John Hawkes as Hank Prior wearing his police uniform and looking at something off screen in True Detective: Night Country Episode 5. Image via HBO
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Jen Vestuto is a TV Features Writer for Collider. A born and raised New Yorker, she started her career on set as a production assistant for shows like Law & Order: SVU and Person of Interest. In LA, she worked in the writers' rooms for The Vampire Diaries and Nancy Drew. Along with her writing partner, she joined the writing staff of Nancy Drew in Season 2 and stayed on the run of the show, which ended in 2022 with Season 4.
Jen grew up on Long Island in a loud Italian family. She's been writing creatively since she was in elementary school and would often make her younger sister act out scenes from her favorite movies with her. Jen is also a massive sports fan and was an athlete herself growing up.
Writing features for Collider gives her the opportunity to share her passion for great storytelling and compelling characters.
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When it comes to modern crime dramas, few series have made as big an impact as HBO’s True Detective. Across four seasons, the anthology has delivered some of TV’s most memorable mysteries, along with a few uneven installments. Still, the series has always stayed committed to making the detectives just as layered and compelling as the case they’re trying to solve. But amid that legacy, True Detective: Night Country stands out as something truly special. For the first time, the season was written and directed by a woman, Issa López, and centered its mystery around two women, played by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, who deliver some of the most powerful and emotionally complex performances the series has ever seen.
With a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, Night Country became the franchise’s best-reviewed season since its 2014 debut. A dark and chilling story — literally and figuratively — it blends character-driven drama with a brutal, snow-covered landscape that only heightens the sense of danger and horror. The result is a haunting winter binge that’s worth revisiting or experiencing for the first time.
What Is HBO's 'True Detective: Night Country' About?
Set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, Night Country opens with an eerie disappearance straight out of The Thing. A team of scientists at a remote Arctic research station vanishes overnight, leaving behind abandoned gear, half-eaten meals, and no sign of a struggle. The mystery only deepens when their bodies are later discovered in a horrifying, seemingly impossible configuration, shocking enough to fracture an already fragile community. The case draws in two investigators with a bitter, complicated history: Police Chief Liz Danvers (Foster) and State Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Reis), who must put aside their differences to uncover what happened.
The season’s supporting cast helps deepen the sense of dread and humanity woven throughout the story. Fiona Shaw gives a haunting, soulful performance as Rose Aguineau, a woman with an eerie, almost spiritual connection to the land. John Hawkes delivers an unsettling performance as Hank Prior, a local police captain whose long-buried secrets and grudges complicate the investigation. Finn Bennett stands out as his son and rookie officer Peter Prior, whose moral compass is tested again and again, while Isabella Star LaBlanc shines as Leah Danvers, often described as the heart and soul of the season.
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Posts By Jordan Todoruk Feb 26, 2024The chilling setting is, in many ways, one of the show's most important characters. Set during Alaska’s months-long polar night, Night Country traps its characters in perpetual darkness, where the sun never rises, and the cold is persistent. The harsh environment mirrors the emotional isolation its characters carry with them, and director Issa López uses the landscape to amplify the season’s dread and unease. And while this installment breaks from the original formula in several ways, it preserves one key tradition of True Detective: the magnetic chemistry between its two leads.
Jodie Foster and Kali Reis Have an Electric Chemistry in 'True Detective: Night Country'
Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers and Kali Reis as Evangeline Navarro in Episode 3 of True Detective Night Country Image via HBO
One of the hallmarks of True Detective has always been the dynamic between its paired leads. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson’s philosophical sparring defined the first season, while later seasons used their partnerships to explore trauma, masculinity, and moral ambiguity. But Night Country brings a new kind of chemistry to the series that grounds two women whose relationship is both volatile and emotional.
Jodie Foster’s Liz Danvers is brilliant, cold, and ruthless, which is a sharp contrast to Clarice Starling, the role that made her an icon in The Silence of the Lambs. Last year, in an interview with Collider, Foster acknowledged the inevitable comparisons, saying, “Liz Danvers and Clarice Starling couldn’t be two more different people… but they’re complex, and they have a lot of duality and a lot of layers.” She even called Silence of the Lambs “the granddaddy to True Detective: Night Country,” noting that she welcomed the connection. Foster channels that same psychological depth here, playing Danvers as a woman who hides her grief beneath layers of control and sarcasm, building emotional walls so thick that no one can get through.
Kali Reis, in only her second major acting role and her first for television, matches Foster beat for beat. Her Evangeline Navarro is pulled between her duty as a state trooper and her community’s fraught relationship with the police, and Reis brings a grounded, physical energy to every scene. She plays Navarro as tough and passionate but allows for moments of vulnerability, letting the character feel every injustice deep in her bones. The result is a raw, quietly powerful performance that made it no surprise when audiences and critics praised her as one of the season’s breakout stars.
'True Detective: Night Country' Masterfully Tweaks the HBO Crime Drama's Formula
Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers wearing her police uniform and looking at something offscreen in True Detective: Night Country Episode 5. Image via HBO
Together, Danvers and Navarro form one of the most compelling detective pairings the anthology has ever produced. Their chemistry crackles with resentment and unresolved history, eventually giving way to respect and something closer to understanding in the Season 4 finale. Their scenes together feel electric and effortless, never slipping into cattiness or forced bickering. Instead, their dynamic becomes the emotional anchor of the season, proving that True Detective can evolve beyond its original formula while still honoring what made it iconic.
With its gripping mystery, harsh Arctic atmosphere, and powerhouse performances from Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country is one of the most memorable seasons the anthology has ever delivered. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or discovering it for the first time, Night Country is a haunting and beautifully crafted crime drama that begs to be watched in the coldest months of the year. If you’re looking for the perfect winter binge, this season of True Detective should be at the top of your list.
True Detective: Night Country is available to stream on HBO Max.
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True Detective
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Mystery Crime Release Date January 12, 2014 Network HBO Max Showrunner Nic Pizzolatto Directors Cary Fukunaga Writers Nic PizzolattoCast
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Matthew McConaughey
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Colin Farrell
Ray Velcoro
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