True Detective: Night Country Showrunner Addresses Creator's Critiques

True Detective: Night Country, the fourth season of the HBO series, is earning the best critical reactions since 2014's debut season, and it also marks the first season that series creator Nic Pizzolatto hasn't been involved in. The filmmaker has shared some comments on Instagram that are critical of this current season, with Night Country showrunner Issa López empathizing with him by noting that, since he created the series, he has a unique connection to the concept, while also noting that her approach to the reinvention of the material was from a place of love and appreciation of what came before her. New episodes of True Detective: Night Country premiere on HBO on Sunday nights.

"I believe that every storyteller has a very specific, peculiar, and unique relation to the stories they create, and whatever his reactions are, he's entitled to them. That's his prerogative," López shared with Vulture. "I wrote this with profound love for the work he made and love for the people that loved it. And it is a reinvention, and it is different, and it's done with the idea of sitting down around the fire, and [let's] have some fun and have some feelings and have some thoughts. And anybody that wants to join is welcome."  

What's also worth noting is that López has expressed that the story of a group of researchers at an Arctic facility that turn up dead was initially a standalone story disconnected from any predecessor, with HBO planting the idea that it would be a good idea for a new season of True Detective. Among various tweaks made to that initial concept, a handful of Easter eggs have been injected into the narrative to create a more distinct connection to Season 1.

Over on Instagram, in response to a fan describing how the research station is funded by the Tuttle family, a significant component of Season 1, Pizzolatto responded "so stupid." The filmmaker wrote all three seasons of the series, with each season being entirely standalone stories. Despite the resounding success of the debut series, the only thing subsequent seasons had in common with that original narrative was that they were detective stories written by Pizzolatto.

With his obligations to HBO having been fulfilled, Pizzolatto also confirmed on Instagram, "I certainly did not have any input on this story or anything else. Can't blame me."

While the first season scored 91% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 sits at only 47% positive. Season 3 was a significant bounce back, earning 84%, though this most recent season has actually surpassed the original season on the aggregator site, as Night Country sits at 93%.

New episodes of True Detective: Night Country premiere on HBO on Sunday nights.

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