Should True Detective Take a Lesson from American Crime Story?

American Crime Story is creating major waves. Can True Detective learn anything from it?

It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to considering American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson (not to be confused with American Horror Story) as the new True Detective. It is the show that everyone is talking about, seemingly on a constant basis. In other words, it’s a huge hit.

Unlike True Detective, American Crime Story is strictly based on an actual event. American Crime Story’s place in popular culture was practically guaranteed — America was transfixed by the O.J. Simpson trial back in the 90’s. The series adaptation would have had to have been awful for it to not be a hit.

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True Detective has only taken inspiration from actual events, rather than strictly follow them. This worked to greater effect in season one than season two. An adherence to actual events brings automatic attention, but that could easily go either way. Just take a look at the difference between American Crime Story and Madoff.

When adapting true crime there is a responsibility to get the facts straight, especially in a case as morbidly popular as O.J. Simpson’s. True Detective doesn’t necessarily need that kind of attention. What it does need, and what American Crime Story does rather well, is a greater attention to its characters. Again, this is something that season one was able to handle better.

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There is no telling what direction True Detective season three is going to go in. In order to further break away from the yoke of season two, however, season three needs to be its own beast. It won’t be able to do that if it follows a set of events like American Crime Story.