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True Detective season 4 release date, cast, plot, and more news

With Jodie Foster and Kali Reis starring, it's time to go back to our occultist roots deep in Alaska with True Detective season 4.

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What is the True Detective season 4 release date? Since 2014, True Detective has been one of the most popular shows on HBO. Now, the anthology mystery series is finally returning with a standalone case and a new cast taking center stage.

Season 1 of True Detective, which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, quickly became regarded as one of the best TV series ever made. Since then, we’ve seen seasons come and go with a stacked cast that has included Rachel McAdams, Colin Farrell, and Mahershala Ali.

Now in its fourth season, Jodie Foster steps up as the new lead detective on a disturbing case set in a shadowy Alaskan town. It’s almost certainly going to become the best thriller series of the year, so here’s everything we know about the True Detective season 4 release date, cast, plot, and more.

True Detective season 4 release date

True Detective season 4 will debut in early 2024, with its first episode landing on HBO on January 14, 2024 at 9PM ET/PT. 

In all honesty, we were hoping to see the new season of the show release in 2023, but a slight delay was a given after 2023’s Hollywood strikes. True Detective is one of several shows that were impacted.

Still, January 2024 (in the depths of Winter) at least seems to suit the overall vibe of this latest murder mystery.

True Detective season 4 release date: Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers in True Detective season 4

Who will be in the True Detective season 4 cast?

 Jodie Foster and Kali Reis are leading the True Detective season 4 cast, playing Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro respectively.

Honestly, seeing Jodie Foster step back into a haunted detective role like the good old days of Silence of the Lambs is going to be incredible. And like every True Detective season, there’s plenty of other crazy Hollywood talent helping proceedings move along, including the likes of former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston, and the astonishingly talented Fiona Shaw.

Here’s the full True Detective season 4 cast list:

  • Jodie Foster as Detective Liz Danvers
  • Kali Reis as Detective Evangeline Navarro
  • John Hawkes as Hank Prior
  • Christopher Eccleston as Ted Corsaro
  • Fiona Shaw as Rose Aguineau
  • Finn Bennett as Peter Prior
  • Anna Lambe as Kayla Malee
  • Aka Niviâna as Julia
  • Isabella Star Lablanc as Leah
  • Joel D. Montgrand as Eddie Qavvik

True Detective season 4 release date: Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in True Detective season 4

What happens in True Detective season 4?

The True Detective season 4 plot will see two detectives, Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, unraveling the mystery of a mass disappearance in Alaska. 

The upcoming season will be subtitled ‘Night Country’. Night Country will be set during the Arctic winter in Alaska, during the period of time when the sun never rises — it’s dark all day and night. A mass disappearance? An eerie, bitingly cold setting? A crime-fighting duo? Sounds exactly like the gripping set-up for a True Detective storyline that we’re used to.

The trailer for the new season also showed that there might be a return to the same type of occult plot seen in season 1, which is brilliant news for True Detective fans. As a line in the trailer explains, the mystery all begins with, “five bodies all frozen into a giant block of flesh,” which is every bit as gruesome and dark as we’ve come to expect from the show.

True Detective season 4 release date: Jodie Foster and Kali Reis

Is there a True Detective season 4 trailer?

The first full trailer for True Detective season 4 was released on September 27, 2023, giving a detailed look at what to expect from the new season as well as some insight into the grisly and gruesome story that’s about to unfold.

There’s plenty of terrifying imagery that helps to set the tone, and we’re absolutely in love with everything we’ve seen so far. Check it out for yourself below:

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Where can I watch True Detective season 4?

Since it’s an HBO original, True Detective season 4 will air on HBO and be available to stream on Max simultaneously.

If you’re in the UK, this means that you should be able to watch the series on Sky or Now TV. Currently, the first three seasons of True Detective are available to stream on the Max streaming service.

True Detective season 4 release date: Jodie Foster looks at photographs in True Detective season 4

How many episodes of True Detective season 4 will there be?

Unlike the first three seasons, True Detective season 4 will consist of 6 episodes. This is two less than typical for the show, but it’s all about quality over quantity, right?

That’s everything we know about True Detective season 4. If you’re a fan of solving mysteries, check out our guides to the best detective movies or best thriller movies. You can also take a look at everything new on Max this month. What’s more, we’ve got a list of the best movies of all time (no doubt you’ll find Silence of the Lambs on there). If you like the darkness but want something less serious, check out what we know about Netflix’s Wednesday season 2.