Subsequent seasons continued to explore different stories, casts, and settings. The second season, set in California and starring Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Mahershala Ali, among others, examined the intersection of corporate greed, family dynasties, and occult practices. The third season, set in the Arkansas Ozarks and starring Mahershala Ali and Stephen Lang, returned to the show's more straightforward detective narrative roots. At its core, "True Detective" explores themes of existential despair, the search for meaning, and the bleakness of human existence. The show often employs non-linear storytelling, interweaving past and present to reveal how time affects memory, identity, and the understanding of events.