Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"

True Detective
(Image credit: HBO)

Just over ten years on from its debut, Matthew McConaughey has shared his thoughts on True Detective, and why he thinks his season is still the best. The actor was recently asked if he watched the latest season of the show – True Detective: North Country – which starred Jodie Foster and Kali Reis.

"I watched, I saw it. Yeah, there’s a lot about it that I appreciated," McConaughey told Variety about the 2014 show. "My favorite season – and I feel like I can say this objectively – is Season 1."

The actor added: "I happen to be in that one, so I thought that was incredible, incredible television and a great series. I watched it weekly, like everyone else, on Sunday night, and that was an event for me. And I got to sit back and enjoy that. I loved the water cooler talk on Monday morning. Even though I made it, I sort of forgot what was going to happen next. It was one of the great events in TV."

The original series starred McConaughey as Detective Rustin "Rust" Cohle alongside Woody Harrelson as Detective Martin "Marty" Hart. The series was told across two time periods: when the pair are young detectives brought in to investigate the death of Dora Lange in 1995 and then 17 years later when links to a series of other missing-person cases bring it into the spotlight.

It was widely acclaimed when it first aired and still holds an impressive 92% critics and 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the highest of all seasons of the show, closely followed by True Detective season 4, which also hit over the 90% mark.

For more, check out our guides to all the new TV shows arriving in 2025 and the best HBO shows.

CATEGORIES
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Jodie Foster in True Detective: Night Country
True Detective's new location might seem a little strange, but HBO TV boss says season 5 is "just as powerful"
Alan Ritchson as Reacher in Reacher season 3
Reacher season 3 review: "Alan Ritchson's hero still rules as we get the best season yet"
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Mr and Mrs Smith was one of the best shows of 2024 and the perfect limited series – let's hope season 2 lives up to it
Severance
Star Adam Scott knew that Severance season 2 would get weirder, but had faith that the showrunners would steer it in the "right direction"
Severance
Severance creator Dan Erickson talks keeping the acclaimed show's spark alive in season 2: "It's not just that it's still there - I think it's better"
Alan Ritchson in the Reacher season 3 teaser trailer
Reacher season 3 breaks a series record, landing a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score for the action show
Latest in Crime Shows
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
FBI: Most Wanted
Two popular FBI spin-off shows have been canceled, and unhappy fans think it's "a big mistake"
Neil Patrick Harris in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials
Dexter fans praise "insane" casting for new series' second season as Doctor Who's Neil Patrick Harris joins Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman and more
The Åre Murders
A Nordic murder mystery is topping Netflix's streaming list, but you've probably never heard of it
Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock
Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch says there’s only one thing that would make him return to the BBC drama, as well as "a lot of money"
Lashana Lynch as 'Bianca' in The Day of the Jackal
Bond star Lashana Lynch explains why she was "actually quite happy" not to work closely with Eddie Redmayne in new cat-and-mouse thriller The Day of the Jackal
Latest in News
True Detective
Matthew McConaughey still thinks his own season of True Detective is the best one: "It was one of the great events in TV"
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Fortnite's Lara croft skin in front of a building
Fortnite has had Tomb Raider's Lara Croft locked away in battle pass exclusivity jail for almost 4 years, but she's reportedly getting a new skin very soon
Mind Rot card art (showing a human screaming in agony) with two meme Spongebob Squarepants Secret Lair cards laid over top
MTG's meme-filled Spongebob Secret Lair is enough to kill the average player from the 1990s
Julian McMahon as Doctor Doom in 2005's Fantastic Four
The Doctor Doom actor from 2005's Fantastic Four thinks Robert Downey Jr.'s take on the role in the next Avengers movies will be "pretty extraordinary": "I love watching his work"
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes trailer
My Hero Academia prequel series lands streaming date and brand new trailer, and it looks just as action packed as the original show