True Detective season 4: HBO taking a wait-and-see approach

Following True Detective season 3 earlier this year, we’re actually more optimistic about another season than we were coming out of season 2. Season 3 may not have been loved by everyone, but it was certainly loved by most and we’ve got a reasonably-good feeling that creator Nic Pizzolatto would like to come back and do another iteration. He’s said already that he has a loose idea for what it could look like, but that sounds very much like “still in the early stages.” That’s what we are taking his quotes to mean right now; maybe something further will materialize down the right, given that for now, it does not appear as though he’s even presented HBO with an idea just yet.

In speaking on this subject further in a new piece over at Deadline, HBO’s own Casey Bloys made it clear just where the show is right now in the thought process — and how they are going to go about plotting future seasons:

Nic is thinking if he’s got an idea, and we’ll wait to see. With the third season, he showed us scripts that were great, and that’s why we decided to do it. So we’ll take a wait-and-see approach, see what he’s thinking.

We think there is a certain awareness within HBO that they don’t need to do additional seasons of True Detective — they could be open and receptive to the idea, but it’s not something that will really decide and determine their entire future. There are other options that are out there for them, including Watchmen, a Game of Thrones prequel, and a third season of Westworld. The obvious concern with True Detective is that another season is rushed and then, on the other side of that, you end up with a situation akin to season 2 — one that felt somewhat half-baked when it came to its central idea and the project as a whole was never as good as some of its individual parts. HBO doesn’t have many shows that are critically panned like it was, mostly because of the patient way in which they approach programming.

This is why Bloys also states in this interview that the network is being extremely cautious when it comes to the Game of Thrones prequel pilot being led by Naomi Watts. While there’s intrigue behind the idea, it won’t move forward unless they feel confident that the product doesn’t kill the metaphorical golden goose. It has to actually live up to the epic Game of Thrones legacy, and that isn’t really something that we’d put on any show just because it is such a high bar that you (somehow) have to try and set.

Our feeling (for now)

If you see a season 4 for True Detective, you’ll be lucky to see it in 2021. Maybe Pizzolatto presents an idea to HBO next year and from there, everyone starts to move towards getting something done. Even then, the show still has to be cast and set up — it’s a little different than a standard season of the show that you can pick up and play right away.

Are you still looking forward to a True Detective season 4 happening following the end of season 3? Be sure to share right now in the attached comments. (Photo: HBO.)