Claim: True Detective's second season was set in the most populous state of the United States.

True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto . The series , broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States , premiered on January 12 , 2014 . Each season of the series is structured as a disparate , self-contained narrative , employing new cast ensembles and following various sets of characters and settings .   The first season , starring Matthew McConaughey , Woody Harrelson , Michelle Monaghan , Michael Potts , and Tory Kittles , takes place in Louisiana and follows a pair of Louisiana State Police homicide detectives , and their pursuit of a serial killer over a 17-year period . The second season , starring Colin Farrell , Rachel McAdams , Taylor Kitsch , Kelly Reilly , and Vince Vaughn , is set in California , and focuses on three detectives from three cooperating police departments and a criminal-turned-businessman as they investigate a series of crimes they believe are linked to the murder of a corrupt politician .   The first season received generally excellent reviews from critics and earned high ratings for HBO . It was nominated for and won numerous awards and other accolades , chiefly for its acting , cinematography , writing , and direction . Reception to the second season was more divided , though the show maintained high viewership for HBO .   In July 2016 , HBO head of programming Casey Bloys confirmed plans for a potential third season , stating , `` It is not dead . I talked to Nic about it and both Nic and HBO are open to another season . I do n't think Nic has a take and he 's working on some other projects . We 're open to somebody else writing it and Nic supervising it . It 's a valuable franchise , it 's not dead , we just do n't have a take for a third season yet . '' This came shortly after McConaughey said he would hypothetically be interested in reprising his role as Rust Cohle in a third season . In March 2017 , it was revealed that Pizzolatto has written the first two episodes of a potential third season and that David Milch joined the creative team .