True Detective: Night Country (Rewrite)
It would be an understatement to say that season 4 of True Detective has been poorly received by fans. In stark contrast to the praise lavished by reviewers, the online fandom has been highly critical of the show — and for the most part with very good reason. To put it briefly, the season is muddled, with a supernatural streak that doesn't resolve one way or another. Instead of adding to the criticism (which unfortunately in parts devolved into predictable culture-war baiting), I wanted to try imagining what a more grounded season 4 might look like.
A few points:
- The setting is the same: the mining town of Ennis and research station Tsalal.
- Most of the characters fit broadly the same role. Some are very differnt but I’ve tried to at least keep the same names for consistency. In my story there’s no Chief Danvers – not a particluar criticism of the character or actor!
- I am no expert in Alaska or its indigenous culture. Therefore there’s a fair amount of glossing over in this area – apologies!
- Also I’m not American and don’t know much about police so please imagine the correct ranks/jurisdictions that would be involved!
- This is a very rough outline. Obviously, a real show would have more details of the town’s inhabitants, how the investigation unfolds and red herrings.
To set the scene: the town of Ennis is watched over by Police Chief Hank Prior and his son Pete. Hank has a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude and turns a blind eye to some of the mine workers, scientists and even police when they commit misdemeanours like fighting outside bars or drunk driving. When Pete first witnesses this, Hank explains that it’s the norm in a small town and their job is to keep everyone happy, especially considering the months of darkness. Hank is pro-mine and distrusting of the indigenous community and protests. He is also somewhat slapdash: he has stacks of police files at home, stored there because of a leak in the station.
Pete is lazy, poor at police work but coasts on his dad’s name. He spends more time in the shooting range than doing any actual investigations but has still managed to make the rank of detective. Hank encourages Pete to keep his nose clean so he can rise further and maybe become Mayor and even Governor one day.
Officer Navarro is indigenous but has turned her back on that community because of her poor relationship with her family: her mother was a journalist who went missing when Navarro was young, and she is estranged from her alcoholic father. She partly blames the community for failing to help her family more. She calls their beliefs mumbo-jumbo, and rejects her indigenous name and tattoos. Navarro wants to prove herself and continue her mother’s work of uncovering the truth. She takes her work seriously and is in touch with a married detective, Ted Connelly, who works the same region. She uses him for tips and information, and they are also having an affair.
Early on in the story, Navarro polices an anti-mine protests (accusing the mine company of lying about pollution and water quality) and is attacked for it. A man called Qavvik especially criticises her, saying it’s no surprise her mother ran out, to which she retorts he is still not over their previous relationship. After the protest, Pete and Navarro cross paths at the station.
They have a frosty relationship. Pete echos his father and other officers by calling her a diversity hire, while she resents his high position despite lack of police talent. Pete repeats his father’s sentiments that Ennis is a strange place which makes people do crazy things, go missing, commit suicide, and there is not always an explanation — so there’ s no point looking too deeply. He gives examples of other unsolved crimes such as a missing girl from 90s among others. Navarro dismisses him as a lightweight police officer.
The deaths of the scientists happens in similar mysterious circumstances with the strange corpsicle which is found unusually far away from the research centre. Only one member of the team is missing: Raymond Clark. Navarro is assigned the case. Hank claims that it is because she always asks for big cases and so now has the chance to prove herself – at least until a lab can report back on the official cause of death. Navarro questions people but makes little progress with many of them making reference to a native legend that could explain the deaths. Navarro interviews the local community leader, Beatrice, who gives credence to the legend and subtly warns Navarro off digging deeper. She also says it’s a shame Navarro and her son Qavvik never got back together.
Meanwhile, out on patrol Pete is approached by a young indigenous lady, Blair, who is almost catatonic and rambling. He radios Hank who rushes to the scene and tells him to take the girl back to her husband and community. Pete thinks they should follow protocol and take her in to the station, but trusts his father and agrees to let her community deal with it themselves. While Pete waits in the car, he watches Hank talk with Beatrice and Blair’s husband, Oliver Tagaq. Later, Hank explains to Pete that he knows Tagaq, and that he’s a veteran and a ‘solid guy’.
Both feeling dejected and working late at the station, Navarro and Pete discuss recent events. They discuss possible causes of the scientists’ deaths, such as a cover up by the research lab or mining company, or even an ancient virus from the permafrost. Pete suggests it could be something supernatural like the local legend and that she might be better letting the case slide. Navarro tells Pete not to trust everything he hears and do some real investigating for once to make a name for himself. Through routine work, she discovers that Blair worked as a cleaner at Tsalal. Humbled, Pete feels the need to prove himself and hopes he can also impress his father through his own efforts. Based on information from Pete, Navarro suspects that the girl was attacked or sexually assaulted at the research station and that it could link to the death of the scientists. Later, Navarro discovers her own home has been broken into and a threatening symbol is left, apparently by the native legend.
Feeling called out, Pete decides to try some actual police work to help with Navarro’s case. He subtly questions his fellow officers to see if there are any unusual connections to Tsalal. One officer, trying to impress Pete, admits that there is an unspoken agreement between a local brothel, the police and Tsalal, and offers to ‘set up’ Pete a girl. Pete and Navarro go to the brothel to investigate. One girl reveals that they do clandestinely visit the Tsalal, often with the aid of the police. Navarro shows her photos of the murdered scientists and she confirms their identities. However, there is one she calls a ‘Boy Scout’ who never saw sex workers: Raymond. The sex worker heard that he was in love with someone in the town.
Pete and Navarro investigate the scene of the crime. They discuss details o the case and possible theories again but struggle to find any new evidence. They bond over their difficult family relationships. Before they leave, they find a note that was not accounted for before. It reads ‘Keep looking’.
Pete returns home. Hank tells him some news: the lab has found that the scientists’ deaths were most likely caused by a freak weather event. He says he knows he’s been helping Navarro but there’s no need to try to impress him and orders him to drop the case. When Pete refuses, Hank almost hits him but pulls back. Hank tells Pete that he’s been called out of town for a few days, and that Pete should keep his head down in the meantime.
Navarro meets with her detective lover, Ted, who also shares the news about the lab report on the dead scientists. She struggles to accept it, but he tells her that people do strange things, unlikely things happen, and some cases are never satisfactorily solved. He tells her that she is fixated on finding the case she wants, not what’s in front of her eyes, due to her inability to get over her mother’s death. They argue and before she leaves, he says he will be in town one more night if she wants to meet him again.
Both Pete and Navarro are close to giving up, but can’t let go of the case. Pete continues searching through his father’s files and (doing some actual police work) pieces together that his father may have covered up much worse crimes than misdemeanours, such as sexual assaults, attacks on protestors, and perhaps something even more serious.
Meanwhile, Navarro sneaks into the Blair’s home and attempts to interview her. Blair can only repeat, ‘I love him’ and ‘I didn’t mean to’. Navarro is discovered and runs away from Tagaq. Back in her car, another masked man tries to attack her but she manages to escape.
The sex worker gets in touch with Pete and discreetly passes him a message giving details for a secret meeting. Pete contacts Navarro and they go to the secret meeting place – maybe some local caves or abandoned factory. They discover Raymond (hungry and dishevelled) who has been hiding at Tsalal and was the one who left the ‘keep looking’ note and arranged the secret meeting via the sex worker. He didn't know anyone he could trust until he overheard their earlier conversation at Tsala.
Raymond explains that he and Blair were having an affair and were planning to run away so she could escape her abusive husband, Tagaq. He chose the date for their elopement since the other scientists would be outside the camp, celebrating a recent discovery and stargazing, giving Raymond time to prepare some supplies and a vehicle. Unknown to them, Tagaq had suspicions and followed Blair to the station that night. During a confrontation with Tagaq, Raymond is incapacitated. While the couple argue, the scientists attempt to re-enter but can’t because Raymond is knocked out. When Blair and Tagaq realise what is happening, Blair wants to help them, but Tagaq claims it’s already too late. The scientists freeze to death outside the camp.
In the morning, Tagaq forces Raymond to help him drive the bodies further away and cover their tracks, helped by an oncoming storm. Back at the base, Tagaq is about to kill Raymond, but Raymond uses his knowledge of the base to escape and hide. Knowing the morning cleaners will arrive soon, Tagaq is forced to take the shellsocked Blair and flee the scene. After finishing his story and being reassured by Pete and Navarro, the masked figure shoots Raymond dead from a window. Navarro and Pete chase the attacker, who gets the drop on Pete, but refuses to shoot him, punching him instead.
Navarro and Pete rush to Hank’s house to get the remaining evidence. Pete tries to work out the identity of the masked man, but Navarro stays silent of the subject. When they arrive, they see the masked man – revealed to be Hank – preparing the evidence to be collected and destroyed. Pete confronts Hank and inadvertently reveals evidence that Hank was involved in the murder of Navarro’s mother. Navarro and Hank draw guns on each other. Pete pulls out his weapon and pleads with the two of them to stop.
The indigenous leader, Beatrice, arrives with a truck and some back up, including Tagaq, to help dispose of the evidence. Navarro tells Beatrice about the evidence of her mother’s murder. Beatrice lets slip that she knew about murder. Navarro confronts and threatens her. Beatrice explains how she reached a deal with the mine company and the police: she keeps up a front of protesting against the mines and gains popular support, but really it’s for show as she receives funding/bribes which are partly used for resources like the community centre. The local legend is used as a code so the police and community know which crimes not to look at too closely. Navarro’s mother had discovered evidence of the true extent of the mine’s pollution, so Hank and Tagaq conspired to scare her off, but due to her resistance, had to kill her instead. Tagaq used this (among other crimes) as leverage so Hank and Beatrice would help cover up the death of the scientists.
Beatrice wants everyone to calm down and go back to old system of turning a blind eye. Hank refuses – he know Navarro won’t let this go. He readies his handgun; Pete turns and shoots him in the leg. Navarro turns her gun on Beatrice and tries to arrest her. The rest of the back up is hesitant to attack a police officer, apart from Tagaq, who aims his shotgun at Navarro. Navarro shouts to Pete for help but he is shaken and tending to his bleeding father. Beatrice and the others flee the scene. Navarro is under fire from Tagaq who has the upper-hand and is relishing his power over her and gloating about killing her mother, when, alerted by reports of gunshots, detective Ted Connelly arrives and shoots Tagaq.
A day later, Navarro and Pete are questioned by the FBI who are investigating the fall out. Before they go in for the interrogation they share a respectful nod: they are both certain each will tell the whole truth and not attempt any cover up of Beatrice or Hank’s crimes (Beatrice is under arrest and Hank is recovering in hospital). Blair is also at the station as the police have arrested her but are also arranging psychological help. Ted catches up with Navarro as she leaves and apologises for not believing her sooner. She accepts but makes it clear their affair is over.
Navarro and Pete leave the station, and thank each other. She asks how his father is doing, and he says he hasn’t visited him yet. An FBI agent tells Pete he can go back to his Hank’s house and collect any belongings he needs as they have finished clearing the evidence. Pete departs.
Qavvik approaches Navarro and apologies for what his mother did. He asks if Navarro could see herself becoming more involved in the community in the future since they need new leadership. Navarro says maybe, but she is more interested in applying for the chief of police vacancy. Qavvik understands and wishes her goodbye in their indigenous language which Navarro returns in a rusty but sincere way. As they walk away down separate paths, the camera pans up to the starry sky…
…and pans back down to Pete. He is back in his father’s house. He looks through the rooms, noticing the dull blood stain on the wall and looking at family photo albums nostalgically. He finds his father’s safe which the police seem to have missed. Imbued with his new sense of justice and curiosity, he enters his own date of birth and it opens. Inside he find more hidden police files, this time relating to the young girl who went missing from Ennis in the 90’s. But there are also other files Peter doesn’t recognise with names like Travis Cohle, Billy Lee Tuttle and, last of all, a crime scene photo of a dead girl in the middle of an angular spiral. Pete studies the photos and starts laying them out carefully, his face flashing between horror, curiosity and determination.
END.
