5 Different Settings for True Detective Season Three

True Detective season three needs to do something different.

The first two seasons take place in Louisiana and California, respectively, which aren’t all that different. Yes, one is a dry heat and the other is humid. Incredible. Between the two seasons of True Detective that we’ve had so far, all we get are various takes on warm climates. In order to get the taste of True Detective season two out of the mouths of it critics, it has to do something different. And one way to do that is to radically change the setting.

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It’s always warm in True Detective and the weather is always nice. This is in stark contrast to the overall tone, which is bleak, and as of season two, crushingly pessimistic. It never rains in True Detective and everyone seems reasonably comfortable. Let’s take a look at five different setting ideas for True Detective season three to shake things up a little bit.

Next: Owen Wilson supports Vince Vaughn's switch to drama.

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1. Chicago

Nic Pizzolatto has so far shied away from big cities in True Detective. He prefers smaller, more small town settings instead of sprawling metropolises. But why not switch it up a bit? Many other crime series take place in large cities, but Pizzolatto could do them one better by choosing a city like Chicago. It could even float around the city sort of how season two floats around L.A.

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The climate of Chicago is windy and bitterly cold in the winter. That would make it different enough from the first two seasons. Even setting the season in the spring would offer a nice change from California. Chicago is a city with a unique feel to it, and, depending on who you ask, is at least partially the basis for Batman’s Gotham City.

As far as large North American cities go, Chicago is as fine a choice as they come. You can check out a small clip of director John Hughes talking about filming in the Chicago Art Institute right here. Just because.

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2. Nebraska

Nebraska could be considered fairly Middle America. It has plains, not entirely unlike the plains seen in True Detective first season and has a certain noir feel to it. Pizzolatto could also securely hold onto that small town vibe that he loves so much. The big selling point for Nebraska, however, is the climate. Nebraska sees an inordinate amount of thunderstorms and tornado activity. Not that we condone filming around a tornado, just to put that out there.

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There has not been a single thunderstorm in True Detective. Maybe it’s more annoying to shoot during a storm, or maybe Pizzolatto just doesn’t like getting wet. Nebraska could also be dry and hot or freezing cold, so it’s got it all covered. There’s something about Nebraska especially that feels like it could really capture that True Detective feeling.

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3. Texas

Okay, so Texas isn’t all that different climate-wise from the first two seasons. That doesn’t mean that True Detective season three couldn’t do something excellent with it. It may mostly be hot down in Texas, but there are plenty of smaller towns away from the big cities that could enhance the noir tone of True Detective. Blood Simple, the Coen brothers first film, takes place in Texas. We’re not really sure that any other reason is needed.

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Nic Pizzolatto already has some experience with Texas, as his novel, Galveston, takes place there. Galveston, Texas. Get it? Texas doesn’t offer the climate changes that we’ve been craving, but there are still plenty of opportunities to do something creative with it.

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2. Montreal

Let’s get out of America, shall we? Well, not North America, anyway. Montreal is a unique city that sees its fair share of hard winters. If going for snow, we vote for Montreal all the way. Montreal is a large city that has a bit of a European feel to it. What would a Canadian set version of True Detective would like? Would everybody suddenly become incredibly friendly? We can’t say for sure, but we’d love to find out.

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Montreal offers something of a European experience without treading too far into, say, actual Europe. Nic Pizzolatto does love his Americana, but Montreal has an alluring pull to it. Pizzolatto could show us an entirely different view of the city in True Detective season three.

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1. Brussels

We kind of coped out on this one for a couple of reasons. One, the above picture is taken from the film In Bruges, which is not Brussels. It’s Bruges. In our defense, they are both in Belgium. Second, this is going on a previously reported rumor that pins True Detective season three moving to Europe. Brussels is a large city with some of the most distinct architecture in the world.

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Brussels doesn’t get a whole lot of snow, but it does get quite a bit of rain. In terms of broadening the artistic horizons of True Detective, Brussels would be an excellent choice. In fact, if True Detective season three will actually be moving to Europe, Brussels is our top choice. If Game of Thrones can shoot all over the world, True Detective can shoot in Brussels.

Make it happen.

Next: An interview with True Detective season two's Director of Photography.

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