Is True Detective season 4 based on a true story? Well, kind of

EntertainmentTVCrime ShowsTrue DetectiveIs True Detective season 4 based on a true story? Well, kind ofWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVCrime ShowsTrue DetectiveIs True Detective season 4 based on a true story? Well, kind ofWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: HBO/Sky) Warning! This article contains spoilers for True Detective: Night Country episode 1 True Detective: Night Country, the fourth installment in the acclaimed drama series, leans into the supernatural a little more than its predecessors – yes, even more so than season 1, so we wouldn’t blame you if you’d assumed it was purely a work of fiction. Starring Kali Reis and Jodie Foster, who step into the shoes of Stephen Dorff and Mahershala Ali as this season’s sleuths, True Detective: Night Country sees Alaskan police chief Liz Danvers (Foster) and her former partner Evangeline Navarro (Reis) investigate the strange disappearance of the Tsalal Arctic Research Station’s crew over Christmas. Before long, the twosome discover that the curious vanishing is somehow related to an old, unresolved case Navarro has been having trouble shaking: the brutal murder of Indigenous midwife and activist Annie Kowtok. As the prickly pair unravel both mysteries, the outing, of course, strives to draw attention to the very real prejudices and violence First Nations women face, predominantly in the US and Canada. According to theNative Hope.org, the murder rate of Indigenous women is 10 times higher than the national average, despite Native people only make up 2% of the US overall population. Shockingly, murder is the third leading cause of death for women in such communities – and those are just the reports that areactuallyacknowledged and formally documented. But what about the missing scientists? Well, back in November, showrunner Issa López, who wrote and directed all six episodes, toldVanity Fairthat two bizarre real-life stories she read about as a child influenced the plot. We dive into them below… The abandonment of the Mary Celeste (Image credit: HBO) In November 1872, the Mary Celeste, a 282-ton American brigantine, set sail from New York to Italy. Onboard were 11 people: the captain, his wife, their two-year-old daughter, and eight crew members. Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Just a few weeks later, a British ship came across the Mary Celeste near Portugal – and, well, no one was on it. While there was water in the hold, the vessel was undamaged, with its six months' worth stock of food still intact. Only one lifeboat was missing, which has sparked all kinds of theories as to what became of its passengers, from earthquakes and icebergs to pirates and sea monsters, over the past 150 years. Dyatlov Pass incident (Image credit: HBO) Given its cold, snowy setting, the Dyatlov Pass Incident relates more closely to the events that transpire in True Detective: Night Country episode 1 than the tale of the Mary Celeste. The mystery involves nine Soviet hikers, who all perished during a trek across the Ural Mountains in February 1959. While it was concluded in 2020 that a slab avalanche had supposedly caused the death of the hikers, the case’s odd and gory details have captured people’s imaginations over the years. According to several reports, it is believed that the group cut a hole in their tent and ran out into the tundra without the appropriate clothing. What’s more, some of their bodies were found missing certain parts, including two sets of eyes, a pair of eyebrows, and a tongue. Six died of hypothermia, while the remaining three suffered significant trauma to their heads, faces, and chests. In Night Country’s opener, Danvers and her colleagues Hank (John Hawkes) and Prior (Finn Bennett) find a (woman’s) tongue at the abandoned research station, which seems to be a nod to what happened to Igor Dyatlov and his team. When Danvers and co find some of the missing men right at the end of episode 1, they’re frozen, huddled together and naked; another reference to the incident, perhaps. True Detective: Night Country airs on HBO andHBO Maxevery Sunday in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and NOW every Monday in the UK. Ensure you don’t miss an episode with our handy guide to theTrue Detective: Night Country release schedule. For more, check out our guide to the most excitingnew TV showsheading our way. 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ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”