NIGHT COUNTRY has been lauded by professional TV critics and by most viewers. Reddit and other social media platforms have negative comments from some viewers who do not like the constant references to TRUE DETECTIVE S1 and the lumbering plot. I use the word lumbering, being cognizant of the fact that mystery dramas are meant to be a slow burn. However, this viewer found episodes 2-4 to be stagnant, dwelling a bit too long in the subplots. A sibling suffering from mental health issues is certainly a serious matter, but with the entire town of Ennis having some form of psychological problems, the death of Detective Navarro’s sister is not as palpable as showrunner and director Issa Lopez would desire. The penultimate episode picks up the pace by having Hank fully display his true colors and Navarro and Danvers discover an underground lab in an ice cave where Annie was murdered. The finale to this fourth entry of HBO’s mystery anthology will not win over original creator Nic Pizalatto; who despite being an executive producer has voiced his hatred of S4. I consider this finale’ to be a fitting conclusion to this decent drama entry in HBO’s coveted 9pm ET timeslot. How about you?
As Peter cleans up the crime scene at his boss’s house, Danvers and Navarro navigate the underground cave, and eventually find a previously unknown entry to the Tsalal scientific facility. Both heroines avoid serious injury when they fall through ice to a lower level of the cave. They eventually find a ladder well and run into the missing scientist, Raymond Clark. An intense scuffle leads to Clark’s capture. He eventually confesses Annie discovered the facility’s bogus pollution data. Unlike many plotlines that involve a corporation hiding a plan to profit from nefarious activities, the scientists of Tsalal were intentionally polluting to melt the ice to find world-saving ancient DNA. In short, the Tsalal researchers were doing harm for the “greater good.” 
Annie discovers their deception and destroys their years of research. In a fit of rage, all the scientists attack Annie. Clark was not initially involved, but when he attempted to help Annie she fought back due to her state of medical shock. Clark chokes Annie to death. Navarro barely subdues her rage, opting to not kill Clark. Clark reveals that none of the scientists cut out Annie’s tongue, with it being heavily suggested that Hank did so when the Tsalal financers instructed him to dispose of Annie’s body.
Peter, dealing with the crime scene at Danvers’s house, receives support from Kayla and disposes of his father’s corpse with Rose’s help. Peter later reconciles with his wife, after the latter sees he is a loving man caught up in the madness of being a police officer in Ennis.
Danvers and Navarro find evidence that the cleaners of the laboratory were responsible for the deaths of the researchers. The duo visits Bee (the lady from the crab factory in the first episode S4), and she reveals the cleaners discovered the lab and avenged Annie by exposing the researchers to the cold. Physically and emotionally exhausted from the case, Danvers and Navarro decide to let the coroner’s explanation of the deaths close the case: The scientists died from an avalanche and exposure to the cold.
In TRUE DETECTIVE S1 fashion, we see Danvers being interviewed by detectives from outside of Ennis. They seem to know that Danvers is holding back on some information, but without evidence, they accept her answers:
· Navarro’s whereabouts are unknown
· Hank is the prime suspect in Annie and Otis Heiss’s murder
· The scientists were victims of exposure to the natural elements
Regarding the former answer, Issa Lopez opted for ambiguity. Navarro leaves a toothbrush at her old flame’s residence, replacing the toothbrush she brazenly took from the first episode. Navarro is seen sporadically by Danvers and other residents of Ennis in the closing shots of E6. Yet, Lopez’s direction presents Navarro in a surreal manner. This is intentional because we do not know if this is Navarro in the flesh or people’s manifestations of her.
For this reviewer, NIGHT COUNTRY was a mixed bag. A strong first episode, followed by mediocre episodes 2-4, a better penultimate episode, and a strong but overly ambiguous finale. Simply put, this is worth watching due to Lopez’s direction and HBO’s production. Perhaps if this was not part of the TRUE DETECTIVE anthology, Lopez could have felt less obligated to tie the entry to season one. The Tsalal storyline is strong enough without the “flat-circle” and “spiral” references. Nevertheless, watch the conclusion of this series. And be on the lookout for future work from Lopez as her direction is sublime.
