The Town that Inspired True Detective Season Two

By Reuben Levine | Jun 24, 2015

The vision of California that is seen in True Detective season two is a far cry away from what most people would consider to be a standard Californian setting. It makes sense, as True Detective is going for more of a depressed noir feel and not your usual cop show that tends to show plenty of beaches and color.

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The city of Vinci mentioned in True Detective is fictitious, but it is based on a real city. The LA Times has put together a small report on the city that inspired True Detective season two, Vernon. Apparently Vernon has been a hot-bed of corruption “dating back to the 1920’s.” Sounds perfect for True Detective.

True Detective even did some shooting in Vernon to go for authenticity. A spokesperson for the city, Frederick MacFarlane said in a statement to the Times that “Vernon has moved past the scandals.” The Times has a nice list of the most recent scandals, including the city administrator admitting to using public money for his own, rather comfortable pursuits.

You know, golf and stuff.

And if you’re more interested in the dirtier past, there is something for you as well. Vernon founder John Baptiste Leonis (how’s that for a charismatic name?) ran Vernon like a “feudal lord” during the 1920’s and beyond. He died a millionaire, of course.

Vernon seems like the sort of place created within the world of True Detective, and not actually a real place. It’s good that the city seems to finally be pulling itself together, and being a part of True Detective may actually raise its profile a bit.

Next: Lera Lynn's song from the premiere of True Detective season two is now on YouTube.

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