Apple TV’s Near-Perfect ‘True Detective’ Replacement Is Still a Must-Watch Weekend Binge

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Published Apr 5, 2026, 5:40 AM EDT

Adam Blevins began working in the entertainment industry in 2022 as a Staff Writer for Agents of Fandom, where he progressed to Senior Editor and interviewed talent from Marvel Studios, House of the Dragon, and Planet of the Apes. He joined Collider as a News Author in April 2024, was promoted to a Senior position in December 2024, and has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives relating to Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more. He primarily writes about the latest box office numbers and the hottest movies and TV shows on streaming, while also covering superhero and sci-fi news. He has completed a set visit for The Chosen and even has several months of experience writing Gaming Features at ScreenRant. You can find him on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.

If someone were to make a list of the most consequential TV shows of all time, it would be hard to leave True Detective out of the top 10. When the first season of HBO’s crime thriller arrived all the way back in 2014, it didn’t take fans and critics long to realize that the studio had produced yet another masterpiece. The pairing of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson left viewers around the world in awe, and their reunion later this year in a new Apple TV project remains one of the most anticipated of 2026. Following the breakout success of True Detective Season 1, every streaming service has taken a turn trying to replicate the magic of the show, and Apple TV settled on Smoke as its True Detective replacement last year.

Smoke co-stars Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett as a troubled detective and an enigmatic arsonist who follow in the footsteps of two serial arsonists wreaking havoc on the city of Umberland. The show premiered last June and wrapped up its first season in August, but despite widespread appreciation from both critics and audiences, it hasn’t yet been picked up for a second season. In addition to Egerton and Smollett, Smoke also features other stars like Rafe Spall and John Leguizamo in key roles, and the show was written and created for TV by Dennis Lehane. Although it’s quickly approaching a full year since Smoke premiered on Apple TV, the show is still in the streamer’s top 10 in several countries around the world. Fans of the series are doing their all to ensure that it gets a Season 2 renewal, but the chances of this happening grow dimmer by the day.

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What’s the Worst Season of ‘True Detective’?

Most fans would agree that the second season of True Detective is the weakest in the series, and this is reflected in the poor scores of 47% from critics and 31% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a far cry from the 91% and 92% scores held by Season 1. The show managed to turn things around in Seasons 3 and 4, but while they’re still held well above Season 2, they still didn’t capture the same magic of Season 1. Early reports indicate Nicolas Cage has been tapped to star in Season 5 of the show, which would certainly bring a spark back to the franchise.

Check out the first season of Smoke on Apple TV and watch True Detective on HBO Max. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates.