True Detective Season 3: 8 Ways It's Saved The Show

8. Mahershala Ali

Arguably this should top the list, given that Ali’s powerhouse performance in all three timelines has done the lion’s share of the work in dragging the show back from the brink. However, his contribution to the show is so obviously instrumental, it’s work exploring the finer points of the show’s revival too.

Before that though, testament needs to be paid to Ali’s great work here. His convincingly confused and tragic depiction of a detective with Alzheimer’s is understandably getting most of the plaudits, but the subtle differences between the gritty idealist he plays during the original investigation and the beat down, worn out cop he’s become by the time the case is reopened is fascinating to watch.

We’re sympathetic with him to a point, rooting for him to solve the crime, but we can sense the darkness within him. Scenes around his family are electric with tension too.

Matthew McConaughey’s career was rebuilt by his turn in the show and the other phenomenal roles he kept picking up at Gatling gun speed in the early 2010s. For Ali, this might have solidified him as one of the best character actors of the generation.