True Detective Season 3 Premiere Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs From Episodes 1 & 2

1. It Shouldn't Have Been A Two-Parter

HBO are obviously hoping that the return of True Detective also means a return of the hype that once accompanied the show, and as such, they decided to make the premiere a two-hour event.

The second episode, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, does some great character work and further expands the narrative and central mystery, and in its own terms it is a solid episode. However, it also loses something by coming straight after the season opener, The Great War and Modern Memory. The big reason for this is the ending of the first episode, which plays out in absolutely stunning fashion: the chilling discovery of Will Purcell in 1980, followed by the shock reveal of Julie Purcell still being alive in the 90s.

It's the kind of ending that makes a real statement, and almost certainly would've had the kind of impact the True Detective of old did with regards to people talking about it and speculating as to what comes next. It would've been great to sit with that double-reveal for another week, rather than robbing it of some of its power with a more standard follow-up.

What did you think of True Detective's first two episodes? Let us know down in the comments.