Season 4 of True Detective has just begun its broadcast, and we can already identify the mysteries that inspired its plot: because certain facts are very real despite the mystery that surrounds them.
The first three seasons of True Detective explored the depths of humanity and its worst, between kidnapped children and political assassinations, without forgetting some rather unpleasant cases related to the occult.
The fourth season, Night Country, revolves around equally dark themes, as its summary on Warner Pass (via Prime Video) suggests: “When the long Winter night falls on Ennis, Alaska, the eight scientists stationed at the Tsalal Arctic research station disappear without a trace. To solve the case, detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) will have to face their dark side and discover the terrible secrets buried beneath the eternal ice.”
For the occasion, a new showrunner is supervising production: Issa Lopez (The Girl with a Thousand Names) has indeed taken over after three seasons directed by Nic Pizzolatto. And she shared an explanation about the very real inspirations for True Detective: Night Country.
The very real mysteries that inspired season 4 of True Detective
Issa López did not just direct the episodes of season 4 of True Detective: we also find her writing the script for each of these parts, alongside the team of writers of the series. During an interview with Vanity Fair, the filmmaker declared that two very real mysteries in particular had inspired Night Country.
The first is that of the Mary Celeste, an American ship found abandoned near the Azores Islands in December 1872. Although the brig-schooner had suffered damage, such as its broken rigging and partially flooded hold, it remained seaworthy: however the crew had disappeared, taking the lifeboats and leaving a final note 10 days before help was discovered. None of the members will ever be found.
The second event is better known on the Internet: it is the Dyatlov Pass affair. A group of hikers and skiers were found dead within a 1.5km radius of the team’s tent, torn from the inside. No sign of struggle on the bodies, yet some are in very poor condition: one is missing its eyes or tongue, others have fractured skulls, and the experienced hikers rushed out into the snow., without covering yourself.
Many theories surround the reasons that pushed these cold-accustomed people to go out: that of the avalanche has long been attributed to the affair, but is not enough to explain all the details, such as the radiation permeating the clothing or the injuries that the team members were self-inflicted.
Moreover, the showrunner of True Detective Issa Lopez does not hold this answer in high esteem, as she explains to Vanity Fair: “Even if it were an avalanche, I would prefer the strange and incomplete answer. We have a fascination with puzzles that still have missing pieces, it obsesses us, makes us angry and prevents us from thinking about anything else.”
Can the two mysteries give clues as to what awaits viewers of season 4 of True Detective? We’ll have to wait for the next episodes, but the pilot already seemed full of strangeness.
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