‘True Detective’: How ‘Night Country’ Connects to Season 1

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for True Detective Season 4, Episode 2, “Part 2.”]

True Detective: Night Country unveiled a few Season 1 connections in its latest episode as the funder behind the Tsalal Research Station was revealed to be Tuttle United, and Rose Aguineau’s (Fiona Shaw) late love was confirmed to be Travis Cohle (Erling Eliasson), father to Rust (Matthew McConaughey).

For those who may have tuned into the anthology series’ first season in 2014, they might recall that the Tuttle name belonged to key characters from the series’ first outing. A rich and powerful family, the Tuttles ultimately helped shield an insidious cult, which involved the torture, rape, and murder of down-on-their-luck women and children.

Season 1’s big bad, Errol Childress (Glenn Fleshler), was directly tied to the Tuttles as the son of Sam Tuttle’s illegitimate son, Billy Childress. Uncovered by the work of detectives Rust and Marty (Woody Harrelson), the name isn’t synonymous with good behavior, so when it gets a mention in Episode 2 of Night Country, it must be noted.

(Credit: HBO)

In a conversation between Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Pete Prior (Finn Bennett), they discuss the mystery behind Tsalal Research Station, which saw all of its male scientists disappear without a trace before being found in the ice of Alaska’s frigid landscape. “The NGO that funds the station, if you follow the taxes, you can trace it back to a shell company called NC Global Strategies,” Pete tells Danvers, adding, “which in turn belongs to Tuttle United.”

“Tuttle United, what do they do?” Danvers asks before Pete responds, “Oh, everything. Glass, tech, video games, shipments, palm oil, cruise lines…”

The powerful family continues to fund projects through their company, but the question this raises is whether or not that means something shifty was going on as Tsalal beyond their research.

(Credit: HBO)

Adding to the Season 1 connections was the inclusion of a spiral symbol, which was found drawn on the forehead of one of the frozen scientists. It was also present as Danvers looked over photos in the first episode, searching for connections between the scientists and Annie Kowtok (Nivi Pedersen), who was murdered years prior.

When Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) asks Rose what she knows about the symbol, she warns the girl that it’s older than Ennis, perhaps even older than the ice. Navarro mentions she’s seen it before, and ultimately, it pops up several times as Episode 2 carries on, but it was also seen in Season 1 more than once through Rust’s visions and on the bodies of victims including Dora Lange (Amanda Rose Batz).

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Perhaps the most obvious version of this spiral that recurred in Season 1 and now in Season 4 is illustrated in the crows Rust sees, above or even on the victims from Season 1. Additionally, Rust was raised in Alaska and even mentions he returned years after leaving, spending eight years working on fishing boats. So he would have no doubt been exposed to whatever supernatural elements are likely tied to this symbol, which even appeared vaguely in Season 3.

But of course, the most obvious connection was the reveal made by Rose that Travis was indeed a Cohle, confirming a direct tie to Rust, as the father of Season 1’s detective. Rose even credits Travis with introducing her to Navarro, saying, “One last gift from Travis Cohle – I got to meet you.”

While these connections may seem small, they’re certainly something to ponder as Night Country continues. Did you catch them while watching? Let us know what you think of the Season 1 connection in the comments section below, and stay tuned for more as mysteries continue to unravel.

True Detective: Night Country, Sundays, 9/8c, HBO