The Fatal Mistake of True Detective Season 2

The Rise and Fall of True Detective

True Detective is a mystery anthology series that first premiered in 2014. Every season, the show follows a new set of detectives in a new area of the United States, investigating a violent crime.

True Detective_0001_True Detective-Season 1

Now that True Detective has almost four seasons under its belt, it is easy to compare which seasons have been the best and which ones have flopped. True Detective season 1 is the best, with stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson receiving significant acclaim, and earning a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes along with several award nominations. Similarly, True Detective season 3 was praised for Mahershala Ali's riveting performance, and in turn, received an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. That leaves True Detective season 2, which unfortunately did not do as well. The show's second season, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams, received mixed reviews, proven by a 47% Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Rise and Fall of True Detective

True Detective: Night Country's cast includes Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. The fourth season is set to air on January 14, 2024.

True Detective season 3 ending

The Impact of Release Date

True Detective season 2 is the only installment that did not premiere in January. While True Detective season 1 debuted in January 2014, season 3 in January 2019, and now season 4 in January 2024, True Detective season 2 was released in June 2015.

Rachel McAdams and Colin Farrell in True Detective Season 2 Episode 7

There are many reasons why True Detective season 2 did so much worse than the show's other seasons, but one outlying factor between them is that True Detective season 2 is the only one that didn't release in January. Although many may believe that the month of release has little to do with how successful a show is, for True Detective, it could make a difference.

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Another notable difference is that, while there was only a one year gap between True Detective season 1 and season 2, there were four years between season 2 and season 3. Ultimately, this insinuates that the True Detective showrunners had some things to learn after season 2's failure.

Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey in season 1 of True Detective, standing face to face both looking to the side.

Seasonal Influence on True Detective

There are some specific reasons why True Detective works better in the winter rather than in the summer. First and foremost, the winter brings a creepier atmosphere. As the episodes release in January, audiences are watching in the dark. While taking in the gruesome cases and mysterious ambiance, they are surrounded by winter's premature darkness and January's cold temperatures. Even if they watch at a different time from when the episode is released, there is still a sense of desolation and claustrophobia that comes from wintertime. Stuck inside their houses, True Detective viewers are more affected.

Rachel McAdams, arms folded beside Colin Farrell in a scene from True Detective season 2.

Somehow, this even works when True Detective itself is taking place in a different season. Although True Detective: Night Country takes place in the winter, mirroring the cold and scary atmosphere that audiences feel, other seasons have not been the same. True Detective season 1, for example, is a very summery show, set in Louisiana during a sweltering summer. However, this difference in seasons does not hurt the show. In fact, it could even make it better. As audiences are freezing, they are being pulled into the heat of summer, making the show that much effective and addictive.

There is a chance that True Detective season 2 being the outlier when it comes to its release date is actually a big reason why it did so poorly. Without its winter release date, True Detective season 2 could not influence its audience via the weather and the surrounding conditions. But more importantly, True Detective season 2's summer release is proof that the showrunners rushed into making it. Because they released the show a full six months before January, the second season was riddled with writing problems that could have been fixed if the series had come out later. Ultimately, True Detective needed its January release.