How Weekly Release, Reddit Culture Helped True Detective: Night Country Become Franchise’s Most Watched Season

how weekly release, reddit culture helped true detective night country become franchise most watched season

Last week, when it was officially announced that True Detective was renewed for a fifth season, it was a bit of sweet revenge for the new showrunner Issa López. Since the show released earlier this earlier on HBO and its streaming partner Max (it streams in India on Jio Cinema), this new iteration has been criticised by a small, disgruntled contingent of fans who were then boosted by the franchise’s creator, Nic Pizzalatto.

But eventually, it all didn’t matter as True Detective: Night Country drew an average viewership of 12.7 million across platforms for each episode. The average numbers for the first season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson were 11.9 million. The first season has always remained a benchmark for the following ones and Night Country has been the only one to match or surpass it in terms of audience numbers and critical acclaim.

Weekly Release strategy benefited Night Country’s narrative (Spoilers ahead!)

The current season, written and directed by López, featured Jodie Foster as Chief Liz Danvers and Kali Reis as Trooper Evangeline Navarro. The story is set in a remote town of Ennis, Alaska where the snow is plentiful, and daylight is limited. After eight male scientists disappear one night from a research station, the two women reluctantly come together to solve the case and revive another unsolved mystery.

Using the bleak Alaskan setting, the story of Night Country brewed over time. López introduced an element which excited fans of the first season. Adding additional context and linking to season 1, Night Country examined the character of Travis Cohle (Erling Eliasson) and his past. He also happened to be Rust’s late father, played by McConaughey. Another Easter egg to the first season arrived in the form of Tuttle United, which was the family involved in the conspiracy that first pair of detectives investigate.

Over on Reddit, this went over like wildfire. Theories about the plot, characters and themes were being discussed by fans in mini essays. Fans shared reviews by critics who praised the new direction of the franchise and hailed it for making it a must-see weekly drama. Others tried to dismantle the show, episode by episode, and search for hidden clues.

All this was only possible because the show was released weekly. If all episodes had dropped at the same time, the ending would have been out on the same day. The ending was satisfying for many because they had gone on a journey with the series. In a binge format, the feeling of euphoria for digesting a show is short-lived.

López on True Detective: Night Country

The showrunner shared that even she was surprised by the success and level of engagement from fans. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “The amount of love on reviews and podcasts and coverage, but also on social media and everything … it’s just not only the amount, but the enthusiasm and the declarations of this moved me. I cannot stop thinking about it. It’s just very profound.”

When she comes back for season 5, hopefully López continues to use this success as inspiration. The studio has also signed her up for an overall deal to develop more content for them in addition to the True Detective franchise.