We’ve often finished an episode of television and looked for a discussion thread online, only to be disappointed. Either no such thread exists, or all the oxygen is taken by puns and references that have been posted a thousand times. We wanted to be able to have some good jokes, some good analysis, and some good times.
That’s why we decided to take matters into our own hands (not unlike a hardened detective trying to crack a spooky case) and create the discussion threads we want to see in the world. So we asked writers, comedians, and filmmakers to hang out for a bit after an episode and make our own comment section. Welcome to the Dibs Texts Post-Episode Discussion Thread for True Detective: Night Country EPISODE FOUR!
All the news on this site is “real,” but this stuff is really real. SPOILERS AHEAD.
- hank bro i think you got scammed
- no he explained its probably a problem with her cell service
- sorry if this is a dumb question but is this show present day?
- we know it’s post 2016
- it’s at least after spongebob squarepants aired
- a firmly post spongebob story
- it’s after netflix switched from mailing dvds to a streaming service
- it’s after christmas was invented
- it’s after netflix switched from mailing dvds to a streaming service
- a firmly post spongebob story
- ooh i liked the fade into the radio static from the HBO static
- i thought my tv glitched out for a second lol
- danvers has gotta learn about video editing software. shes trying to hit pause on a touchscreen to do police work. she had it on a computer at one point and then she takes the phone back out
- when they asked the map guy for his help it seemed for a second like they just needed to borrow his macbook to watch the video on a bigger screen
- map guy patiently explaining to danvers that when they do the “enhance. enhance” bit in movies and shows, it doesn’t actually work that way in real life
- when they asked the map guy for his help it seemed for a second like they just needed to borrow his macbook to watch the video on a bigger screen
- i don’t think this should count as a christmas episode because christmas episodes are all about finding the true meaning of christmas, and i do not mean to be harsh to these filmmakers, but i don’t think a single person learned the true meaning of christmas this episode
- to be fair, we don’t know everything navarro saw. perhaps in her vision she was enjoying a lovely roast goose with loved ones
- How many ghosts were there in this episode? There was the one under the bed and then the one from the jump scare at the end. Too bad it wasn’t 3
- Third ghost in the flashback. Christmas
- Ah yes!!
- Third ghost in the flashback. Christmas
- How many ghosts were there in this episode? There was the one under the bed and then the one from the jump scare at the end. Too bad it wasn’t 3
- actually, you know what, Danver’s daughter going to spend the holiday with her found family is actually v much the spirit of christmas, i take back my little jape
- to be fair, we don’t know everything navarro saw. perhaps in her vision she was enjoying a lovely roast goose with loved ones
- my name is spongebob squarepants, if anything happens to me–
- i think we’re all thrilled and amazed that spongebob made a return in this episode. what exactly was the spongebob gift, though? was it a toothbrush or some other toiletry?
- i believe it was a toothbrush, which means navarro can now dual wield spongebobs and qavvik is still out of one
- finally kingdom hearts 4
- i’m pretty sure it was this
- oh shit it definitely was. props to the prop wranglers all around
- just a reminder that if spongebob lived under the sea near this mine he would be DEAD. it makes you think
- What do we think the mystery prize is? Spongebob shaped floss?
- it’s GOTTA be spongebob shaped whatever it is
- Okay so I found a youtube video where someone opens the spongebob toothpaste and the mystery prize is a spongebob keychain. so keep an eye on Navarro’s keychain in the next ep
- is it winking its left eye
- Okay so I found a youtube video where someone opens the spongebob toothpaste and the mystery prize is a spongebob keychain. so keep an eye on Navarro’s keychain in the next ep
- it’s GOTTA be spongebob shaped whatever it is
- oh shit it definitely was. props to the prop wranglers all around
- i believe it was a toothbrush, which means navarro can now dual wield spongebobs and qavvik is still out of one
- “you saw something in that room” [cut to ghost of kermit the frog pointing] “i saw nothing”
- (3 seconds after someone is almost crying saying they think they’re gonna go crazy) you’re a liar. you SAW something. a GHOST!
- (after screaming that there is no hell or heaven and throwing a stuffed polar bear out the door) you’re crazy man
- also four seconds before she had been insisting ghosts aren’t real
- yes and it did not read like she was saying that trying to convince herself. the flow of that conversation felt very jarring
- honestly this whole season feels jarring to me. i feel like there’s something i’m not connecting with
- yes and it did not read like she was saying that trying to convince herself. the flow of that conversation felt very jarring
- (3 seconds after someone is almost crying saying they think they’re gonna go crazy) you’re a liar. you SAW something. a GHOST!
- this show takes itself super seriously imo but then it all falls apart when they throw in a cheesy exorcist type jump scare lol
- there’s a part where navarro says really intensely “FUCK christmas eve” and we busted out laughing
- man, i’m so disappointed by the direction this has gone with the ghosts. i don’t know about the 2nd or 3rd season, but what was so good about the first one is that the horror was always sort of vaguely implied. this one felt like it was setting up for something good, but then turning hard into asinine horror jumpscares is such a let down
- it sucks! they can be way more subtle. like find the otis guy and he just talks weird shit about night country. dont have the ghost scares
- we’ve got
1) something rolls out from under bed, character slowly looks under bed where she finds a corpse that suddenly moves
2) slow pan up standing ghost and then smash cut to ghost screaming and pointing
3) tight shot, turn around to reveal ghost standing behind character
these are not groundbreaking jumpscares! and i don’t think jumpscares belong in cosmic horror really at all! - yeah sometimes cutting to a horror movie zombie kinda fucks up the suspenseful vibe you’re trying to build. there was a fucking muppet zombie at the end of the last episode and then this episode starts with 45 minutes of police work
- the more i think about it, you could literally just cut all the horror stuff out without any other editing and i would probably like it more.
- actually, yeah. all of the exact same stuff sans jumpscares would have this sort of eerie tension to it, which i think would be even better because then we’d just be reacting to what they’re seeing and having to fill in the gaps ourselves. versus seeing like “shrieking and pointing ghost girl no. 398”
- the more i think about it, you could literally just cut all the horror stuff out without any other editing and i would probably like it more.
- we’ve got
- Honestly though they earned so much goodwill with me with that marriage proposal fakeout/bone set they can pretty much do whatever they want
- oh my god that was so good, I was like ?????? Qavvik babe what are you d–oh sick
- For a second I hated it and then I realized they’d played me too
- oh my god that was so good, I was like ?????? Qavvik babe what are you d–oh sick
- it sucks! they can be way more subtle. like find the otis guy and he just talks weird shit about night country. dont have the ghost scares
- man, i’m so disappointed by the direction this has gone with the ghosts. i don’t know about the 2nd or 3rd season, but what was so good about the first one is that the horror was always sort of vaguely implied. this one felt like it was setting up for something good, but then turning hard into asinine horror jumpscares is such a let down
- there’s a part where navarro says really intensely “FUCK christmas eve” and we busted out laughing
- “that video… we need to talk about it” yeah i think probably you should do that as police detectives
- kind of weird that she had her husband’s name in the phone as “prior.” thats his last name. and i think it’s your last name also
- that was actually her previous husband
- i think it’s so dummies like me don’t miss the wordplay
- so is the corpsicle still melting? we didn’t see it at all. i hope nobody forgot about it. that would be embarrassing
- it sounds like it’s en route to anchorage? or somewhere else with Real Forensics™️
- ah i missed that detail!
- I know it had been a point of contention between Danvers and Eccleston’s character, which may have been addressed during the scene in the hotel room, but very easy to miss while trying to figure out what the glowly thing was in his mouth
- ah i missed that detail!
- it sounds like it’s en route to anchorage? or somewhere else with Real Forensics™️
- how do we feel about rose’s backstory of vague professor who decided professorring is bad and moved to Nothing, Alaska
- i hope it’s made up, because if it’s not, it felt kind of boring
- feels like the kind of place you go to and then make up the reason you went there
- Yeah but what she didn’t say was that she was a professor of spirals
- hahaha
- Yeah but what she didn’t say was that she was a professor of spirals
- feels like the kind of place you go to and then make up the reason you went there
- i hope it’s made up, because if it’s not, it felt kind of boring
- how do we feel about danvers sleeping with everyones husband and pissing off all the wives in town
- i feel like the character i want stronger writing for is danvers’ kid. she does vandalism, then asks her police chief mom why she never sides with her. i feel like it’s such an opportunity there and “why do you always take their side” is for like a 10 year old
- for someone who is painted as an allegedly pretty savvy activist, her going “hey cop mom why do you side against me when i do petty crime” feels weird?
- yeah! and it’s such a great spot to have her make a comment on it. she can be provocative there, like, “yeah, well, i’m the police chief’s daughter, so,” and piss danvers off causing conflict instead of just whining about it
- also, when danvers was first talking to the mine lady about it, i didn’t realize they’d already established that her daughter did it; so when Danvers was like “you’re punishing me etc etc my daughter” i was like….why are you narcing on your kid
- same! i was confused and thought i missed something initially. surprised they caught her in the act also given that everyone’s supposedly looking for clark
- oh that’s a really good point. there are Too Many Plots
- same! i was confused and thought i missed something initially. surprised they caught her in the act also given that everyone’s supposedly looking for clark
- also, when danvers was first talking to the mine lady about it, i didn’t realize they’d already established that her daughter did it; so when Danvers was like “you’re punishing me etc etc my daughter” i was like….why are you narcing on your kid
- yeah! and it’s such a great spot to have her make a comment on it. she can be provocative there, like, “yeah, well, i’m the police chief’s daughter, so,” and piss danvers off causing conflict instead of just whining about it
- for someone who is painted as an allegedly pretty savvy activist, her going “hey cop mom why do you side against me when i do petty crime” feels weird?
- few more lacks of left eyes in this episode, the patch, the guy at the end, the polar bear. feels like maybe blindness is relevant to “night country,” to “eternal darkness” etc.?
- Phil I love that you are always steering us toward Real Analysis; it’s admirable
- When Danver’s has the dream about Holden, she’s sort of playing peekaboo with him, and he only covers one of his eyes
- there are definitely a lot of deliberate choices being made in spite of the fact that i think we’re trending towards disagreeing with many of them
- Phil I love that you are always steering us toward Real Analysis; it’s admirable
- i am sorry to report that i laughed out loud at the sad, emotional Twist and Shout in the credits
- Twist and Shout: Funeral Dirge Edition
- I liked that multiple characters were watching Elf on christmas eve because I also do that
- i like when multiple characters are kevin coded
- Thought this was a Kevin McCallister reference for a second
- kevin mccallister and i are both EXTREMELY kevin coded
- Thought this was a Kevin McCallister reference for a second
- i like when multiple characters are kevin coded
- I am very, very worried about Navarro leaving the rock with the spiral in Qavvik’s home. I’m worried that’s setting him up to be “infected” by the spiral, and if that happens, I’m going to be extremely goddamn bummed about it
- orange came back
- i feel like there was still room to possibly turn back last week from the Supernatural Stuff Is Real train, but i think we’re fully beyond that possibility now. a mass psychosis thing is too inexact to be at all satisfying
- how many people do we know have seen supernatural things? trying to remember
- so, clark, probably all of the scientists but maybe not, someone else on the radio as danvers is driving says “she is here”– i think a third person in the first episode uses similar language. rose, navarro, navarro’s sister. danvers saw the polar bear this episode (not necessarily supernatural but definitely bizarrely specifically connected)
- the “she is here” or “she is coming” language being used by different people in different locations from episode 1 makes it feel impossible to me there is not something supernatural happening, because that makes no sense for Everyone to say
- I think it’s “she’s awake”
- Honestly, if they go full ice monster allegory for the planet I will be totally onboard with supernatural
- I think it’s “she’s awake”
- the “she is here” or “she is coming” language being used by different people in different locations from episode 1 makes it feel impossible to me there is not something supernatural happening, because that makes no sense for Everyone to say
- so, clark, probably all of the scientists but maybe not, someone else on the radio as danvers is driving says “she is here”– i think a third person in the first episode uses similar language. rose, navarro, navarro’s sister. danvers saw the polar bear this episode (not necessarily supernatural but definitely bizarrely specifically connected)
- Danvers is in a coma. It’s all in Danvers’s head. Done. Not Supernatural.
- Very satisfying.
- man, i hope it’s not mass psychosis, that’s such a cop out
- cop out? but enough about danvers on christmas eve!
- well they kinda opened it up with navarro going “crazy”
- how many people do we know have seen supernatural things? trying to remember
- i understand she doesnt want to eat it because its going to remind her of the night, but if i’m danvers, i’m bakin that turkey
- i already prepped that shit. its going in the oven
- she’s leaving gains on the table
- for a woman as allegedly logical as she is, and living someone where food is established to be wildly expensive, that move made no sense. cook it, have it for leftovers
- i think she’s logical in work and extremely volatile socially
- but bake the turkey
- i’m torn because she is absolutely volatile when it comes to human relations, but she’s got such midwestern dad energy, it was hard not to see her be like “well i bought this damn turkey and im cookin this damn turkey”
- i think she’s logical in work and extremely volatile socially
- i already prepped that shit. its going in the oven
- Was I wrong that daylight came back near the end, when they were entering that big rig where Otis and the ghost were? Feels premature to bring daylight back so quickly in a show called night country
- I think that there is still a relative day/night cycle, it’s just like……..darker overall. so i think being out on the ice + it being more on the dayer side of things made it look lighter?
- that makes sense
- more like “sorta night” country
- thank you
- more like “sorta night” country
- that makes sense
- I think that there is still a relative day/night cycle, it’s just like……..darker overall. so i think being out on the ice + it being more on the dayer side of things made it look lighter?
- do we think she passed her exam
- she wasn’t awake with post-exam-failure insomnia which is a good sign
- i hope there’s a hard, unapologetic turn to full supernatural next episode. i feel like we’re one foot in, one foot out, and not in a Mysterious way
- i’m ready for a whole bushel of oranges
- that teacher danvers fucked loves maps. had like 90 globes. bet hed be good at geoguessr
- also why you got your light directly above your chair like that man? cant be the first time you bonked your noggin on there. move the desk
- entering “the light was too low” into the IMDB goofs section
- also why you got your light directly above your chair like that man? cant be the first time you bonked your noggin on there. move the desk
- I found the reference to Navarro being cursed interesting because this show weirdly has a lot in common to “The Curse” in my mind (at least in terms of the ‘is this supernatural or not’ waffling). Also sex played for laughs!
- there’s something i can’t quite put my finger on that isn’t sitting right with me with the whole “is it ghosts/is it mental illness” thing. i get why that’s a solid storytelling vehicle, but it 1) never really paints mental illness in a good light (i bristled at the mention of schizophrenia, since i’m kind of over how much that’s stigmatized just as a fallback bogeyman when a piece of media needs to explain away some hallucinations) and 2) it paints the concept of ghosts in a really western, eurocentric light, like they’re these hostile memories of past failures/dead ancestors, which isn’t the case in a lot of cultures
- yeah the jumpscare ghosts are not very interesting to me. the dancing guy was much more interesting. why is nobody dancing people to evidence anymore
-
- yeah the dancing guy got my attention. i was like, i wonder why he’s dancing! maybe we will find out!
- think i’m unfortunately gonna have to hit that with an “Alas.”
- yeah the dancing guy got my attention. i was like, i wonder why he’s dancing! maybe we will find out!
-
- yeah the jumpscare ghosts are not very interesting to me. the dancing guy was much more interesting. why is nobody dancing people to evidence anymore
That’s it! Thank you for hanging out with us while we discussed episode four of True Detective: Night Country. Check in with us next week to read our discussion on episode five. Click here for the rest of our True Detective discussion threads. Feel free to drop a comment below to keep the convo going!
Participants:
- Kevin Flynn, he/him, Writer (Hard Drive, The Onion)
- Anica, they/she, Comedian and TTRPG performer
- Christine Nyland, she/her, Filmmaker (Summoners, Distress Signals, An Unquiet Grave)
- Leon Chang, he/him, Musician (Bird World, Return to Bird World, Leon Mode)
- Andy Holt, he/him, Writer (Hard Drive)
- Phil Jamesson, he/him, Writer (Dibs Next Co-Creator)
COMMENTS.
One response to “True Detective: Night Country S4E4 “Part 4” — Post-Episode Discussion Thread — Dibs Texts”
Leon, how do YOU feel about Danvers banging all the husbands in town and pissing off the wives?
Personally, I love her for that.