Season 3 of True Detective aired from January 13 to February 24, 2019 on HBO.
Plot[]
This season focuses on the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods.[1]
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Mahershala Ali as Wayne Hays (8/8)
- Carmen Ejogo as Amelia Reardon (8/8)
- Stephen Dorff as Roland West (8/8)
- Scoot McNairy as Tom Purcell (7/8)
- Ray Fisher as Henry Hays (8/8)
Recurring cast[]
- Jon Tenney as Alan Jones (5/8)
- Josh Hopkins as Jim Dobkins (4/8)
- Mamie Gummer as Lucy Purcell (6/8)
- Sarah Gadon as Elisa Montgomery (7/8)
- Rhys Wakefield as Freddy Burns (5/8)
- Brandon Flynn as Ryan Peters (3/8)
- Richard Meehan as Frankie Boyle (3/8)
- Michael Greyeyes as Brett Woodard (5/8)
- Phoenix Elkin as Will Purcell (2/8)
- Lena McCarthy as Julie Purcell (2/8)
- Emily Nelson as Margaret (5/8)
- Corbin B. Pitts as Mike Ardoin (2/8)
- Lennon Morgan as Ronnie Boyle (2/8)
- Nick Basta as James Boyle (2/8)
- Jancey Sheats as News Anchor (2/8)
- Brett Cullen as Gerald Kindt (6/8)
- Michael Graziadei as Dan O'Brien (2/8)
- Gareth Williams as Police Chief Warren (3/8)
- Michael Broderick as Special Agent John Bowen (4/8)
- Tim Griffin as Special Agent Burt Diller (4/8)
- Sola Bamis as Heather Hays (2/8)
- Bailey Rae Fenderson as Amy Hays (2/8)
- Jaiden McLeod as (2/8)
- Kennedi Lynn Butler as Becca Hays (5/8)
- Isaiah C. Morgan as Henry Hays (6/8)
- Brian Oerly as Eddie (4/8)
- Michael Klucher as Reporter (2/8)
- Lawrence Turner as Foreman (2/8)
- Bojesse Christopher as Richard Kitting (2/8)
- Lennon Morgan as Ronnie Boyle (2/8)
- Nick Basta as James Boyle (2/8)
- Harlon Miller as Walmart Security Guard (1/8)
- Jodi Balfour as Lori (2/8)
- James MacDonald as Major Blevins (4/8)
- Greg Bryan as Jay Bunda (2/8)
- L. Warren Young as Detective (3/8)
- Bill Kelly as Detective Hobbs (3/8)
- David Stanbra as Detective Segar (3/8)
- Myk Watford as Detective Morelli (3/8)
- Bea Santos as Julie Purcell (4/8)
- Scott Shepherd as Harris James (4/8)
- Cullen Moss as State Trooper (2/8)
- Steven Williams as Junius Watts (2/8)
- Lindsay Musil as Shelly (2/8)
- Nathan Wetherington as Mike Ardoin (2/8)
Episodes[]
| No. in series | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "The Great War and Modern Memory" | Jeremy Saulnier | Nic Pizzolatto | January 13, 2019 | 1.44 |
| ||||||
| The disappearance of a young Arkansas boy and his sister, Will and Julie Purcell, in 1980 launches a decades-long investigation for detective Wayne Hays and his partner Roland West. What begins as a routine case becomes a journey to make sense of the many clues and missing pieces. | ||||||
| 18 | 2 | "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" | Jeremy Saulnier | Nic Pizzolatto | January 13, 2019 | 1.19 |
| ||||||
| Wayne looks back at the 1980 Purcell case, including possible evidence left behind at the crime scene, the Devil's Den – an outdoor hangout for local kids. As attention is drawn to two suspects – Brett Woodard, a solitary vet and trash collector, and Ted LaGrange, an ex-con with a penchant for children – the children's parents receive a cryptic note from an anonymous source. | ||||||
| 19 | 3 | "The Big Never" | Daniel Sackheim | Nic Pizzolatto | January 20, 2019 | 1.06 |
| ||||||
| Ten years after the Purcell children went missing, new evidence emerges, giving Wayne a second chance to vindicate himself. Skip ahead to 2015, and an older Hays recalls his early romance with the children’s school teacher, Amelia, who would later become his wife. Sifting through his memories, he revisits the cracks in their relationship that surfaced after they married and had children of their own. | ||||||
| 20 | 4 | "The Hour and the Day" | Nic Pizzolatto | Nic Pizzolatto & David Milch | January 27, 2019 | 1.45 |
| ||||||
| In 1980, Hays and his partner Roland see a possible connection between the local church and the Purcell crimes. As the detectives search for one suspect and round up another for interrogation, the town turns against war vet and outcast “Trash Man” Woodard. | ||||||
| 21 | 5 | "If You Have Ghosts" | Nic Pizzolatto | Nic Pizzolatto | February 1, 2019 (online) February 3, 2019 (HBO) |
0.88 |
| ||||||
| Wayne finds himself in a no-win situation as new clues emerge in the Purcell case. Roland wrestles with how to keep evidence secure as lawyers demand a new investigation. Amelia finds her relationship with Wayne imperiled by her writing aspirations and his jealousy. | ||||||
| 22 | 6 | "Hunters in the Dark" | Daniel Sackheim | Graham Gordy & Nic Pizzolatto | February 10, 2019 | 1.25 |
| ||||||
| Wayne and Roland revisit discrepancies in the Purcell case that were hidden or forgotten over the years. Among those being reevaluated is Tom Purcell, as well as Lucy Purcell's cousin, Dan O'Brien. The glitter of Amelia's book release is tarnished by a voice from the past. | ||||||
| 23 | 7 | "The Final Country" | Daniel Sackheim | Nic Pizzolatto | February 17, 2019 | 1.32 |
| ||||||
| Following up on new leads, Wayne and Roland track down a man who left the police force in the midst of the Purcell investigation. Meanwhile, Amelia visits Lucy Purcell's best friend in hopes of gaining insights into the whereabouts of the mysterious one-eyed man. | ||||||
| 24 | 8 | "Now Am Found" | Daniel Sackheim | Nic Pizzolatto | February 24, 2019 | 1.38 |
| ||||||
| Wayne struggles to hold on to his memories, and his grip on reality, as the truth behind the Purcell case is finally revealed. | ||||||
Advertising and marketing[]
Promotional videos[]
True Detective Season 3 (2019) Teaser Trailer HBO
True Detective Season 3 (2019) Official Trailer ft. Mahershala Ali HBO
Promotional Gallery[]
References[]
| True Detective Season 3 (2019) | ||
|---|---|---|
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301. The Great War and Modern Memory |
305. If You Have Ghosts | |
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| See also: S1 • S2 • S3 • Night Country | ||