'True Detective: Night Country': Who are Leah Danvers' parents and what happened to them?

The mystery around Leah Danvers' tragic childhood is yet to be unfolded in 'True Detective: Night Country'
PUBLISHED JAN 22, 2024
Isabelle Star LaBlanc as Leah Danvers in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)
Isabelle Star LaBlanc as Leah Danvers in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)

ENNIS, ALASKA: The first episode of ‘True Detective: Night Country’ premiered on HBO on January 14 and has already intrigued the audience with its engaging plot.

Set in Alaska, the fourth season of the anthology crime series begins with the mysterious disappearance of a group of scientists working at Tsalal Arctic Research Station.

We are introduced to Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) who is investigating the case. The abandonment of the researchers is connected to the old unsolved murder case of an activist named Annie Masu Kowtok.

Who is Leah Danvers?

Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)
Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)

Leah Danvers (Isabelle Star LaBlanc) is the adoptive daughter/ stepdaughter of Liz Danvers (the exact relation is yet to be found out in the upcoming episodes).

Liz, who is completely absorbed with her cop duties is seen struggling with Leah's troublesome activities as she is caught shooting videos of herself having sex with her adolescent girlfriend.

Leah's alienated behavior hints at a childhood trauma, probably her father's tragic death.

What happened to Leah Danvers' parents?

In the debut episode, Leah and Liz Danvers narrowly avoid a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Liz's intense reaction, coupled with disturbing flashbacks, and Leah's fearful demeanor, suggest a traumatic event from their past.

Later, when they come home, Leah insists on talking about the incident involving the drunk driver. Liz dodges the uncomfortable conversation.

Though it hasn't been said out loud, the audience can figure out that Leah Danvers' parents are dead and Liz is her acting guardian/stepmother. While no substantial revelations were made about Leah's parents, we can speculate that her father might have died in a car crash.

However, Leah isn't the only one to have lost someone. It seems that Liz too has lost a child. When she is asleep, she's awakened by a ghostly hand and the voice of a young boy named Holden who has a message for her. The mysterious voice says- "She's awake."

Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) haunted by a mysterious hand in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)
Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) is haunted by a mysterious hand in 'True Detective: Night Country' (HBO)

At this point, we can't say who were Leah's actual parents, how they died, and how she ended up being under the care of Liz Danvers. Guess, we'll have to stick around and wait for the rest of the episodes to drop for the mysteries of the town and the Danvers to be unraveled.

New episodes of 'True Detective: Night Country' drop every Sunday at 9 pm ET on HBO.

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