Did you spot this reference when the episode aired?
Warning: Contains minor spoilers from season 4 of True Detective.
True Detective: Night Country has confirmed a connection to Matthew McConaughey’s season 1 protagonist Rust Cohle, which has delighted longtime fans of the HBO crime drama.
Viewers had theorised that the fourth season could have a link to the character, stemming from his upbringing in (and later return to) Alaska – the US state in which Night Country takes place.
Now, it has been confirmed that the ghostly former lover of Rose Aguineau (Fiona Shaw) is Rust’s father, Travis, who was mentioned multiple times in the first season of True Detective.
In a conversation with state trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), the enigmatic Rose reflects on her lost love and her continued paranormal visions of him.
She confirms that he did indeed suffer from leukaemia – a fact authorities attempted to dispute in the first season – but rather than accept treatment, he decided to take his own life by wandering out into the desolately cold Alaskan wilderness.
His body was discovered by Navarro, which Rose views as a silver lining. Or, in her own words: “One last gift from Travis Cohle: I got to meet you.”
Travis (as played by Erling Eliasson) was introduced in Night Country episode 1, when he guided Rose to the frozen corpses of a group of scientists who inexplicably vanished from the Tsalal Arctic Research Station.
Following the episode’s broadcast, Night Country showrunner Issa López quashed any ambiguity over the namedropping of Travis Cohle, confirming on X (formerly Twitter) that fans had reached the correct conclusion.
Sheerly in terms of appearance, he does bear some resemblance to McConaughey’s character – particularly in the flash-forward sections of season 1, when he sported longer, more unkempt hair.
Yes.
— Issa López (@IssitaLopez) January 22, 2024
While it can’t entirely be ruled out that Travis’s ghost is a figment of Rose’s imagination – perhaps conjured by Ennis’s disorientating 24-hour darkness – his potential existence as a restless spirit could also reference another moment from season 1.
In the season finale, Rust mentioned feeling the presence of his late father while recovering from wounds in hospital, which now seems all the more relevant when placed in the context of Night Country’s depiction.
McConaughey and former co-star Woody Harrelson are listed as executive producers on True Detective: Night Country, but will not appear in the new episodes themselves.
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True Detective: Night Country continues on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 29th January 2024. New episodes weekly. Find Sky deals now.
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