The best episodes of True Detective
Ranked by viewer rating, highs first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
Hart and Cohle share the spoils of a solved case; Papania and Gilbough confront the detectives with troubling new intelligence.
- 02
Hart and Cohl follow a series of dangerous leads in an effort to locate prime suspect Reggie Ledoux.
- 03
Hidden image at the burned-out church leads Cohle and Hart to Joel Theriot, a tent-revival minister whose parishioners finger a scarred "tall man" seen with Dora Lange. Brought in for interrogation, a sex offender matching the description is quickly dismissed by Cohle, despite offering a confession. Hart gets sidetracked after Maggie sets Cohle up with a friend at a C&W bar. Looking to establish a pattern of murder, Cohle pores over old case files, finding a connection with a woman assumed to have drowned years earlier.
- 04
An overlooked detail provides Hart and Cohle with an important new lead in their 17-year-old case.
- 05
Under pressure to land a suspect in the Lange murder, Quesada warns Hart and Cohle that they might be replaced by three detectives from a new task force. The pair lobbies for extra time to follow up on a lead that takes them from a rural cathouse to an incinerated church. With his marriage to Maggie already strained by work, Hart finds respite away from home.
- 06
Maggie sheds light on Cohle's activities in 2002, when his relationship with Hart fractured and he quit the force.
- 07
Former Louisiana State CID partners Martin Hart and Rustin Cohle give separate statements to a pair of investigators about the murder of a prostitute, Dora Lange, 17 years earlier. As they look back, details of the crime, replete with occult overtones, are accompanied by insights into the detectives' volatile partnership and personal lives.
- 08
Hart and Cohle forge a truce to probe a murky string of disappearances that tie to the symbology of the Dora Lange murder and the Tuttle family.
- 09
Ray, Ani and Paul take precautionary measures to elude detection and untangle a dark mystery. Frank deals with the fallout of his betrayal.
- 10
The Great War and Modern Memory
The disappearance of a young Arkansas boy and his sister in 1980 triggers vivid memories and enduring questions for retired detective Wayne Hays, who worked the case 35 years before with partner Roland West. What started as a routine case becomes a long journey to dissect and make sense of the crime.
- 11
Following up on new leads, Wayne and Roland track down a man who left the police force in the midst of the Purcell investigation. Meanwhile, Amelia visits Lucy Purcell's best friend in hopes of gaining insights into the whereabouts of the mysterious one-eyed man.
- 12
The detail works a pawn shop lead to close in on a suspect in the Caspere case. Frank revisits his past to pay for his present.
- 13
Desperate to locate a missing woman with intel on Caspere, Frank meets with Mexican drug dealers. Ani infiltrates an exclusive inner circle, with Ray and Paul keeping close tabs.
- 14
Hays looks back at the aftermath of the 1980 Purcell case in West Finger, Ark., including possible evidence left behind at the Devil's Den, an outdoor hangout for local kids. As attention focuses on two conspicuous suspects – Brett Woodard, a solitary vet and trash collector, and Ted LaGrange, an ex-con with a penchant for children – the parents of the missing kids, Tom and Lucy Purcell, receive a cryptic note from an anonymous source.
- 15
Wayne finds himself in a no-win situation as new clues emerge in the Purcell case. Roland wrestles with how to keep evidence secure as lawyers demand a new investigation. Amelia finds her relationship with Wayne imperiled by her writing aspirations and his jealousy.
- 16
Wayne and Roland revisit discrepancies in the Purcell case that were hidden or forgotten over the years. Among those being reevaluated is Tom Purcell, as well as Lucy Purcell's cousin, Dan O'Brien. The glitter of Amelia's book release is tarnished by a voice from the past.
- 17
As Prior digs into the links between Tsalal and mining company Silver Sky, Navarro rescues Leah from a local protest that has turned violent. At a meeting with Silver Sky exec Kate McKitterick, Danvers balks when Connelly shares the official cause of the Tsalal men's deaths – and gets a warning against pursuing the case any further. Later, Hank receives a quid pro quo offer.
- 18
Ben Caspar's autopsy reveals the gruesome details of his demise, and Ray and Ani wonder if it has anything to do with his fondness for prostitutes. Meanwhile, Frank looks into what might have happened to his missing fortune.
- 19
Hays recalls his early romance with Amelia, as well as cracks in their relationship that surfaced after they married and had children. Ten years after the Purcell crimes, new evidence emerges, giving him a second chance to vindicate himself and the investigation.
- 20
As Danvers and Prior set out to learn more about Tsalal – and find an unlikely location for the physical evidence – Captain Connelly threatens to move the case to Anchorage. Later, Navarro and Danvers separately find a connection between one of the Tsalal men and Annie, prompting the former partners to agree to work the case together.
- 21
While Hank leads the search for Clark, Prior asks Danvers about the murder-suicide case that drove a wedge between her and Navarro. After sifting through the contents of Clark's trailer, Navarro and Danvers seek out a local hairdresser for insight on Annie – which leads to a tip about another former Tsalal worker. Later, tensions grow between Danvers and her stepdaughter Leah.
- 22
In the midst of a brutal storm, Danvers and Navarro find themselves stuck at Tsalal with no electricity or means of contact. As the truth about what happened to Annie and the Tsalal men unfolds, Navarro and Danvers each confront the demons from their past.
- 23
Ray and Frank contemplate new life choices; Ani and Paul follow a lead up the coast.
- 24
Frank, Ray and Ani weigh their options as Caspere's killer and the scope of corruption are revealed.
- 25
Wayne struggles to hold on to his memories, and his grip on reality, as the truth behind the Purcell case is finally revealed.
Shows like True Detective
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of The Blacklist2013–2023·NBC
The Blacklist is a crime drama involving a former government agent who turned into a high-profile criminal turning himself in to the FBI offering to help catch criminals. - 02Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of Criminal Minds2005–present·Paramount+
Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. - 03Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of Breaking Bad2008–2019·AMCBreaking Bad follows protagonist Walter White, a chemistry teacher who lives in New Mexico with his wife and teenage son who has cerebral palsy.
- 04Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of Euphoria2019–2026Same network — HBO·
- 05Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of The Killing2011–2014·AMC
The Killing follows Seattle homicide detectives Stephen Holder and Sarah Linden and their work as detectives investigating murders. - 06Drama·Crime·ThrillerThe best episodes of The Following2013–2015·FOXThe FBI estimates there are currently over 300 active serial killers in the United States.
