True Detective season 5’s location has been revealed in a new filming and casting update. With Nic Pizzolatto serving as showrunner, the first three seasons of HBO’s Emmy-winning anthology series were set in Louisiana, California, and the Ozarks. The fourth season, subtitled Night County, saw Issa López taking over as showrunner and was set in Alaska. True Detective season 5 has officially been renewed with Lopez returning at the helm.
Now, the setting for the next season has been revealed. During an interview with Deadline, HBO’s Head of Drama Series and Film Francesca Orsi revealed that True Detective season 5 will be set in Jamaica Bay, New York. Filming is also set to start in the coming months and the casting process is in the preliminary stages. It will also launch in 2027, Orsi said. Read her full comments below:
It’s set in New York, in Jamaica Bay. Issa has a lot to say, not unlike she did with Night Country. It’s a different milieu but just as powerful… I’m really excited about it. We have a small writers room going with Issa; she’s excited. We just gave notes on the first two episodes, the entire season. Honestly, I can’t wait for this to go. It’s all about casting and getting this ready.
What True Detective Season 5’s Setting Means For The Show
What To Know About Jamaica Bay
Jamaica Bay is an estuary on the southern portion of the western tip of Long Island. A stark contrast exists between the bay’s natural marshy islands and the city’s decaying urban landscape. The marshy islands, with their shifting tides and eerie isolation, should create a constant atmosphere of unease, perfect for a crime narrative steeped in mystery. The setting should also lend itself well to True Detective‘s signature mood of isolation and decay.
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Set thousands of miles from the frozen expanse of Alaska, True Detective season 5 will still bear the echoes of what happened in the Night Country. According to Issa López, even though season 5 will feature a new story and characters, there will still be some important connections to everything that happened in Alaska in season 4. Despite the different settings, Lopez should continue to explore themes of trauma, grief, and the haunting power of the past.
Our Take On True Detective Season 5’s Setting
How It’s Different From Past Seasons
Season 5 taking place in Jamaica Bay marks a return to an urban environment, making it most comparable to True Detective season 2, which took place in California’s Ventura County. While seasons 1, 3, and 4 were deeply rooted in rural and remote landscapes – Louisiana’s bayous, the Ozark mountains, and the icy isolation of Alaska – season 5 will unfold in one of the most densely populated areas on the planet.
While the setting of Jamaica Bay should offer hidden marshlands, abandoned structures, and a sense of mystery, it’s also surrounded by millions of people. This return to a more populated setting suggests that True Detective season 5 may lean into themes of crime, corruption, and power structures – similar to season 2’s exploration of political and corporate greed in Southern California.
Source: Deadline
True Detective
8/10
- 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