True Detective: Night County came to an end over the weekend (February 18) after a series of critically acclaimed episodes.
The fourth season of the crime drama series, which stars Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, Christopher Eccleston and Fiona Shaw, recently set a major new viewing record for HBO following its release on January 14.
According to The Wrap, True Detective: Night Country gained 12.7million viewers, making it the show’s most watched season. This record is based on figures from Nielsen and Warner Bros. Discovery, and are calculated as an average from views across HBO and Max. The previous record holder was the fan-favourite season one, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, which had 11.9million viewers.
In a five-star review of the series, NME wrote: “This iteration of True Detective is a female-driven return to form that weaves supernatural elements and a sensitive mental health narrative into a riveting and intricate detective story.”
In the final episode of the show last week, it’s revealed who killed Annie K, but there was a much more uncertain ending for Alaska State Trooper Evangeline Navarro (played by Kali Reis).
*Major spoilers ahead!*
What happened to Navarro?
Recommended
The show’s final scenes see Foster’s police chief, Liz Danvers, questioned about the murder of the scientists at the Tsalal Arctic Research Station. In the season finale, we learn that the scientists killed Annie K after her discovery that they had been deliberately polluting the town.
A group of local women called the ‘Justice Ladies’ decided to seek revenge for Anna K’s death by sending the scientist out naked in the ice fields to die.
In the interview, it’s clear Danvers decides to cover up for the women. It’s here where it’s also revealed that Navarro has disappeared.
In a series of flashbacks, we see Danvers going to Navarro’s house where she sees the polar bear toy of Navarro’s dead son, and her mobile phone – but there is no trace of Navarro. Next, the audience see Navarro walking into the ice – something she has been threatening to do throughout the series.
However, in the final scene there is a twist. Danvers and Navarro are seen on the porch of a lakeside cottage – but it’s not clear if this is a vision or if she is really alive.
In an interview with Deadline, showrunner Issa López said there is no right answer. “I’m not saying that she’s alive, and I’m certainly not saying that she’s dead…I very carefully crafted this as an ink block test for you to discover yourself as an audience member.”
“… The Aboriginal people in Australia go and walk about, find themselves and then come back, which is I think is what Kali embraced [for the character],” she added. “However, there is a chance that she is also going to be with the women before her to visit them. You can read it both ways and it’s up to you to interpret which one fulfills your heart.”
Reis explained to Today: “If she did follow in her sister’s footsteps orshe is finally at peace in her life, can live her life and go off, then maybe come back… the only one that she definitely would see would be Danvers.
“If she did follow in Julia’s footsteps, sightings of her just match up with Ennis. We see things sometimes. So is it real? Is she not? Did she come back? Did she not? It’s like that on purpose. You get to choose what you want to choose.”
Foster added: “Did Navarro die when she went out into the storm and then she’s a ghost who’s trying to help her homie and talking to the women? There’s all kinds of different suggestions.
“Was Navarro ever alive in the first place? Or is she a figment of everybody’s imagination? There are a lot of different ways you can go. Was Navarro just sent to Danvers to get her through what she got through? Now she’s gone. So, there’s just a lot of roads that you could take, but they’re all tangible. That’s the beauty of what Issa created. She didn’t tell you what to think. She’s presenting all the evidence and going, ‘You choose.’”