Then came the shows much-anticipated 2015 follow-up, which was critically drubbed as a step-down.
After that, the showrunner went quiet, and the future ofTrue Detectivebecame uncertain.
On Sunday, the series returns for its third season.
Credit: Warrick Page/HBO
Oscar-winnerMahershala Ali stars as Det.
Wayne Hays, who investigates the 1980 disappearance of two children across three different time periods.
Yet Pizzolatto himself is coming across a bit differently.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Or at various moments during our chat below.
Its so subtle and so controlled.
And Im excited by the story.
What was that spontaneous moment of inspiration?
What if the detectives ultimate mystery is: Who am I?
And: What did my life mean?
I didnt know it would be aTrue Detective, I just had this idea.
It felt like an impossible math problem at first.
Well, how do you do that?
When I started writing, I didnt know if it would be a movie or something else.
It all kind of fit together the atmosphere and the partnership.
[The season 1 similarities] felt organic, they didnt feel calculated.
And I was pleased to see them because I thought the audience would be pleased by them.
Youre moved off that pretty quickly.
Its really not informed by that.
Mahershala Alihas said that he was originallyoffered the secondary role, now played by Stephen Dorff.
He lobbied you for the lead role and then, after some consideration, you agreed.
How did that go on your end?
And I asked Mahershala, I said, The story is about time and love and memory.
And he said he didnt want that.
What he liked about this was this is a fully formed character who wasnt defined by that.
And I knew Id be lucky to have an actor of his caliber.
So then I just went back to the first two episodes and looked at how to switch it around.
Its almost like he gave me permission to enter this characters mind.
Once I made those changes and saw Mahershalas performance I couldnt imagine it being any other way.
But given Haysmemory problem can we even trust the accuracy of what weareseeing?
Or is even that unreliable and suspect?If youre seeing it, its reliable.
So he is a reliable narrator.
When he doesnt know something, we know it.
The fluidity and mercurial quality of memory, how it cant be fully trusted.
A fantastic experience on every level.
Jeremy Saulnier directed the first two episodes and was reportedly originally was supposed to direct more when he left.
And Dan Sackheim did 3, 6, 7, and 8.
It was always the plan that I was going to do two middle episodes.
I think you just got to follow the vision.
You cant worry too much about whats been done or whats coming.
You have the meta bit in the season about having a documentary calledTrue Criminalwithin the show.
The detective show is TVs most popular and most well-worn drama genre.
Its a big challenge.
Just the idea of this [season] is very challenging.
How do you put all the pieces together and not be cutesy with the audience?
To keep everything above board, with no tricks up your sleeve?
You talked about narrative reliability.
Theres one non-spoiler scene I was going to cite in particular, from an episode you directed.
Then it cuts to his 1990 self who sees the bedroom door open a bit on its own.
I found that sad and powerful.Thank you.
You could feel reverberations of something that has yet to happen.
Thanks, Im really glad that stuck to you.
I think you could have an idea of what happened before those events are dramatized.
But the full solution toeverythingthat happened … maybe somebody could.
I dont think I could, but Im not that smart.
You probably hate being asked this at this stage, but do you plan to do a fourth season?
After one of these I always feel so depleted.
But I have to say …
I have an idea.
You do?Yeah, and its wild.
Its really, really wild.
Where do you even go after this [season]?
But I have an idea thats kind of crazy.
I think it needs to percolate for a while.
I was looking to do another series, maybe a movie, in the meantime, but yeah.
I had sort of putTrue Detectiveon a shelf.
I was working on something else for HBO during most of 2016.
So I was working, I just wasnt working onTrue Detective.
But I would say now Im feeling generative and want to keep that momentum going if Im allowed to.
True Detective returns Sunday, Jan. 13 to HBO.
