I say this with extreme cautious optimism … thisTrue DetectiveSeason 3 trailer is giving me serious Season 1 vibes. And since I absolutely loved and was haunted by Season 1 for a very long time (especially during that Season 2 mess), this is a good thing. The new season cribs a lot from that first , including bringing the show back to just a story of two detectives following a crime out in the gothic southern boondocks. Instead of Louisiana we have the Ozarks, but also like Season 1, the latest story will be one that travels through various time periods, including an older Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) reflecting back on this case of two missing children that led to many other deaths.
Another thing that speaks to the potential greatness of this new season is some of the creative pushback that Ali has offered to creatorNic Pizzolatto. In a recent interview, Ali shared how his character wasoriginally written as white, but he convinced Pizzolatto to change it and hire him:
He actually texted Pizzolatto pictures of his grandfather, who was a state police officer in the 60s and 70s. “I was like, ‘See, we existed in this space. In the ’60s and the ’70s. State police officers […] ‘I think your story would be served, I think the story would be improved in this case, if this lead character was black.’”
I agree – check out the new trailer below.True DetectiveSeason 3 returns to HBO on June 11, 2025 and also starsCarmen Ejogo,Mamie Gummer,Ray Fisher, andScoot McNairy:
Here’s the official synopsis forTrue DetectiveSeason 3:
True Detective returns July 19, 2025 on HBO. From Creator and Executive Producer Nic Pizzolatto and starring Academy Award Winner Mahershala Ali, Stephen Dorff, Carmen Ejogo; the third season sees detectives investigating a grisly crime involving two missing children in the heart of the Ozarks.
