HBO has had some incredible success in the anthology TV space, with shows like The White Lotus proving to be immensely popular, but before The White Lotus, HBO had another hit anthology show that proved significantly more controversial. When it comes to making a compelling anthology series, a show needs to have a strong foundational formula that can be extracted and recreated elsewhere.

The White Lotus does this incredibly well with a series of stories that all take place in different luxury hotels around the world, which belong to the same chain. Beyond the setting, The White Lotus incorporates compelling mysteries and fascinating characters who all have their own journeys to be explored in each season. Combining these elements, the show is a melting pot for gripping stories, and each new season has a firm foundation to build on.

However, before HBO mastered the art of anthologies with The White Lotus, they had a degree of success with True Detective in 2014. And while that success may have been short-lived, it paved the way for shows like The White Lotus to get made.

True Detective’s Premiere Season Was Critically Acclaimed

True Detective had a spectacular first season that was widely praised for the contents of the story, along with the performances of the leading cast, which included Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as two homicide detectives who revisit a major case they worked on for years in the light of new evidence.

The debut season established the show as an incredible success and won five Emmys despite facing stiff competition like Breaking Bad and House of Cards. While there was some criticism regarding character development, this season of the show was a resounding success, but unfortunately, when the series returned for season 2, things took a sharp turn.

True Detective Lost Its Spark In Season 2, And Has Yet To Get It Back

When True Detective released its second season in 2015, a year after the show premiered, it struggled to live up to the first season. Despite another impressive cast list, the story was far more convoluted, and the show went above and beyond to try to differentiate itself from the earlier season.

However, as an anthology show, the point of subsequent seasons is not to completely erase or contradict what came before, but to build on the foundation with a new cast, setting, or other details. Unfortunately, True Detective season 2 felt disconnected from what came before, and the reception among critics and audiences reflected the disappointment in the direction that the show moved in.

Despite critics receiving season 3 and the fourth outing, titled True Detective: Night Country, far better than season 2, the audience remained critical, with Rotten Tomatoes audience reviews remaining below 60%. Evidently, despite a strong start, the show became a controversial anthology that spawned both praise and derision, often from the same individuals.

True Detective Is Coming Back For More With Season 5 Due To Release In 2027

True Detective has struggled to resonate with audiences since its first season aired, but Night Country did ignite a spark of hope for the future of this anthology series. In fact, it even earned the show its sixth Emmy and was influential in ensuring the show was approved for a fifth season, due to be released in 2027.

Clearly, True Detective still has a long way to go before it can hope to garner the praise and acclaim of the first season, but there is a chance that the upcoming season will land well with audiences, and thus go some of the way to restoring the reputation of the series as a whole. Regardless, The White Lotus has clearly overtaken it in terms of success and now stands as HBO’s most successful anthology series.

Release Date

January 12, 2014

Network

HBO Max

Showrunner

Nic Pizzolatto

Directors

Cary Fukunaga

Writers

Nic Pizzolatto