<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> List of True Detective episodes </Td> </Tr> <P> The first season of True Detective, an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto, premiered on January 12, 2014, on the premium cable network HBO . The principal cast consisted of Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, and Tory Kittles . The season comprised eight episodes, and its initial airing concluded on March 9, 2014 . As an anthology, each True Detective season has its own self - contained story, following a disparate set of characters in various settings . </P> <P> Constructed as a nonlinear narrative, season one focuses on Louisiana State Police homicide detectives Rustin "Rust" Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin "Marty" Hart (Harrelson), who investigated the murder of prostitute Dora Lange in 1995 . Seventeen years later, they must revisit the investigation, along with several other unsolved crimes . During this time, Hart's infidelity threatens his marriage to Maggie (Monaghan), and Cohle struggles to cope with his troubled past . True Detective's first season explores themes of philosophical pessimism, masculinity, and Christianity; critics have analyzed the show's portrayal of women, its auteurist sensibility, and the influence of comics and weird horror fiction on its narrative . </P> <P> Pizzolatto initially conceived True Detective as a novel, but felt it was more suitable for television . The episodes, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, were filmed in Louisiana over a three - month period . The series received positive reviews from critics and was cited as one of the strongest dramas of the 2014 television season . It was a candidate for numerous television awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Drama Series and a Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film, and won several other honors for writing, cinematography, direction, and acting . </P>

Where does true detective season 1 take place