One of the more surprising stories surrounding the upcoming Season 3 of “True Detective” came during 2017, when it was revealed that the “Deadwood” creator David Milch had teamed up with Nic Pizzolatto to help write part of the season. Of course, no one was complaining about the news, as Milch is one of the best writers in TV today, but it just felt like an odd combination. But speaking at a press conference recently, Pizzolatto explains that the deal for Milch to help with “True Detective” was thanks to the upcoming “Deadwood” film.
READ MORE: ‘Deadwood’ Film Begins Production As Full Cast & Synopsis Are Revealed
“We had gotten together because Scott [Stephens] is a producer on ‘Deadwood,’ and he had brought me in for a couple of weeks to sort of work for David on his ‘Deadwood’ film script,” Pizzolatto said (via IndieWire). “This was around when I was still figuring out the idea for ‘True Detective’ 3, and we had such a great time.”
So, in a way of paying Pizzolatto back for helping with “Deadwood,” Milch joined the upcoming third season of “True Detective.” The full extent of his work on the series isn’t quite known right now, but he is credited as a co-writer on one episode. However, it seems as if Milch was far more influential than just a standard co-writer.
READ MORE: ‘Deadwood’ Actor On Upcoming Film’s Script: “The Maestro Has Topped Himself”
“He turned me on to writing out loud, which I’d never done before, and I ended up writing most of the second half of the season out loud, which was a much more spiritually healthy thing to do than be alone in a room with a blank page,” Pizzolatto said.
He continued, “I knew he was going to have to go back and do ‘Deadwood’ and get that on its feet again, but I was just glad we had that time together. It’s something I’m going to remember and take with me for the rest of my life.”
The unique way of writing out loud led to some interesting scenarios with two of the best minds at HBO working on scripts. “There were times when I was doing one character and he was doing another, and we were like the dueling banjos or something in ‘Deliverance.’ It was so special to me,” said the “True Detective” creator.
Fans of “True Detective” have to be excited by Milch’s influence on the new season, as the series has been the subject of some serious criticism after a disappointing Season 2, which not only failed to capture the reviews and excitement of Season 1 but also wasn’t the ratings hit that HBO hoped for.
But Pizzolatto says that he’s “very proud” of the work that was done on Season 2, but thinks the upcoming Season 3, which stars Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, will be a great change of pace for the crime series.
He explains, “I hope, maybe the focus on character . The intertwining of timelines a much, much more complicated structural thing. […] Other than that, it’s really hard to describe. It’s almost like a tone and a texture. I feel like this one has a lot more light in it than previous seasons and maybe reaches for hope a bit more. I’m not even sure this is properly noir, given where it goes.”
“True Detective” Season 3 debuts on HBO on January 13, 2019.