Night Country: Part 1 – The new season of True Detective opens with the ominous Hildred Castaigne quote, “…For we do not know what beasts the night dreams when its hours grow too long for even God to be awake.”

150 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the last day of sunlight, Rose Aguinaeu (Fiona Shaw) witnesses an entire herd of caribou spook and jump off the side of a mountain. Meanwhile, the researchers at the Tsalal Artic Research Station are briefly introduced as they go about their tasks. A younger man with long hair appears to demand more attention than others. He witnesses and attempts to intervene when he notices Raymond Clark (Owen McDonnell) convulsing. Clark appears unharmed but terrified as he responds by saying, “She’s awake!” The lights go out at nearly the same time.

Three days later on December 20th, a delivery man arrives to find the center empty. Although the electricity is back on, it appears to be intermittent. After several minutes, he discovers what appears to be a tongue.

Detective Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) is introduced when she’s called in to handle an incident at a local Crab Packing Plant. The Manager (Joi Johansson) leads her to the rear of the building where she finds a bloodied and unresponsive man facedown with a metal bucket nearby. After a very brief examination, her attention is drawn to two nearby employees. Bee (Diane E. Benson) not only admits to hitting the man but takes pride in it. As the second lady, Blair Frechette (Kathryn Wilder), explains the man as an abusive spouse, he wakes belligerently, forcing Navarro to put him back down.

Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) joins Hank Prior (John Hawkes) at the research center where she learns none of the researcher’s vehicles are missing and the scene doesn’t suggest they just went for a stroll. As she’s led inside, something about The Beatle’s song, “Twist and Shout” sends her into a frantic rage. Along with the source of the song, she discovers Peter Prior (Finn Bennett), who updates her on the case. It turns out the Tsalal Research Station has spent the last 18 years investigating everything from the impacts of climate change to arctic biology.

Ralph Emerson (Tim Van Eyken) – Geology
Anton Kotov (John Albasiny) – Geophysics
Li Jie (Nicholas Goh) – Geobiology
Raymond Clark (Owen McDonnell) – Paleomicrobiology
Lucas Merens (Adam Burton) – Environmental Chemistry
Facundo Molina (Pablo Anibal Frana) – Biophysics
Veer Mehta (Jeff Mirza) – Biophysics
Anders Lund (Porsteinn Bachmann) – Found and Director/ Structural Biology

An extensive search of the facility doesn’t reveal much other than an eerie message on a whiteboard in one of the rooms, “We are all dead!” Liz decides to call in backup against Hank’s advice after discovering several clues like runny mayonnaise and stinky laundry that indicate the men have been missing for at least 48 hours. The discoloration of the tongue confirms her theory.

Rose Aguinaeu is gutting a wolf and listening to a local radio station when she spots dead Travis (Erling Eliasson) watching her from the road. It’s alluded that he attempts to communicate with her through the radio.

Liz arrives back at the station to learn from Lulu (Grace Anderson) that she has a guest in her office. It soon becomes clear that Navarro is there about the tongue, which she seems to think links to a past case the two worked. As their discussion continues, it’s also revealed that the case led to Navarro being demoted to a Trooper. Navarro ends up storming out of the office upset at the same time Peter arrives and her office phone rings.

The call leads Liz to a heated confrontation with Kerri Gillard (Marita Susanna Dalsgaard). The topic of this argument is only alluded to until Liz returns to her vehicle where Leah Danvers (Isabella LaBlanc) is waiting impatiently. Kerri’s anger is eventually revealed to be tied to an erotic video she found on her daughter’s phone. Liz and Leah’s ensuing argument results in a near collision with Stacy Chalmers (Olafia Hron Jonsdottir). After radioing in an ambulance, Liz has to arrest Stacy for drunk driving.

Navarro visits the mine at shift change to invite Ryan Kowtok(Phillip Blanchett) out for a drink. He says he’s watching Evan tonight but invites her to join him. After accepting his invitation, their topic of discussion becomes Ryan’s sister, Annie Kowtok (Nivi Pedersen). It soon becomes clear Navarro suspects it was Annie’s tongue found at the research center. Annie’s case was the one that also resulted in her demotion. Ryan reveals that he and Annie were often at odds due to her outspoken hatred of the mine. Navarro is soon called away by Officer Cooper (David Katrinarson) to a small downtown apartment. There she meets with her sister, Julia (Aka Niviana), who appears to share a mental ailment with their mother.

Peter and Liz’s attempts to further research Tsalal’s funding are continually interrupted by Stacy’s drunken rants. When the ranting abruptly stops, they discover Hank in the process of releasing her. Despite his offers to drive her home, Liz sticks Stacy back in the cell. The ensuing minor dispute ends with Liz reminding him to return Annie’s case files that he supposedly took home after a flood.

Returning home after work, Peter has a mild dispute with his wife, Kayla Prior (Anna Lambe) once he learns that her grandmother has been sharing stories of local legends with their son, Darwin (Xavier Osmanson). The somewhat playful dispute leads to a make-out session that is eventually broken up by a call from Liz, asking him to get Annie’s case files from Hank.

While washing dishes, Rose gets another visit from Dead Travis. This time she approaches him and it appears that he’s leading her somewhere.

Peter has a casual conversation with Leah while dropping off the files at Liz’s house. Liz soon shows up, she not only shares some minor details about the case, but it’s revealed that she asked him to acquire the files without Hank’s knowledge. When he later suspects she is holding back other details about the case, he threatens to take them back. Although she refers to him as a bad bluffer, she briefly shares the story of Navarro’s demotion. Apparently, this was right around the Liz arrived in town.

Navarro visits and has an erotic encounter with Eddie Qavvik (Joel Montgrand). Despite the easy familiarity between the two, he becomes uneasy when she uses his toothbrush. Before she uses a visit to the Booze Depot to rush off, he mentions that Julia has been missing shifts.

Once Peter leaves, Leah approaches Liz while to discuss her earlier comment about drunk driving. Leah says that it’s stupid they never discuss that day, but Liz deflects with the announcement that they are doing Christmas this year and she will be cooking. Leah quietly scoffs and says Liz doesn’t need to pretend to be her mom.

While leaving the Booze Barn, Navarro recognizes and passes by the man from the Crab Plant. He doesn’t recognize her, but he appears to be discussing the incident with a buddy. Navarro pours booze into his gas tank.

Liz has what appears to be an eerie dream of a child waking her with the comment, “She’s awake.” When he sits up in bed, she finds a stuffed polar bear on the floor. Elsewhere, Navarro returns a call from Irniq and also asks about Annie’s connection to the Tsalal Research Station. The call is soon filled with static and the phrase, “She’s awake.” She’s also stopped by a polar bear in the middle of the road.

While merging Annie’s old case note with the new case, Liz appears to be drawn to a photo of Raymond Clark in a parka with a yellow smiley face on the left shoulder.

Rose continues to follow Dead Travis where he leads her to what appears to be an empty field. After a quick dance routine, he points to the right, but his indicated target is not revealed.

When Liz returns to the Tsalal Research Station to look for the coat she encounters Navarro. After some bickering, Liz shares the photo with her and they look for the parka with no luck. Liz attempts to get Navarro to drop the case, reminding her that it nearly ruined her once. Navarro claims it was the hate and state of the body that kept drawing her back. Liz soon receives a call from Peter about Rose’s discovery. It turns out to be the bodies of the researchers, buried in the snow up to their heads. When Navarro asks how she found them, Rose says Travis led her to them. She also confirms that she knows Travis is dead.

 

True Detective Review

I honestly did not have high hopes for the series, but was pleasantly surprised. The investigation side was extremely intriguing and felt professional. I could have done with the social agendas, but other than that, I see some real potential here. The beer in the gas tank didn’t make any sense and the supernatural overtones got a bit much at times, but I enjoyed the opener and looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

The episode deserves a 5. Get more True Detective recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. As about our onsite advertising by reaching our staff. Join our newly established forum to discuss new movie and TV show releases, celebrity gossips, scams, and sports.