True Detective (Season 4) Episode 3: Recap & Ending Explained–Police Chief Liz Danvers and Alaska State Trooper Evangeline Navarro have temporarily set aside their differences. The former partners have joined forces as they learned their cases are linked. Evangeline Navarro’s long unsolved case concerning Annie Kowtok was discovered to have been connected to a person of interest from Ennis’ Tsalal Arctic Research Center. But here’s the catch. He was not just one of the eight scientists that had vanished. He is the one man who was not part of the seven person ice sculpture found in the middle of nowhere. Clark is a person of interest in two cases, and there’s more. 

In season 1, it emerged Rust Cohle’s father was an Alaskan named Travis. A person of this very name appeared before Rose Aguineau in the first episode. Also, Tuttle Corporation funds the Tsalal Arctic Research Center. It may seem insignificant, but it is not. Especially if one observes the series’ lore and catches onto yet another clear connection with Season 1. Does True Detective: Season 4 (Night Country) ‘Part Three’ have more connections with 2014’s True Detective? This week’s episode proceeded with Night Country’s story moving forward without much from the past. 

True Detective (Season 4) Night Country – ‘Part 3’ Recap

The episode begins with a flashback to State Trooper Evangeline Navarro attempting to track down Annie Kowtok. A loud scream draws her into the property and she learns that Kowtok is unafraid of being shot. The scream is revealed to be one of a woman who is in labor. Evangeline assists at the birthing center and smiles once the baby is out. Things take a drastic turn for a while, as the baby does not cry for a few seconds. Once the cry comes and Annie has done her duty, she puts her arms forward and asks the Alaska State Trooper to arrest her. 

Back in the present, Captain Hank Prior directs his team of civilians to search the vast lands for Raymond Clark. The words used to describe him are “armed and dangerous.” Evangeline talks Hank they want Clark alive, to which he replies, “do we?”

Liz Danvers is trying to get Hank on the phone as she has learned he is recruiting civilians for the search. Peter Prior shows her Clark’s belongings in the evidence room. While browsing through the same, Liz instructs Peter to request a temporary transfer for Evangeline. Peter Prior asks for the tea on the last case his superior and Navarro worked together. Liz gives him the details and the audiences get a flashback scene. They could not save the victim and Navarro did not take it well and blamed her partner. This resulted in her getting transferred to the troopers. 

Navarro and Danvers look through the boxes of evidence to find a lead. The matter is quite eager to have Navarro ask the right question, but she is having none of it. The duo manages to find a candid photo. It is unique as it is a rare click that is not timed or a selfie. Who clicked it?

Navarro goes to Susan to find out why the information about Annie Kowtok was concealed. Susan went to Tsalal to give haircuts and had Annie accompany her. It is there that Raymond and Annie met. Susan revealed that they hit it off. News came out that Raymond was fixated with Annie’s tattoo (the same one from the previous episodes). Susan informed Navarro that Annie got it in school, after which her dreams stopped. Liz and Evangeline learn Susan spoke to the police after the disappearance. The exact cop she spoke to? Hank Prior. 

Navarro tries to join the dots and form a narrative about why Kowtok got silenced. Liz provides numbers and examples to refute that line of thought. She again emphasizes the need to ask the right questions. They then talk about what the other does when lonely. While Liz is on Tinder, Navarro opts to Netflix and prays (listens). 

Hank returns from the search and heads to the rink where Peter is watching the bodies thaw. The father hands the son some ice skates for his grandson. He learns Navarro and Danvers are working together just moments before Navarro enters and questions him for not reporting a direct call about Annie Kowtok’s relationship. Danvers diffuses the situation and asks Hank to continue his search or get written up for mishandling the Kowtok case. He crosses a line suggesting he could file a report for Danvers being Mrs. Robinson to his son. Evangeline turns to her friend Qavvik to locate Oliver (a new potential source of information), i.e. the man who clicked Raymond and Annie’s picture. 

Leah is at a protest against the mines. She tells a few protesters that she is the chief of police’s step daughter. At home, Danvers is furious to see Leah wearing a mine protest t-shirt. She also orders that the Kakiniit be wiped off. Later, Danvers heads to a house to observe the mourners and sees Leah there. 

Kayla lets Peter know how she feels about Danvers calling him day and night. She tells him she married someone who made her laugh and not a cop. As Peter goes to his room, he sees a missed call and a message from Danvers. The message was about whether he had managed to find Oliver. 

Danvers goes to the rink where a vet named Vince informs her the scientists died before they froze. He looks at the bodies and says that this is not how one dies in the cold. Vince’s best guess about a cause of death is a cardiac arrest. But he can’t be certain, as he is just a vet. Only a post mortem can give the truth. Danvers knows that they would have to wait for the results of this to come from Anchorage. 

Navarro arrives and reveals she has found Oliver, who lives in a nomad camp on the North Shore. She drops Peter a line, telling him not everything is on a computer. This is because he had said Oliver didn’t exist as there were no records of him. 

Danvers and Navarro find Oliver’s house, and he doesn’t open the door. They hear the generator, know he is inside, and barge in to see him holding a rifle. He warns them that unless they have an order, he will blow their brains out if they take another step. 

True Detective (Season 4) Night Country – ‘Part 3’ Ending Explained

Oliver asks Evangeline who she really is and then reminds them of his previous message for them to leave. When they tell him the Tsalal scientists are dead, he softens his stance for a bit. Oliver then snaps and raises his gun, sending the two cops scurrying out of his property. The nomad camp inhabitants stand outside with weapons and watch the police car drive away to the hospital, where Dr. Anders Lund (the scientist who screamed at the start of ‘Part 2’) is in a critical state. 

What is Anders Lund’s story about the ice?

Dr. Anders Lund has received multiple amputations and lost his eyesight. He is convulsing in a bad way when Danvers goes to question him. She asks the scientist what exactly happened on the ice and receives a cryptic line. 

“We woke her. She’s awake. And now she’s out. She’s out there in the ice. She came for us in the dark.” When Danvers asks the identity of the “she,” Anders convulses once more and the medical professional asks them to leave. 

There is another distraction outside from the search. A few individuals are beating hospital employees and Danvers cuffs one of them. While this is going on, Anders sits up and speaks as though he is possessed. He uses a different voice, says hello to Evangeline from her mother and informs the State Trooper that her mother is waiting for her. Dr. Lund lifts his hand, falls back to the bed, and begins convulsing before flatlining. 

Considering Travis’ return, Raymond Clark’s behavior and Rose Aguineau’s words in episode 1 and the van surroundings in episode 2, it seems to be some cult that is bordering on the supernatural. The part about the weird shaped tattoo stopping bad dreams can prove to be quite important if audiences are to go ahead with this theory. 

What do Danvers and Navarro see on Annie Kowtok’s phone?

Once Anders Lund is no more, the two cops walk to the reception and find Peter Prior. He shows them Annie’s unlocked phone and they see a chilling video. She seems to be in an ice tunnel and informs the audience that she has found something. The young woman proceeds to introduce herself and say that if something happens to her… Before she completes the sentence, a series of chilling screams emanate from the phone. 

It is clear that Annie and the scientists found something that certain people did not want to be found. Evangeline is also connected with this in some way. Is it actually something older than the ice that has come forth? That does seem unlikely. What is likely is that someone is using an old tale to instill fear among the civilians of Ennis. Also, will they finally locate Raymond Clark?

Find out when True Detective returns with ‘Part 4’ on Sunday February 4.