What’s with all these season 1 references in True Detective: Night Country?

True Detective: NightlandLast week’s premiere marked a return to form for the series, introducing a chilling (pun intended) mystery in the form of the disappearance of a group of Arctic explorers and a compelling pair of protagonists in the form of Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster ) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis). Their case is miles away – both linearly and literally – from that one Real detective covered in season 1. And yet the show continues to reflect the key details of that season, complete with all those supernatural elements, and of course that damn creepy-looking spiral. What does it all mean? Follow me into my Rust Cohle-shaped hole as I obsessively connect the dots.

(Ed. remark: spoilers ahead True Detective: Nightland episode 2.)

The first and most prominent reference to the previous seasons of Real detective is the crooked spiral, a symbol tattooed on the forehead of one of the Tsalal victims found frozen in the ice by Chief Danvers and her team. The symbol is a direct reference to the events of the first season, linked to a Louisiana-based sex cult investigated by Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rustin “Rust” Cohle (Matthew McConaughey), and features prominently in several key images of the official trailer for Night country.

Episode 2 specifically makes the connection with that of murder victim Anne Masu Kowtok, who had the symbol tattooed on her, as did her friend Raymond Clark, the only member of the Tsalal investigation crew believed to be alive (and the current prime suspect behind the murder ). murders). And of course, we certainly see the symbol again when Danvers and Navarro investigate Clark’s trailer, where it’s scrawled in black and red marker on the ceiling above an effigy dressed in what appears to be Anne’s clothes.

As revealed in the first season of True Detective, the crooked spiral is a symbol strongly associated with the teachings of the Louisiana sex cult that worships Hastur, or “The Yellow King,” an entity that speculates to bestow favors in return for sacrifices in the form of young people. children. So far not much has been received Nightland, but who knows what’s out there on the ice.

The second reference comes later in the episode, when Danvers asks Peter “Petey” Prior, one of her subordinates and the son of Ennis police captain Hank Prior, what he could think of to track down who is financing the Tsalal. Arctic research station. Petey tells Danvers that the station is funded through an NGO, which in turn is funded through a series of shell companies connected to an organization known as Tuttle United.

Photo: Michele K. Kort/HBO

Fans of Real detective should immediately recognize that name: It’s a reference to Billy Lee Tuttle, the Louisiana pastor and entrepreneur whose family turned out to be the leaders of the aforementioned sex cult that Hart and Cohle were investigating in Season 1. The cult is believed to have been largely defunct in 2012, with the only remaining member likely being Errol Childress, who was murdered by Rust in the season 1 finale. But then again, it’s possible that the killer was somehow is somehow associated with the Tuttle cult and for some reason commits some form of violence. their distorted rituals and teachings.

As members of the Real detective subreddit has pointed out that even the name of the research station itself may be an implicit nod to the connections between this season and the season’s past. As explained in a post by u/Magehunter_Skassithe word ‘Tsalal’ is Hebrew and roughly means ‘to be, become or darken’.

Photo: Michele K. Kort/HBO

It’s an appropriate name here, as the events of the show take place in a region of Alaska that experiences an extended period of darkness, colloquially referred to by locals as “the Long Night.” But the word has also appeared in several examples of popular horror fiction – most prominently in “The Tsalal,” a short story by Thomas Ligotti. Ligotti is a cult figure among horror authors, known for his signature style of philosophical horror adopted by series creator Nic Pizzolatto. cited as an important influence in developing Rust Cohle’s worldview.

So what does all this add up to? I don’t know – a decades-long conspiracy, a funny nod, a flat circle. Real detective could draw direct comparisons as clues, or they could do it as Easter eggs. It’s worth noting that production designer Daniel Taylor confirmed to Polygon that the police station has Season 1 connections as set dressing. It’s also worth noting the exact circumstances of how Danvers and co. were first tipped off about the location of the bodies; the spirit of a lady’s deceased husband showed the way. Ready for a draw taller mind fuck? That ghost’s name is Travis Cohle, who happens to be the deceased father of, you guessed it, season one protagonist Rust Cohle.

Could it be that Danvers and Navarro face a threat that goes beyond criminal, but in fact supernatural? That answer feels just as likely as the first, and if either is even partially true, that’s what it means Night country has the potential to be one of the most exciting and terrifying mysteries of the series yet. And damn, even if it isn’t, I’m still locked in for the ride at this point.