How to Watch True Detective

True detective already had 3 seasons under its belt, with a 4th on the way. The anthology series hit their stride during the first “golden age of television,” with the structure of a loose thematic framework holding together seemingly separate stories ruling the small screen in the 1950s and 1960s. Since then, however, the format was largely relegated to horror stories and Masterpiece Theatre, until 2011 brought to small and streaming screens everywhere American Horror Story and Black Mirror, leading to a new wave of interest in the genre. 

In January 2014, True Detective joined the ranks of prestige anthology television, developed by the masters of prestige TV, HBO. The gritty but visually striking crime drama examines brutal crimes through the journey of the troubled detectives investigating them, and how the cases often push them to—or sometimes over—the edge. Each season features different stars, and a slightly different storytelling structure, with the first season following Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson through a non-linear pursuit of a serial killer over 17 years. The second season (2015), focused on the stories of three detectives from separate cooperating police departments and starred Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and Vince Vaughn. 

Season 1 Trailer

The third season finds Ali playing detective Wayne Hays over three separate time periods, as he looks back from 2015 on the disappearance of two siblings in the Ozarks in 1980, and a 1990 break in the case. It costars Stephen Dorff (Somewhere) as his partner and Carmen Ejogo (Selma) as a local teacher and writer involved in the case.

Season 4 of True Detective has been announced and is titled True Detective: Night Country. The series will star Jodie Foster and co-star boxer, actress, and motivational speaker Kali Reis. The story will revolve around the mysterious disappearance of 6 men working in a remote Alaskan research station.

How to Watch True Detective

True Detective airs exclusively on HBO, and the easiest way to watch it is with HBO Max. A subscription to HBO Max costs $14.99 per month for their ad-free plan and $9.99 per month for their ad-supported service (meaning a few commercials with every episode). You can sign up here. HBO Max is supported on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and more. You can check out my review of HBO Max for more details on this streaming service.

HBO Max doesn’t only air HBO but content from WarnerMedia and other sources. Content on HBO Max includes:

• A selection of acquired series and movies
• All of HBO
• An exclusive collection of new HBO Max Originals
• Select favorites from the WarnerMedia brands Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, DC, CNN, the Turner library, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and more
• A selection of acquired series and movies (South Park being a notable example)