HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 3 Review - Ask the Right Questions

What happened to the scientists who were working at the Tsalal Research Station? Why were they out there on the ice? Who were they running from? Who killed them? Who is that "she" who has woken up? The third episode of True Detective: Night Country doesn't answer all these questions, though it does reveal that the scientists didn't freeze to death. They died before turning into a "corpsicle."

We also learn other little details about the characters. For instance, if you want to know what Evangeline Navarro does when she is lonely, Episode 3 will satisfy your curiosity (she prays). Navarro discloses details about her mother when she goes to a man to find out about a hunter's location. Peter Prior's curiosity, too, regarding the Wheeler case is satisfied by Liz Danvers.

Some things, however, have not changed much. Hank Prior continues to be a pain in the ass. He recruits civilians for a manhunt. It's a bit pleasing, then, to watch him get undermined by Liz when she wets his face with his own drink. Liz still doesn't like those three lines Leah draws on her face and asks her to wipe it off again. Peter's wife once again takes issue with how obedient Peter is to his job, as well as Liz.

The third episode has its share of echoes, both visual and verbal, and one can have a good time spotting them. The episode opens with a delivery scene where the woman is placed under a round tub. This circular image comes again when Liz and Navarro put down evidence around them in the form of a circle. Liz tells a little girl about unicorns skating on the lake made with rainbow tears. Later, Hank gives ice skates to Peter. Liz and Navarro, in a photograph, notice a woman's blue hair. When Navarro meets Julia out in the snow, the latter is seen with, well, blue hair.

The mixture of the supernatural and police procedural continues to be alluring in this third episode, but my overall feelings about the show (till now) remain the same whatsoever. I admire the mood, the craft from a distance. I really think I would have liked the series more if I had binged all the episodes together. This weekly-release format creates a gap between me and the story's atmosphere. Just when I am near to getting sucked into the episode, it reaches its conclusion. By the time the next episode comes a week later, the icy ambiance melts and becomes remote. The chilly sensations are built again, then destroyed within a few hours. Yet, True Detective: Night Country's artistry keeps you excited for more.

Final Score - [7.5/10]