Season three of HBO’s critically acclaimed dramatic series, True Detective, continues with four new episodes including the season finale. HBO’s just released details of the upcoming hour-long episodes with info on the plots, cast, and air dates
Nic Pizzolatto created the Emmy, Critics’ Choice, and Writers Guild award winning series and writes, directs, and executive produces the series. Scott Stephens, Daniel Sackheim, Jeremy Saulnier, Steve Golin, Richard Brown, and Bard Dorros also serve as executive producers.
The Season 3 Plot:
1980: Will and Julie Purcell, the children of feuding parents Tom and Lucy Purcell, go missing a week after Halloween in West Finger, Ark.
2015: Retired detective Wayne Hays, who originally investigated the crime, is asked to look back on the twists of the unsolved case with a true-crime documentary producer.
Playing out in three separate time periods, the third season tells the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades. Mahershala Ali (Oscar winner for Moonlight, Oscar nominee for Green Book) stars as state police detective Wayne Hays, with Stephen Dorff (Somewhere) starring as Roland West, the detective who investigated the case with Hays, and Carmen Ejogo (Selma) starring as schoolteacher and writer Amelia Reardon.
In 2015, retired detective Wayne Hays, his memory failing, looks back at the disappearance of 12-year-old Will and ten-year-old Julie Purcell, recalling the days and weeks immediately following the 1980 crime, as well as developments in 1990, when he and his former partner, Roland West, were subpoenaed after a major break in the case.
True Detective February 2019 Episodes
- Season 3, episode 5: “If You Have Ghosts”
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 3 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Wayne (Mahershala Ali) finds himself in a no-win situation as new clues emerge in the Purcell case. Roland (Stephen Dorff) wrestles with how to keep evidence secure as lawyers demand a new investigation. Amelia (Carmen Ejogo) finds her relationship with Wayne imperiled by her writing aspirations and his jealousy.
Written by Nic Pizzolatto; directed by Nic Pizzolatto. - Season 3, episode 6: “Hunters in the Dark”
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 10 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Wayne (Mahershala Ali) and Roland (Stephen Dorff) revisit discrepancies in the Purcell case that were hidden or forgotten over the years. Among those being reevaluated is Tom Purcell (Scoot McNairy), as well as Lucy Purcell’s cousin, Dan O’Brien (Michael Graziadei). The glitter of Amelia’s (Carmen Ejogo) book release is tarnished by a voice from the past.
Written by Graham Gordy & Nic Pizzolatto; directed by Daniel Sackheim. - Season 3, episode 7: “The Final Country”
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 17 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Following up on new leads, Wayne (Mahershala Ali) and Roland (Stephen Dorff) track down a man who left the police force in the midst of the Purcell investigation. Meanwhile, Amelia (Carmen Ejogo) visits Lucy Purcell’s best friend in hopes of gaining insights into the whereabouts of the mysterious one-eyed man.
Written by Nic Pizzolatto; directed by Daniel Sackheim. - Season 3, episode 8: “Now Am Found” (season finale)
Debut date: SUNDAY, FEB. 24 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Wayne (Mahershala Ali) struggles to hold on to his memories, and his grip on reality, as the truth behind the Purcell case is finally revealed.
Written by Nic Pizzolatto; directed by Daniel Sackheim.
