Series Page

Season 3 – True Detective

Play trailer

1:00

Jan 2019

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Driven by Mahershala Ali's mesmerizing performance, True Detective's third season finds fresh perspective by exploring the fallibility of memory.

Read Critics Reviews

Peter Hartlaub

San Francisco Chronicle

12/13/2019

3/4

Season three powers through with wonderfully dense visuals, a layered story and an absolute powerhouse performance by Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali.

Go to Full Review

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

12/13/2019

I just wanted a moment when the characters caught their breath and didn't feel like they were part of an overly-scripted machine. Now, having said that, this is still engaging, dark, complex material, anchored by a great performance from Ali.

Go to Full Review

Ellen Gray

Philadelphia Inquirer

12/13/2019

[Mahershala Ali's] take on Hays enhances rather than overwhelms a story intriguing enough to justify the show's 35-year timeline.

Go to Full Review

Victor Pineyro

Seventh Art Studio

04/07/2022

8/10

It's already a feat to say this might be Mahershala Ali's best acting craft. But what amazes me is how perfectly it swerves around three different timelines. Impressive storytelling. Full review in Spanish

Go to Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

09/09/2021

60/100

Episode 27: Valhalla Rising / Bronson / Starred Up / True Detective S3

Go to Full Review

Kieran Fisher

Film School Rejects

12/17/2019

Pizzolatto also came up with an engrossing and very haunting slow-burn mystery that reaffirmed his place as one of the most exciting writers working in entertainment today. Hopefully, he gets to keep making this show for years to come...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Redeadge S

@RT69242883 Mar 11

Honestly I really loved it. It’s not quite as good as season 1 but this is far from bad. I really loved Mahershala Ali. Definitely the best part of the season. Very good.

Carlos V

@CarlosValenca Jan 31

Excelente temporada, mantendo o clima investigativo e tenso das temporadas anteriores. Gosto como essa série mostra o submundo doente americano!!

Theodore F.

@Sirhotness Jan 9

A much needed improvement over season 2.

Max D.

@Vicky_Squeez7 Jan 4

Gripping, engaging, and one of the best mysteries to ever watch! This amazing cast is able to give raw powerful emotional connections to the audience and yet keep us on the edge of our seat wondering how the story can develop further in this investigative twisting narrative driven short series. A must watch for any fan of cinema

David L

@Falcon1952 Dec 6

The last episode was very powerful. Left me wondering if the son would finish writing the story. The entire series could have been shortened. If felt like it was enlessly dragging on at times. Very meaningful inetactions between the characters; strong performances by everyone.

MBI M

@MNZGamerX Oct 29

The story did not justify 8 episodes and could have been shortened significantly in several places. Unnecessary flashbacks spoiled the tempo. While the plot and storyline was interesting the later episodes tended to meander. Excellent performances by Ali and Dorf but Ali's character was not particularly likeable being obsessive and stubborn and his wife was an absolute self-centered nuisance feeding off her husband's career and insight to build her own career and fame and never acknowledging what she was doing. The ending seemed artificial in giving Amelia more insight and intelligence than Ali's character when it was actually him that was subconsciously uncovering everything

Read all reviews

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Nic Pizzolatto

Creator

Mahershala Ali

Wayne Hays

Stephen Dorff

Roland West

Carmen Ejogo

Amelia Reardon

Scoot McNairy

Tom Purcell

Josh Hopkins

Jim Dobkins

Episode 1

Aired Jan 13, 2019

The Great War and Modern Memory

The disappearance of a young Arkansas boy and his sister in 1980 triggers vivid memories and enduring questions for retired detective Wayne Hays, who worked the case 35 years before with partner Roland West.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Jan 13, 2019

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Hays looks back at the aftermath of the 1980 Purcell case, including possible evidence left behind at an outdoor hangout for local kids; as attention focuses on two conspicuous suspects, the parents of the missing children receive a cryptic note.

Details

Episode 3

Aired Jan 20, 2019

The Big Never

Hays recalls his early romance with Amelia, as well as cracks in their relationship that surfaced after they married; 10 years after the Purcell crimes, new evidence emerges, giving Hays a second chance to vindicate himself and the investigation.

Details

Episode 4

Aired Apr 26, 2024

The Hour and the Day

Hays and West see a possible connection between the local church and the Purcell crimes; as the detectives search for one suspect and round up another for interrogation, Woodard is targeted by a vigilante group.

Details

Episode 5

Aired Feb 3, 2019

If You Have Ghosts

Wayne finds himself in a no-win situation as new clues emerge in the Purcell case; Roland wrestles with how to keep evidence secure as lawyers demand a new investigation; Amelia finds her relationship with Wayne imperiled.

Details

Episode 6

Aired Feb 10, 2019

Hunters in the Dark

Wayne and Roland revisit discrepancies in the Purcell case that were hidden or forgotten, and take another look at Tom Purcell and Lucy's cousin, Dan O'Brien; the glitter of Amelia's book release is tarnished by a voice from the past.

Details

Episode 7

Aired Feb 17, 2019

The Final Country

Wayne and Roland track down a man who left the police force in the midst of the Purcell investigation; Amelia visits Lucy Purcell's best friend in hopes of gaining insights into the whereabouts of the mysterious one-eyed man.

Details

Episode 8

Aired Feb 24, 2019

Now Am Found

Wayne struggles to hold on to his memories, and his grip on reality, as the truth behind the Purcell case is finally revealed.

Details

The Outsider

91%

81%

The Outsider

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Outsider

The Night Of

94%

93%

The Night Of

Watchlist

We Own This City

93%

79%

We Own This City

Watchlist

TRAILER

for We Own This City

The Wire

94%

96%

The Wire

Watchlist

Boardwalk Empire

92%

95%

Boardwalk Empire

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2026 Golden Globes Winners

Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2025 Golden Globes Winners

What to Watch With Power Star Omari Hardwick

True Detective: Season 3 Featurette - True to the Times