Matthew McConaughey’s True Detective is a must-watch thriller series that everyone should watch at least once. Matthew McConaughey’s best movies include classics like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Dazed and Confusedbut he gives what’s arguably the strongest performance of his career on television.
True Detective is an anthology series, meaning each season contains a different story. It’s widely considered one of the best TV shows of all timeprimarily due to the success and impact of McConaughey’s season.
True Detective Season 1 Is One Of Those Shows Everyone Should Watch At Least Once
There aren’t that many TV shows where I’d say everyone needs to try it at least once, but the first season of True Detective is one of them. If this were a miniseries, it would be considered one of the best ever. As a standalone season of television, it is undoubtedly considered among the greats.
Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star as an odd couple of detective partners who are assigned a disturbing occult serial killer case. While the mystery is the show’s primary plot, the characters’ personal lives are the core of its success, as their complex personalities interfere with the investigation.
True Detective Was Part Of The “Matthew McConaughey Renaissance” Of The 2010s
Although Matthew McConaughey has been making classics since first appearing in Dazed and Confused in the ’90s, he reached a new level in the early 2010s. The “Matthew McConaughey Renaissance,” often called the “McConaissance,” was one of the most impressive and unprecedented career pivot streaks seen by a star.
McConaughey spent much of the 2000s known for starring in romantic comedies, struggling with other genres. In the early 2010s, he had a box office hit in Magic Mikean unforgettable supporting role in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Streetand a beloved leading role in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellaramong others.
The two most critical projects of the “McConaissance” were Dallas Buyers Clubthe film for which Matthew McConaughey received his first Oscar, and True Detectiveone of the most influential and celebrated TV shows of the century.
True Detective’s Other Seasons Are Worth Watching, But Season 1 Is On Another Level
Listen, if you reach the end of True Detective season 1 and want to continue watching, I’m certainly not one to discourage this. In fact, I think there’s something fantastic about each of the subsequent seasons, and I’d recommend all of them for different reasons.
True Detective season 2 has a phenomenal cast led by Colin Farrell in one of his most under-appreciated roles. Season 3 has one of the most compelling ending plot twists I’ve ever seen in a mystery series. True Detective season 4 puts a whole new spin on the series, with a new showrunner and vastly different setting.

True Detective
- Release Date
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January 12, 2014
- Network
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HBO Max
- Showrunner
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Nic Pizzolatto
- Directors
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Cary Fukunaga
- Writers
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Nic Pizzolatto