'True Detective' Season Will Feature Less Darkness, More Devil Says HBO Executive [SEE HERE]

colin farrell

True Detective's first season was a smash hit among critics and lovers of thrilling, suspenseful television -- but many Christians found that the show's occult themes and dark allusions kept them from being able to enjoy HBO's multi-layered mystery drama. Will 'True Detective', Season 2 feature less of an element of dark magic?

According to HBO's head of programming, Michael Lombardo, this season will be "not as dark." Though he's quick to add, "It's not a light ride." Nic Pizzolatto, who wrote every episode of last season, also promised a series that will veer more toward the dark, and less toward the weird. Nic was quoted as saying, "I did feel that the perception was tilted more toward weird fiction than perhaps it should have been."

However, as Breathecast reported last month, spoilers for the show suggest that the first crime scene shown this season will involve the corpse of a man with a satanic symbol carved into his chest. While the previous season certainly flirted with occult symbolism, showcasing a symbol directly attributed to Satan would be pushing the show's plotline even further into overtly demonic territory.

'True Detective' will also feature an all-new cast and several new directors. Among the new directors will be William Friedkin, who is most well-known for his film 'The Exorcist.'

The new cast has been confirmed to include Vince Vaughn as a crooked business owner; Colin Farrell as a compromised Highway Patrol officer; Rachel McAdams as a rigid Sheriff's Detective, and Taylor Kitsch as a controversy-embattled motorcycle cop.

Previous season leads Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are currently both nominated for Primetime Emmy awards. The show is nominated for five Emmys in total. In addition to being a critical success, True Detective's initial eight-episode run was something of a pop-culture phenomenon. True Detective's March 2014 finale set an all-time ratings high record for HBO, with 3.5 million viewers - the most for a freshman year series since 'Six Feet Under''s first season, fifteen years ago.

Interestingly enough, Matthew McConaughey is reported to have become a regular churchgoer after the birth of his children made him "miss it" according to an interview in GQ last year. He has yet to make a comment on the twisted and deeply spiritual nature of his hit miniseries.

While it may seem like Christianity is inherently at odds with a television series that showcases violence, occult symbols, and promiscuous behavior, there is one central truth in 'True Detective' that Christians will identify with, and that is the evil that lurks within human nature. As HBO's Lombardo put it, "[Writer] Nic explores the darkness in people's souls." Whether that darkness will be explained or simply exploited in this eight-episode run of the series has yet to be seen.

'True Detective' Season 2 premieres June 21.