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

Ups...

7. It's Already Better Than Season 2

True Detective's second season was, simply, something of a mess. While most of the central performances weren't bad, the characters weren't as rich, and the tone was more in line with a bog-standard detective drama than the occultist, philosophising Season 1.

It didn't help, either, that the plot became such a convoluted mess that it seemed half the internet had to read Slate's 4,000 word breakdown of just what the hell was actually going on. The great news, then, is that even just two episodes in, True Detective Season 3 is better than Season 2.

Already there's a much greater sense of confidence in the show, and it feels like Nic Pizzolatto has got his mojo back (there's no denying that timing played a part in Season 2's lack of quality). There's a very clear setup, well-drawn characters, and a real sense of purpose about these first two episodes, suggesting, if not completely confirming, that this really is a major return to form for True Detective. Given how many had given up, that's no mean feat.