The second season of True Detective is one of the can’t-miss events of this summer, but according to showrunner Nic Pizzolatto, those expecting an identical experience to the Gothic, non-linear first season will be in for a bit of a surprise.
The new season, premiering on HBO on June 21, sets itself apart with a more unified, straightforward timeline that prioritizes the various ways in which the main characters collide and co-operate with one another.
“As the characters multiplied and their individual and group complications grew, a more integrated and linear structure worked best,” Pizzolatto told Medium. “And there was the conviction that if we were to do something entirely new, then we shouldn’t lean on past conceits, but really build from scratch.”
According to Pizzolatto, the tone has also changed, moving away from the spookier atmosphere that Cary Fukunaga created for season 1.
“The gothic horror suggested by Louisiana’s coastal landscape didn’t feel appropriate in this place,” he said. “These new landscapes have their own unique voice and their own unsettling qualities. While there’s nothing occult in this season, I think there’s a disconcerting psychology to this world, and its characters have other kinds of uncanny reality with which to contend.”
During the interview, Pizzolatto also took the time to set the record straight on comments he made early in the development process for the upcoming season. As it happens, the new True Detective no longer explores “the secret occult history of the U.S. transportation system,” as the showrunner previously teased.
When asked if that description of the season was still accurate, he revealed:
It’s not, I’m afraid. There’s definitely bad men and hard women, but no secret occult history of the U.S. transportation system. That was a comment from very early in the process, and something I ended up discarding in favor of closer character work and a more grounded crime story. The complexity of the historical conspiracy first conceived detracted from the characters and their reality, I felt, and those characters are ultimately what have to shape the world and story. So I moved away from that.
Regardless, with Colin Firth, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch and Vince Vaughn heading up the cast for True Detective‘s second season, there’s still plenty to be excited about.
HBO drops the premiere of season 2 on June 21. In the meantime, check out some gritty new posters highlighting the main players.
