'True Detective' Season 3 Trailer: Time Is A Flat Circle For Mahershala Ali

The full trailer for True Detective season 3 is here, and it hints at a return to the mood and style of the acclaimed first season. Mahershala Ali plays a detective investigating the disappearance of two children in the heart of the Ozarks. The enigmatic case continues to haunt his character in multiple time periods, proving that time is, indeed, a flat circle. Watch the full True Detective season 3 trailer below.

This is the best look at True Detective season 3 yet, and it's clear that creator and showrunner Nic Pizzolatto is aiming for something more akin to season 1. The first season of Pizzolatto's HBO mystery series received high praise, but season 2 was almost universally derided. Season 1, which featured Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson investigating a series of grisly murders in the backwoods, was going for an H.P. Lovecraft-style mystery, with horror mixed into the narrative.

Season 2, which had Colin Farrell and  Rachel McAdams wrapped-up in a story involving city-wide corruption, went down a different path, crafting a pulpier modern-day noir set in a bustling city – and viewers weren't happy.

Season 3 looks to be backtracking to the horror-tinged vibe of season 1, once again introducing some rural-based terror into the mixed. It's also playing with different timelines, jumping between the past and the present – something that season 1 did with great effect.

Mahershala Ali stars as Wayne Hays, a state police detective from Northwest Arkansas investigating "a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks, and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods." The season also stars Carmen Ejogo, Stephen Dorff, Ray Fisher, Mamie Gummer, Scoot McNairy, John Charles Dickson and Sarah Gadon.

Pizzolatto is directing a large chunk of the season, with Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier and Daniel Sackheim directing other episodes. Pizzolatto also wrote the entire season, save for episode 4, which he co-wrote with Deadwood creator David Milch. Adding Saulnier and Milch into the mix, even in a limited capacity, is a great idea. I only wish they had been involved with the entire season.

I loved True Detective season 1, and I thought season 2 was a lot better than most folks made it out to be (although it certainly had its flaws). I have hopes that season 3 will return the show to its season 1 glory, or at the very least, tell a more interesting story than season 2.

True Detective season 3 arrives on HBO January 13, 2019.