If you haven’t watched True Detective: Night Country yet, cue up your Max or Hulu subscriptions and watch six of the most intriguing, bone-chilling, and empowering episodes streaming today. I loved the first True Detective season. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson did such a good job playing off each other, and the writing and directing were fantastic.

So, of course, I was thrilled when a second season came out. But I lost interest within two episodes. Then, the same thing happened with the third season. I just didn’t care about the storyline or the characters enough to keep watching. You would think I’d give up, but when I saw the trailer for True Detective: Night Country, I was instantly hooked.

Snuggle Up And Investigate A Murder

You’ve got two badass women in some of the most grueling territory in the United States, maybe the world, investigating the inexplicable and gruesome mass death of eight men. Of course, it’s worth at least checking out! So, the husband and I put the kids to bed and cued up the first episode as soon as it was available. As it turned out, True Detective: Night Country is everything it promises to be and so much more.

Jodie Foster Is On The Case

True Detective: Night Country opens with a bunch of dudes hanging out in some sort of large hangar or laboratory — scientists just outside the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. Some are eating, some are reading, and some are just hanging out in their pajamas.

Suddenly, lights start flickering, loud noises start sounding off, and the men are frantic. Cut to a scene where all eight men are missing, and the local police chief, Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster), is off to investigate. She wanders around the lab for a bit and finds a severed tongue on the floor of the lab. There are no other signs of a struggle.

Former Boxer’s Star-Making Performance

As Liz is trying to figure out what to do next, State Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) shows up asking to help. It turns out Liz and Navarro worked together as partners in the past, and it didn’t end well. There’s clearly tension between them, and both women are tough as nails and uninterested in backing down.

Still, Navarro believes this case may be connected to a murdered Native American woman (who had her tongue cut out) she and Liz investigated on a case previously, and she won’t let go. And that’s just the beginning of True Detective: Night Country.

The Ever-Deepening Mystery

Soon, a call comes in from a woman who lives out on the ice alone, Rose Aguineau (Fiona Shaw). She says she’s found the missing men — dead, naked, and trapped in a giant block of ice. Liz and Navarro arrive on the scene with Liz’s young deputy, Officer Peter Prior (Finn Bennet). No one can figure out how these men got out here, why they’re naked, or why they all look terrified.

Complex Characters Is A True Detective Staple

In the background of this ongoing investigation in True Detective: Night Country are the politics of local police versus state police, a corporation drilling for oil, and the relationship dynamics among the people in this small town. Liz has an adopted Native American daughter, Kali has a schizophrenic sister, and Peter’s dad is a corrupt police captain.

Never mind the fact that Liz is an awful person on so many levels, and Kali is emotionally closed off. Watching everything unfold with the amazing cast balancing each other’s energy is nothing short of fascinating.

Streaming Only On Max