberately became friends with Clark to find it she was getting close to Clark to uncover tsalal's secret. They find her in mines and killed her and made it like a hate crime. And after 7 years they managed to free the entity against its will and now they are dead.
I wonder if Annie was a midwife for Danvers at one point? She seemed very uncomfortable going to that stillborn baby’s wake and there seemed to be lots of tension. Not to mention that screaming from Annie at the end sounded exactly like the opening scene with Annie delivering the baby. Maybe Danvers is hiding something about Annie herself. Also Did anybody else notice something in the sky when Navarro was out on the ice? It looked like an image of something I couldn’t make it out but me and my girlfriend both noticed it at the same time
You may be on to something which hasn't been talked about a lot so far: the importance of children - especially children with Inuit heritage. Liz has been the mother of two children with Inuit heritage: not only Leah, but also Holden, who has definitely Inuit genes just like Leah! I looked up the name of the child actor who got the role of Holden - and he has a name which clearly suggests indigenous roots. This proves that Holden is supposed to have Inuit heritage, just like Leah. But if Holden is really Liz's biological son, her husband Jake must've been Inuit or mixed-raced - but if Jake was Caucasian like his wife, he cannot be Holden's biological father! We only see Jake Petersen who is Liz's husband, in a very short scene when they dance together. My initial reaction was that these two people couldn't both be the biological parents of little Holden! Jake Petersen looked totally Caucasian to me. But someone on reddit published a screen grab of Jake - and I had to concede that he might possibly be mixed-raced. I really don't know. But if Jake isn't Holden's biological father, Liz must've had an affair with a man who is Inuit or mixed-raced - or little Holden has been adopted! The parentage of Leah and Holden seems to be complicated. Who is Holden's biological father, and who is Leah's biological mother? If Jake is Caucasian, Leah's biological mother must've been a mixed-race or an Inuit woman. Personally I like the theory that Annie is Leah's birth mother. The timeline is compatible with that idea. Annie would've been ca. 18 years at the time of Leah's birth. If Liz knows that Annie was Leah's mother, it would explain her anxieties and some of her odd behavior towards Leah! So far most of us believe that Liz is just somewhat racist. But she mothered and loved two kids with Inuit heritage. As to your idea that Annie may have got some informations because of her midwife job: this is really an intriguing idea. Could she have known that little Holden wasn't the biological son of Liz, as we all have thought before we got a look at the little boy and Liz's husband Jake? But if Holden was adopted, who were his biological parents, and was the adoption legal? Annie could've had a few ideas! I think that the adoption of Inuit children by Caucasian parents may become an issue in the upcoming episodes. There has been a very traumatizing time during the 1960s, when the Canadian government allowed that Inuit children were taken away from their indigenous families, and they were adopted by Caucasian parents! It was called the "Sixties Grab". If you want to learn more about this, you can take a look at the Wikipedia article about the well known Canadian actor Eric Schweig who is best known as Uncas in the great movie "The Last Of The Mohicans". He had an Inuit mother and a German father, but he was taken away from his mother when he was 6 months old. Many Inuit families have been traumatized, and many children didn't develop a secure sense of belonging. Therefore the adoption of Inuit children by Caucasian parents is looked at very critically today. The question of who are little Holden's biological parents may become important in the last three episodes. Edit: Annie was killed in 2017: depending on how old she was when she died, she must've been very young - possibly younger than 18 if she was really Leah's biological mother. But I don't think that makes it impossible to be Leah's mother. She could have been a teenage mother. This would make it actually more plausible that Leah didn't grow up with her but with her dad. Teenage Annie may have been unable to care and provide for her baby daughter.
@@dianegreyson8787 , that's a very interesting thought! Was that the only reason why you started to believe that Holden might not have been Liz's biological son?
Nice catch! They did this earlier with Qavvik & his pillow in ep 2, now with Darwin there's the spiral, an object that looks like an Iñupiat codebreaker, a section above them with what could be acolytes worshipping a goddess, blue & orange flowers, gold water, & black eyed polar bears. Pillowcases got a lot going on this season & stories to tell, the symbology's getting thicker than gumbo.
Im trying to give this season the benefit of the doubt but I don’t see this season being better than season 3 or 1(obviously). Also don’t like how they shoehorned rust cohles dad into the show.
Great review as usual. I think Hank Prior is involved somehow, and what’s up with his mail ordered bride who he is sending money to… I am hoping he is getting duped because he is such a nasty person. I agree with you that the introduction of Oliver Tagaq must mean something relevant, but the character does not appear in any more episodes. The murder of Evangeline’s mother is part of it I am certain!
It’s seemed really obvious to me from the first episode that all of those people in the Corpsicle drowned. I mean…. The clothes are all folded as if they decided to go swimming. The way they’re frozen in the ice looks as if they were all underwater. When ghost-Travis led Fiona Shaw to the corpsicle, he was miming like a person drowning underwater. And then you’ve got all the underwater imagery during the opening credits. I have no clue how the environment changed such that swimming/drowning was possible, but I see no other clear explanation. The video with Annie K in the ice from her phone makes me think this even more.
and BTW there is the figure of a female in the ice at the end of the video after Annie gets pulled away. She's missing an eye(damaged maybe), like several other women have been in every episode. Looks like she(image) is missing some fingers as well.
Lot of whistling in this episode, and a lot going on under the ice. Along with hallunications. Or as Danvers would say, Ask the question. Lab guys trying to claw their way up...? Annie found "it" under the ice, she and phone end up above...
He's definitely hiding things and obviously the villain type but I doubt he is the master mind. My guess is the lady who let them use the hockey rink is more involved than him. I mean, he seems to have money to throw away to his Russian mail order bride lol and I doubt his cop pay covers all that so he must be getting paid under the table somewhere
Navarro’s lover(his name escapes me) could have much more to do with things than it would appear so far. Having someone present a quid pro quo scenario to an investigator isn’t a very common method of communication to just better understand someone(which I do think is generally his intention) but it was a nod to Lector and Clarice in Silence of the Lambs and telling us he wants info use against her
The supernatural aspects seem to be interesting narrative tools but ultimately seem to be distracting. Rose's line from Episode 2 about not confusing mental health with spirituality may be more of a nod to any spores/chemicals that may have gotten into the water/ice in the area as result of the mine. Possible the researchers were looking into it and had a shared delusion, putting Clarke into the position of disposal and the resulting corpsicle.
You have: - the water 💦 💧 🚿 that might be the cause of the hallucinations and violence actions - the mental illness issue from key characters - the potential to of women groups that avenged other women that get abused by man or murder if this is the case then they might put drugs in the food chain as well that give people hallucinations It could be all of those clue ties together at the same time without being Linke to the supernatural
This episode got me worried about the show - it's starting to feel like a bad Stephen King movie/story. Just minimal subtlety and not so satisfying questions being asked. This should've been called something else; not True Detective.
Yea they r leaniway 2 hard on season 1 here, feels like they r trying 2 pull the success from season 1 into season 4, especially with the failures of the other season.
Im going to be very annoyed if all the occult and supernatural stuff is all just a "coincidence"*(red herring) and the killer was a woman with mental health(Navarro or the woman whose ex-boyfriend got knocked out in the 1st episode) issue who was able to scare a group of men to death(with or without a toxin or drug or whatever in their system) and drag their bodies out on to the ice...its manipulative story telling. *The Tuttle family owning the research lab, Rusts father being from there, his mom or whoever she is seeing her dad's ghost who leads her to the bodies, 3 of the characters all hearing the ghostly "She's Awake". The spiral from the first season(and its association with the occult), the polar bear with the missing eye and the stuff animal version, Navarro's supernatural seeing and hearing, etc.
Eh, started good but not a fan of this episode. Drop in quality is noticable. For me the best example is quality of the scenes when 2 partners talk about personal and partially sensitive subjects here and in season 1. In season 1 its trully deep, here it looks amateurish and unrealistic. Also, i dont like so much direct supernatural connections. If they are true, then i dont like that by default in this kind of series, if they are "just in the head", that implies all of them are mentally ill and that illness is somehow givving them correct clues...
Still no compelling characters save for Fiona Shaw's, who's sadly missing from episode 3. The acting isn't great. Still watching, though. I did notice another season 1 shoutout during the scenes for next week when an eerie voice says, "You're in the dark country now." Very similar to Erol Childress saying to Cohle, "You're in Carcosa now."
There are so many problems with this season. HBO needs to just retire the True Detective title. This season is so disjointed. The writing is so bad. The dialog is so simple. Foster shines in almost every scene, but she alone couldn't help this mess of a show.
It seems like Issa Lopez is taking fan favorite elements and scenes from season 1 and and trying to tell a female led story that’s interesting but overplaying the supernatural elements to a level that they can’t explain away in a reasonable or entertaining way or god forbid they actually go supernatural in this season which will ruin all the nuance of the first season. You can’t just try and retell the first season but more spooky and all women.
Apart from the scene in the hospital at the end this episode was very dull. There are just far too many slow domestic scenes that have absolutely nothing to do with the case at all. I feel like they're not paying enough attention to the frozen men. Even when it becomes apparent one of them has thawed out and taken off they still just leave the kid there to look after them. No one in the town seems the least bit curious that their hockey rink that up until a day or two ago is off limits. If I was watching over a group of frozen and apparently dead men and one of them came back to life and took off, I'd up the security at least. As a writer I'd up the tension too. I don't mind slow as long as it's interesting but these scenes of pregnancy, lovers' spats and conversations about tinder are way yoo dull for the potential of this show. Eps one and two were great but the wheels are starting to loosen.
I actually re-watched this epsiode because was so fvcking horrible. The natives humming for 5 minutes, the 9 minute birthing scene in the beginning . I mean God damn this so effing horrible. Mediocre season 3 seems like a masterpiece in comparison. Imagine watching season 1 and then this right afterward. A Mexican feminist wrote this and it shows.
I want to see how Night Country ends, but it’s a shame what True Detective has become. This season is awful! The writing is bad, the characters aren’t interesting, the case is barely interesting and the supernatural stuff is a huge turnoff.
I’ll wait for the season to end before coming to conclusions. I think this season is ok so far, better than S2, not as good as S3, not in the same stratosphere as S1
Really? Better than season 2! Season 2 wasn’t as good as 1, but it was still good. I like season 2 better than 3, simply because season 3’s ending was weak in my opinion. Night Shift is only half way in and I already have so many issues with it.
@@michaelperez9966 the ending for 3 wasn’t strong, but both leads were very good and the story was better overall than S2. Right now, Foster is carrying the show.
@@xandercrews4729 I agree! Season 3 had a more interesting case, but season 2 had a better ending. The ending is the most important part of a story though.
The entire premise of this show is so stupid and unbelievable If a group of iinternational scientists and researchers are found frozen naked together in a frozen pool then it becomes a case of the state and FBI not some local old cop or wannabe girlboss tropper.If the FBI wishes they will consult with them.But here we have them keeping those frozen bodies in a ice skating ring for days with just emo kid cop guarding them and local vetinery trying to perform forensics 😂
the drama side of things the new season is kinda bad, I don't really care about the lesbian teen who made the underage video, in general all the characters are kinda unlikeable within the show, the over the top sex scenes don't add anything to the plot narrative wise, and the biggest deal breaker of all is the fact that this season is incredibly slow
Sorry for the weird edit at a minute and a half. The scene with Marty and Ledoux got the video an age restriction which kills the views so I had to trim it out. It feels like the end is going to come quick. Let me know what you think at the halfway point.
I don't say it flippantly, but your review is more entertaining than the show itself! Finding S4 a slog but your analysis makes it so much more engaging. Sláinte! 🍻
This may seem random but there is a village in France called Port Saint Esprit that the water caused people there to have hallucinations and go mad in the 50s. I used to live there and it loomed large in the mythology there and did happen. They never knew why, speculation about government testing of chemicals .... it reminds of this in some ways... a very mysterious place even today.
That’s a perfect lead indeed
Reminds me of Stephen King's story Gray Matter where the cheap beer gone bad turns to grey slush, just like the Ennis tap water.
Ground water is naturally mixed with whatever is around it. There have been more than one case of communities in low valleys falling down dead after a co2 bubble deep in the ground burst upward pushing through a well or a lake, pushing the lighter O2 upward temporarily, smothering anything on the ground without warning or recourse.
It’s been suggested that the fungus rye ergot on bread may have contributed to the hysteria of the Salem witch hunt.
The CIA was responsible for this
I feel that the polluted water was the reason why the men ran out to their deaths. It caused hallucinations connected to their guilt of killing/covering up the murder of Anne (her ghost chasing them). That would be the most grounded explanation instead of a sudden supernatural entity.
That first scene was so powerful!!!! I cried and smiled in a matter of seconds, talk about a rollercoaster of emotions
Wow! I can’t believe the details you’ve picked up from these episodes! Thx for the insight and the theories!!
Been refreshing all day waiting for this! Watched a few others but this is the one I wait to see. Great recap and analysis
yep, agree 100%, these reviews are the simply the most complete and well researched.
yep, agree 100%, these reviews are the simply the most complete and well researched.
Danvers had a (seemingly) throwaway line about Navarro dating women. I feel like that’s gonna come back in a reveal that Navarro was involved with either Annie K or Danvers. (Could explain Danvers’ line about the cans too.)
Fear of the unknown is a huge theme this season.
-Danvers fear of her daughter embracing the culture of her people, and ending up dead or hurt.
-Navarro's fear of becoming like her mother.
-Annie K i the video is pure fear, but we don't know of what.
Interesting points: When we first see Blair with her eye covered (like the polar bear) in a split second we can see she only has 3 fingers. In episode 2 we see the partial print, which also has 3 fingers.
Another HUGE clue:
Episde 2 at the hockey rink: "5 pair of pants, 3 shoes." In the same scene at 23:55 we see 5-3 on the score board. 5 fingers on the left hand, 3 fingers on the right. All pointing to Blair.
Thank you! That was bugging me for the longest time knowing there was something to the 5-3, & having nowhere to start with too broad of a search parameter. They also gave us Player 9 in the penalty box with :53 on the clock in the timeout. Clues pointing to the scene or bringing clues to the scene (bringing the bodies to the ice rink owned by Silver Sky with games sponsored by Blue King), there are more crimes that we haven't seen yet, the whole town is like a crime scene.
actually, protesters/environmentalism, lgbtq, mental health, indian affairs, etc, are huge themes. basically, it's 'woke detective'.
If it’s Blair this is the worst season
@@KanyeWestwasRight it's already the worst. It's basically a soap opera.....with less action.
@@zzz7zzz9 'Woke' has become the poster child for a piss poor excuse for intelligent commentary. What does 'woke' even mean ? Answer ? anything that doesnt fir your own worldview ... Pathetic.
Not a fan of the dialogue or pacing this season. Also not sure it deserves the True Detective label. The frost-bitten zombie coming back to life and speaking as if he's in conversation with the dead is just too much. The whole season seems so damn out of place and completely in contrast with any reality establishrd in previous seasons including the disaster of S2.
I thought the song TWIST AND SHOUT may apply to the scientists found frozen. It looked like they “twisted and shouted “ before they died.
Oh shit completely missed that! Good catch 👌
I don't see how the show can redeem itself if it's this bad halfway through. They will have to pull a complete 180 if they want this score anything higher than a 6/10
Great review, Pete. This is one of your best and examines all of the questions and reactions I've had perfectly. Thanks. That scene where what we see doesn't match Danvers' unreliable narration is really intriguing. Has anybody seen this storytelling method used before? I like your take on Deputy Pete and I feel like he's the moral center of the show.
It was done in season one of TD where Cole was testifying in front of his peers about what went down at the caravan shootout.
I really liked the Annie intro. I actually didn’t like the Lund scenes. I thought they were silly and cheesy. So much is going on and though I love supernatural I hope things come together in a believable way. Great review as always
Lol, something more than a cup of coffee to the face is coming for Hank 7:33
Like Pete said, there are some potential “answers” but they don’t explain everything. One thing I was thinking is that Annie discovered something (seen in her phone video) that would cause the mine to have to shut down. Some cultural artifacts or dinosaur fossils that would be important enough for an authority to say the mining company can’t disturb the ground.
And this would be motive for her murder and cover up .
I like this theory a lot, in next week's trailer the cave is shown to be a mapped location but the high school geology teacher says it would be a death trap, so something fossilized could have gone a long time undiscovered & be a potentially significant find that would justify an archeological dig that would put Silver Sky (& maybe a Tuttle United vested interest) out of business. The severed tongue sure seems like a message that anyone like her getting in their way is going to be silenced.
Im concerned they will not stick the landing and will go for the "open to interpretations", let the viewer decide type of ending. X-Files did this very well, but this is not it. They don't have a 20 episodes season to work on it. This episode was so nothing that I slept midway though it, woke up when they were arriving to talk with Tagaq and didn't feel i lost anything important. Too much world building and not enough payoff, in a 6 episodes season? Doesn't look like it will work at all. Also, the ice cave in the end and the Tavviq fishing spot will in the shed will connect, I think.
same. i tuned right out this episode. that opening birthing scene? wtf was that? minutes wasted, of a very short season, for nothing. they could have connected this to season one/rust so easily, but it looks like they dropped the ball.
the trailer used to be Rust's, while he was up there. he could have left lots of his notes, etc, behind, and then annie and clark found it all when they lived in the trailer. they became obsessed with the case and especially the spiral symbol.
The high school science teacher had told Danvers that the scientists were looking for something that would extend cellular life… I think they were experimenting with this possibly on a dead body, maybe even Navarro’s dead mother’s body? And they woke her up! Also, Peter walked away from Danvers and Navarro while they were watching the video of Annie… he knows something about her death. Thanks for your episode break down!
Hi Pete, thanks for the excellent review. I’m so glad you mentioned ‘The Terror’ series. It was the first thing I thought of when I read the scientists’ blackboard saying ‘We are all dead’. I’m pretty sure Crozier from the Terror said, ‘We are all gone’, meaning that everyone from the Franklin expedition was dead (probably expecting himself to perish too) and people should stop sending rescue parties to such a dangerous part of the world. I have no idea what this might mean for S4 - maybe written by Clark? - but I’m sure there is a Franklin expedition reference in there somewhere.
They woke the "water goddess" with the contaminated black water . So She lead the scientists out into the frozen tundra where she has created a hot springs pool in the middle of ice tundra. The scientists took off their clothes and neatly placed on the ice. Then they all got into the warm water naked. But soon after the water begins to freeze up around them. They all huddle up in middle of the pool, climbing onto top of each other to escape. But none escape. The goddess gets her revenge.
🤔
I’m that would be terrible
Hey boys let’s leave our uneaten lunches on the table & all get naked to jump in a hot spring. But before we do, let’s write “we are all dead” in huge letters on a white board.
Jesus fucking Christ
You're the best, Pete. Thanks!
The Terror was awesome!!
Season 1 of The Terror was amazing!
Amazing as always Pete, thank you for these.
I was also remìnded of "The Terror". I only read the novel, and I didn't like solution at all. Therefore I didn't watch the show. But it's obvious that it had a strong influence on TD season 4. The only member of the Franklin expedition who survives in the novel got his tongue removed. But he finds out that he can survive without his tongue. I thought that the novel was well written, but it wasn't rooted in reality. It was a horror novel with supernatural elements.
I’m fairly sure the “hillbillies” are Tuttle operatives from Louisiana. The truck the my pulled up in played “Dixie” (not something generally associated with Alaska). If the mine is Tuttle owned and we have these season one connections I think the hillbillies are there to protect some secret nasty Tuttle stuff at the mine
The point isn’t whether or not the supernatural is real, but that people believe it is and act on that
This season is so good at times and then extremely network television at others and I’m mad at the kind of cheesy parts taking away from what feels like prestige-y tv at times.
People will not like the supernatural explanations being the cause of the deaths and if it isn’t, the show is wasting a lot of time trying to make us believe it is which isn’t in the spirit of the type of show people have come to expect of True Detective.
“Everything can be explained.” That line basically made me focus on the microbial, bad water, still births. But then I really started focusing on the missing women and mental illness. Then I saw a scene that told me who the killer(s) is/are.
Trust Pete! TD will solve all our questions... ty for vid
Thank you Pete. Love all your recaps. For me the best thing about this season is the connection to Season 1, which is a masterpiece and classic. I do not feel this is close to being as good as that, however, as I find a few things that just don't seem to work for me. I love Jodie Foster but she does look a bit old to be playing this part. That said, I'm in it til the end and hope it gets better as we go along. That's a big improvement over S2 and S3 which I couldn't even watch at all.
Good show. Its not as good as season 1. But I'm enjoying it a lot
There's no way they will ever top season 1 imo
I wonder if what Annie K found in the ice caverns is considered to be sacred to the Inupiat since it sounds like whatever the mining company is working on can potentially erase their history in Ennis.
I can see why this season is Navarro's story because she is mixed race and like Leah, slowly coming to learn their Inuptiat heritage at a bad time.
So far this season is better than 2 & 3, especially 2
Really? I thought this season was the worst by far! It’s got a completely different tone than the first three seasons, and not in a good way. The original writers being gone is probably the reason for that.
It may finish better than S3, but it’s not better right now.
Honestly to me season 3 was really good. Obviously not S1 but this season just ain’t it
@@jakethunderbird8735 it was really good, the ending just fell flat.
Since the evil rocket chair guy was whistling ”twist and shout” i belive that he had something to do with the accident that ruined Danvers life… and that she shot him. Maybe even that Danver and Navarro in some way was the reason that the woman was dead.
Has anyone mentioned the paint connection yet? Eroll from season 1 was painting and was identified because of the green paint. Then season 4 Hank is painting that room an almost green blue. Maybe it's a red herring but it felt like a connection and Hank is kinda turning out to be the suspect in plain sight that no one on the show is seeing.
weird theory, emerging... I was chatting with a friend and he pointed out that the hand print on the boot matched the lady at the crab factory who was missing some fingers. She also walked away SUPER suspicious when Danvers was questioning her and was distracted by the woman at the elevator. (Call back to when Rust missed Eroll in that first meeting?) She was wearing that blue green color. and with her cap on she also had the illusion of blue/green ears. The hockey rink was lit blue green when the lady owner and hank had the exchange and she said "I'm counting on you". I am starting to think we are maybe being told who is in linked in on the "real world" murders/cult by the subtle use of the color blue green. No idea how this would connect to the supernatural elements. Just a theory.
Some names that keep reoccurring
Clark Ellen, Audrey, Rust(y), Cousin Eddie, Las Vegas Nevada
If you listen to rose there is a difference from being a "Medium" vs mental health she is a medium and rose explain that its ok I believe Avangelean went to that in between place when she was in combat and I believe the little boy pulled her in to give his mother a message
I'm waiting for your thoughts on episode 4!
Did the orange remind you of the movie "ET" ? Liz even said it in the car with Navarro .
Did Eddie Qavvik talking to his dog remind you of "Old Yeller"?
Cogent, thoughtful and rational, as usual.
IMO, something supernatural has to be happening. The things Navaro saw and the things she didn't see. Animals that ran off the cliff, whatever happened at the crime scene. The lady following Jake(I believe) in the storm then finding the bodies and etc.
If this just comes down to mine pollution, it'd be a little dissapointing IMHO.
I like that better than anything supernatural
@@xandercrews4729 Yeah, but that's kinda a played out theme...pollution, radiation, etc.
@@oldatarigamer It is a bit, but I think that’s only part of the answer.
Im really liking this season. Its great so far!
Did the name Oliver remind you of the movie Oliver. Oliver twist and the Artfull Dodger?
Many of you have already said it. Many things we have seen are scenes to movies.
This season so far
The Deer Hunter
Star Wars (Also in season 1 ,2 and 3)
Ferris Bueller's day off
Vegas Vacation
the Godfather
Old Yeller
ET
The Shining
The thing
the exorcist
the Blair Witch project
The Graduate
The Dayotlov pass incident.
THE ACCUSED was reenacted by Jody Foster herself
Annie??? because the sun will come out tomorrow?
I thought the polar bear reminded me more of a Coca Cola commercial at Christmas, rather then an evil omen.
And we are only on episode 3
There was an ode to Woody in season 1 where they show and later Marty wears the big belt buckle that his character won in
"The Cowboy Way" in which he starred with Kieth Sutherland.
The Godfather was in there too
and Hardcore
These are NOT eastereggs, but overt clues to the entire series
Thx ❤
She found it. It is the entity they were looking for. It was in her dreams and the reason for getting the tattoo. She deliberately became friends with Clark to find it she was getting close to Clark to uncover tsalal's secret. They find her in mines and killed her and made it like a hate crime. And after 7 years they managed to free the entity against its will and now they are dead.
Why are there dozens of references to movies, music, and tv commercials in ALL the seasons of True Detective??
Fortitude… it’s on MAXi think
I wonder if Annie was a midwife for Danvers at one point? She seemed very uncomfortable going to that stillborn baby’s wake and there seemed to be lots of tension. Not to mention that screaming from Annie at the end sounded exactly like the opening scene with Annie delivering the baby. Maybe Danvers is hiding something about Annie herself.
Also
Did anybody else notice something in the sky when Navarro was out on the ice? It looked like an image of something I couldn’t make it out but me and my girlfriend both noticed it at the same time
🤔🤔🤔🤔🕵️♂️ Good eyes, you two!
You may be on to something which hasn't been talked about a lot so far: the importance of children - especially children with Inuit heritage. Liz has been the mother of two children with Inuit heritage: not only Leah, but also Holden, who has definitely Inuit genes just like Leah! I looked up the name of the child actor who got the role of Holden - and he has a name which clearly suggests indigenous roots. This proves that Holden is supposed to have Inuit heritage, just like Leah. But if Holden is really Liz's biological son, her husband Jake must've been Inuit or mixed-raced - but if Jake was Caucasian like his wife, he cannot be Holden's biological father! We only see Jake Petersen who is Liz's husband, in a very short scene when they dance together. My initial reaction was that these two people couldn't both be the biological parents of little Holden! Jake Petersen looked totally Caucasian to me. But someone on reddit published a screen grab of Jake - and I had to concede that he might possibly be mixed-raced. I really don't know. But if Jake isn't Holden's biological father, Liz must've had an affair with a man who is Inuit or mixed-raced - or little Holden has been adopted! The parentage of Leah and Holden seems to be complicated. Who is Holden's biological father, and who is Leah's biological mother? If Jake is Caucasian, Leah's biological mother must've been a mixed-race or an Inuit woman. Personally I like the theory that Annie is Leah's birth mother. The timeline is compatible with that idea. Annie would've been ca. 18 years at the time of Leah's birth. If Liz knows that Annie was Leah's mother, it would explain her anxieties and some of her odd behavior towards Leah! So far most of us believe that Liz is just somewhat racist. But she mothered and loved two kids with Inuit heritage.
As to your idea that Annie may have got some informations because of her midwife job: this is really an intriguing idea. Could she have known that little Holden wasn't the biological son of Liz, as we all have thought before we got a look at the little boy and Liz's husband Jake? But if Holden was adopted, who were his biological parents, and was the adoption legal? Annie could've had a few ideas!
I think that the adoption of Inuit children by Caucasian parents may become an issue in the upcoming episodes. There has been a very traumatizing time during the 1960s, when the Canadian government allowed that Inuit children were taken away from their indigenous families, and they were adopted by Caucasian parents! It was called the "Sixties Grab". If you want to learn more about this, you can take a look at the Wikipedia article about the well known Canadian actor Eric Schweig who is best known as Uncas in the great movie "The Last Of The Mohicans". He had an Inuit mother and a German father, but he was taken away from his mother when he was 6 months old. Many Inuit families have been traumatized, and many children didn't develop a secure sense of belonging. Therefore the adoption of Inuit children by Caucasian parents is looked at very critically today. The question of who are little Holden's biological parents may become important in the last three episodes.
Edit: Annie was killed in 2017: depending on how old she was when she died, she must've been very young - possibly younger than 18 if she was really Leah's biological mother. But I don't think that makes it impossible to be Leah's mother. She could have been a teenage mother. This would make it actually more plausible that Leah didn't grow up with her but with her dad. Teenage Annie may have been unable to care and provide for her baby daughter.
@@dianegreyson8787 , that's a very interesting thought! Was that the only reason why you started to believe that Holden might not have been Liz's biological son?
Take a look at Darwin's pillow its covered in Egyptian gods and a spiral eye at the 43:14 mark
Nice catch! They did this earlier with Qavvik & his pillow in ep 2, now with Darwin there's the spiral, an object that looks like an Iñupiat codebreaker, a section above them with what could be acolytes worshipping a goddess, blue & orange flowers, gold water, & black eyed polar bears. Pillowcases got a lot going on this season & stories to tell, the symbology's getting thicker than gumbo.
Im trying to give this season the benefit of the doubt but I don’t see this season being better than season 3 or 1(obviously). Also don’t like how they shoehorned rust cohles dad into the show.
Great review as usual. I think Hank Prior is involved somehow, and what’s up with his mail ordered bride who he is sending money to… I am hoping he is getting duped because he is such a nasty person. I agree with you that the introduction of Oliver Tagaq must mean something relevant, but the character does not appear in any more episodes. The murder of Evangeline’s mother is part of it I am certain!
Might be nothing, but “Ennis” is “Sinner” backwards without the “r”.
Did Hank make you think of the movie "The Graduate"?
Do the names Clark, Ellen, Audry, Rust, Cousin Eddie, and Las Vegas Nevada remind you of "Vegas Vacation"?
It’s seemed really obvious to me from the first episode that all of those people in the Corpsicle drowned.
I mean…. The clothes are all folded as if they decided to go swimming. The way they’re frozen in the ice looks as if they were all underwater. When ghost-Travis led Fiona Shaw to the corpsicle, he was miming like a person drowning underwater. And then you’ve got all the underwater imagery during the opening credits.
I have no clue how the environment changed such that swimming/drowning was possible, but I see no other clear explanation. The video with Annie K in the ice from her phone makes me think this even more.
and BTW there is the figure of a female in the ice at the end of the video after Annie gets pulled away. She's missing an eye(damaged maybe), like several other women have been in every episode. Looks like she(image) is missing some fingers as well.
Lot of whistling in this episode, and a lot going on under the ice. Along with hallunications. Or as Danvers would say, Ask the question. Lab guys trying to claw their way up...? Annie found "it" under the ice, she and phone end up above...
Loving this season
Did you not see the wang in this shot? lol 4:06
Why is the kid with the bear shot reversed? Is she back in the middle east where her fellow soldier got her face blown off?
7:52 he is behind the case.
He's definitely hiding things and obviously the villain type but I doubt he is the master mind. My guess is the lady who let them use the hockey rink is more involved than him. I mean, he seems to have money to throw away to his Russian mail order bride lol and I doubt his cop pay covers all that so he must be getting paid under the table somewhere
Did the Scientist frozen in ice remind you of Han Solo encased in Carbonite?
Navarro’s lover(his name escapes me) could have much more to do with things than it would appear so far. Having someone present a quid pro quo scenario to an investigator isn’t a very common method of communication to just better understand someone(which I do think is generally his intention) but it was a nod to Lector and Clarice in Silence of the Lambs and telling us he wants info use against her
What about the star war reference? Han Solo encased in Carbonite.
Navarro is the Inuit goddess
Did Lund sitting up in the bed remind you of "The Exorcist?
The supernatural aspects seem to be interesting narrative tools but ultimately seem to be distracting. Rose's line from Episode 2 about not confusing mental health with spirituality may be more of a nod to any spores/chemicals that may have gotten into the water/ice in the area as result of the mine. Possible the researchers were looking into it and had a shared delusion, putting Clarke into the position of disposal and the resulting corpsicle.
Dood, the killer is Hank Prior, I could have written this..
I don’t think he’s the killer, but he knows something.
Annie boyfriend told her something was in the ice
Did the hunter and the reindeer remind you of "the Deerhunter?
Did the name ANNIE remind you of the movie Annie? there is no sun, but it will come out tomorrow.
Did Annie's video on the phone remind you of "The Blair Witch Project"
Its getting a bit too woo woo for me.
You have:
- the water 💦 💧 🚿 that might be the cause of the hallucinations and violence actions
- the mental illness issue from key characters
- the potential to of women groups that avenged other women that get abused by man or murder if this is the case then they might put drugs in the food chain as well that give people hallucinations
It could be all of those clue ties together at the same time without being Linke to the supernatural
but then how does the spiral fit in?
hank is a compony man, the childs grandmother who spoke whilst she fed her mac cheese ..was a ghost.
No, everyone in the room saw her.
It's not fully supernatural, I promise you that
This episode got me worried about the show - it's starting to feel like a bad Stephen King movie/story. Just minimal subtlety and not so satisfying questions being asked. This should've been called something else; not True Detective.
Now it’s a horror show! Not much detective stuff.
Yea they r leaniway 2 hard on season 1 here, feels like they r trying 2 pull the success from season 1 into season 4, especially with the failures of the other season.
Im going to be very annoyed if all the occult and supernatural stuff is all just a "coincidence"*(red herring) and the killer was a woman with mental health(Navarro or the woman whose ex-boyfriend got knocked out in the 1st episode) issue who was able to scare a group of men to death(with or without a toxin or drug or whatever in their system) and drag their bodies out on to the ice...its manipulative story telling.
*The Tuttle family owning the research lab, Rusts father being from there, his mom or whoever she is seeing her dad's ghost who leads her to the bodies, 3 of the characters all hearing the ghostly "She's Awake". The spiral from the first season(and its association with the occult), the polar bear with the missing eye and the stuff animal version, Navarro's supernatural seeing and hearing, etc.
Eh, started good but not a fan of this episode. Drop in quality is noticable. For me the best example is quality of the scenes when 2 partners talk about personal and partially sensitive subjects here and in season 1. In season 1 its trully deep, here it looks amateurish and unrealistic. Also, i dont like so much direct supernatural connections. If they are true, then i dont like that by default in this kind of series, if they are "just in the head", that implies all of them are mentally ill and that illness is somehow givving them correct clues...
Say “Darwin’s Drawing” 20 times
Did Liz's sex scene remind you of the movie "The Accused"?
Still no compelling characters save for Fiona Shaw's, who's sadly missing from episode 3. The acting isn't great. Still watching, though.
I did notice another season 1 shoutout during the scenes for next week when an eerie voice says, "You're in the dark country now." Very similar to Erol Childress saying to Cohle, "You're in Carcosa now."
This feels like a cheap version of the outsider 🤷
Gotta be honest - I'm not really feelin' this season. The supernatural-ish stuff doesn't do it for me.
There are so many problems with this season. HBO needs to just retire the True Detective title. This season is so disjointed. The writing is so bad. The dialog is so simple. Foster shines in almost every scene, but she alone couldn't help this mess of a show.
It seems like Issa Lopez is taking fan favorite elements and scenes from season 1 and and trying to tell a female led story that’s interesting but overplaying the supernatural elements to a level that they can’t explain away in a reasonable or entertaining way or god forbid they actually go supernatural in this season which will ruin all the nuance of the first season. You can’t just try and retell the first season but more spooky and all women.
This show stinks. Shouldn't be allowed to call itself "true detective"
such a waisted plot..
Apart from the scene in the hospital at the end this episode was very dull. There are just far too many slow domestic scenes that have absolutely nothing to do with the case at all. I feel like they're not paying enough attention to the frozen men. Even when it becomes apparent one of them has thawed out and taken off they still just leave the kid there to look after them. No one in the town seems the least bit curious that their hockey rink that up until a day or two ago is off limits. If I was watching over a group of frozen and apparently dead men and one of them came back to life and took off, I'd up the security at least. As a writer I'd up the tension too. I don't mind slow as long as it's interesting but these scenes of pregnancy, lovers' spats and conversations about tinder are way yoo dull for the potential of this show. Eps one and two were great but the wheels are starting to loosen.
I actually re-watched this epsiode because was so fvcking horrible. The natives humming for 5 minutes, the 9 minute birthing scene in the beginning . I mean God damn this so effing horrible. Mediocre season 3 seems like a masterpiece in comparison. Imagine watching season 1 and then this right afterward. A Mexican feminist wrote this and it shows.
Not a fan of this season at all. Huge disappointment.
only 3 more weeks till the huge reveal
I’m not digging it so far.
I want to see how Night Country ends, but it’s a shame what True Detective has become. This season is awful! The writing is bad, the characters aren’t interesting, the case is barely interesting and the supernatural stuff is a huge turnoff.
I’ll wait for the season to end before coming to conclusions. I think this season is ok so far, better than S2, not as good as S3, not in the same stratosphere as S1
Really? Better than season 2! Season 2 wasn’t as good as 1, but it was still good. I like season 2 better than 3, simply because season 3’s ending was weak in my opinion. Night Shift is only half way in and I already have so many issues with it.
@@michaelperez9966 the ending for 3 wasn’t strong, but both leads were very good and the story was better overall than S2. Right now, Foster is carrying the show.
@@xandercrews4729 I agree! Season 3 had a more interesting case, but season 2 had a better ending. The ending is the most important part of a story though.
@@michaelperez9966 not a fan of S2 ending, but it still had its high points: Farrell’s acting, the shootout, and the underground tunnel chase.
The entire premise of this show is so stupid and unbelievable If a group of iinternational scientists and researchers are found frozen naked together in a frozen pool then it becomes a case of the state and FBI not some local old cop or wannabe girlboss tropper.If the FBI wishes they will consult with them.But here we have them keeping those frozen bodies in a ice skating ring for days with just emo kid cop guarding them and local vetinery trying to perform forensics 😂
This shows ability to select the worst/most annoying music possible continues to astound.
That theme song is a disgrace
billie eilish. fits in with the bs themes they are pushing in this season.
the drama side of things the new season is kinda bad, I don't really care about the lesbian teen who made the underage video, in general all the characters are kinda unlikeable within the show, the over the top sex scenes don't add anything to the plot narrative wise, and the biggest deal breaker of all is the fact that this season is incredibly slow