Festive lights line the streets of Ennis, but this Christmas Eve is a busy one for Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and her team investigating the deaths of the Tsalal researchers and the unsolved Annie K (Nivi Pedersen) murder in True Detective season 4 episode 4.
The video from Annie's phone gives some insight into where she died, while Peter (Finn Bennett) makes another intriguing discovery.
Elsewhere, family woes continue as Evangeline Navarro's (Kali Reis) sister Jules (Aka Niviâna) struggles with her mental health, Leah (Isabella Star LeBlanc) defies her step-mom and Hank (John Hawkes) faces a disappointing truth.
To the Lighthouse
Danvers can't sleep, so she decides to comb through the horrifying Annie K video once again. Eventually Peter calls to say Captain Connelly (Christopher Eccleston) has arrived to oversee the transfer of the researchers' bodies back to Anchorage. Danvers quickly makes her way to the ice rink.
On the drive, Danvers spots Jules in an agitated and half-dressed state. Danvers calms her slightly, choosing to go to the station instead of the ice rink. Navarro comes to collect her sister but makes sure Danvers knows they have much to discuss about the case. Jules agrees to go to the Lighthouse, a social assistance center. Navarro promises it isn't like the other places she has previously stayed.
At the station, Danvers is adamant that Connelly not take the case from her, sharing that the men died before they froze. He claims he is staying in town to assist her with the investigation and the protests against the mine.
Otis Heiss and the ice cave
Peter cross-checks the injuries of the researchers with old hospital records, leading to a single hit. In 1998, Otis Heiss (Klaus Tange) was admitted for cornea burns, ruptured eardrums, and self-inflicted bite wounds. For the last 20-plus years, he has been in and out of rehab and trouble with cops. Danvers is impressed with Peter's work and gives him a list of other things to do, which once again eat into his family time, on Christmas Eve no less.
Family life is no better for Peter's dad, Hank, who has gone to the airport to await his fiance, Irina, but she never shows up. It looks like Hank has been scammed.
Meanwhile, Danvers and Navarro visit geology teacher Bryce (Donnie Keshawarz) to help identify the location of the Annie K video. Bryce identifies the bones in the background as prehistoric, which indicates ice caves in the area that are closed to the public as they are incredibly dangerous. The person who mapped the cave system was Otis Heiss! Knowing where Annie was killed is only one part of this puzzle.
At the Lighthouse, Jules tries to settle in, but she cannot escape the ghosts that follow her. An orange rolls out from under the bed and when she bends down she sees a terrifying figure wearing a crucifix. Is this her mother?
Graffiti and getting drunk
Silver Sky Mine's boss Kate McKitterick (Dervla Kirwan) was already far from Danvers biggest fan, but the two have more words after Leah is caught painting "Murderers" on the mine entrance. Kate wants to press charges but Danvers convinces her not to. Still, Leah packs a bag as soon as she gets home. Peter's wife Kayla (Anna Lambe) picks Leah up, leaving Danvers to spend Christmas alone.
While drinking a lot of vodka, Danvers clocks a similar power cut in the Annie and Taslal researcher videos, suggesting there was a generator in the ice caves. She thinks former Tsalal equipment engineer Oliver (Lance Karmer) could be the link and wants to question him. Navaro can tell Danvers is drunk, leading to Peter joining Navarro to question Oliver. But when they arrive at his hut he's gone, but he left a rock behind with the same symbol as Annie's tattoo, adding to their suspicion.
A wasted Danvers drives to Connelly's motel room, but the hot and heavy vibe quickly turns cold when Connelly brings up Danvers' terrible people skills. It is the mention of Jake and Holden — presumably Leah's dad and Danvers' son — that sends her for the door.
The dredges
When Navarro rings Jules to check in, Jules lies about being in her room. Instead, she is by the shipwreck she frequents. Jules takes off her clothes and walks across the ice into the darkness. Navarro receives a call from the coast guard, who tells her that Jules' body has been found. Anger turns to fury when the staff at the Lighthouse don't even realize Jules had left the building.
On the drive home, Navarro picks a fight with the guy she arrested in the first episode for domestic violence. While she gets a few hits in, she ends up bloody, bruised and losing a tooth. Qavvick (Joel Montgrand) patches her up and tries to get her to understand she is far from alone in this world.
Afterwards, Navarro heads to Danvers' place and finds her boss in a hungover and grouchy mood. When the polar bear toy falls out of a box, Danvers rants about how we are nothing after we die and throws the stuffed toy into the snow. Navarro tells her Jules is dead and that she walked out into the sea, where she drowned.
Still, the spiritual debate continues. Danvers brings up that on the Wheeler case, Navarro saw some sort of ghost; a flashback reveals the same screaming woman who was under Jules’ bed. Navarro claims she didn't, but Liz calls her a liar. The conversation ends abruptly, but Danvers catches up with her when she finds out that Clark has been spotted near the dredges.
The abandoned dredges (for mining gold) could be a great place to hide and a fire points to someone being near. Danvers chases a pink parka-wearing figure, but Navarro follows voices calling her name. She sees her dead sister and goes down to the basement level.
Danvers catches up to the person; it is Otis, not Clark. "They're all in the Night Country," he tells her. If this isn't eerie enough, Danvers then finds a dazed Navarro with what appears to be a ruptured ear drum. Is there a scientific explanation to all of this?
Watch True Detective season 4 Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and streaming on Max in the US; airing on Sky Atlantic Mondays in the UK.
