Summary
- The appearance of Ferris Bueller's "Twist & Shout" parade scene in True Detective: Night Country hints at Detective Liz Danvers' enigmatic backstory and potentially connects to a past romantic partner or traumatic memory.
- The choice to include Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the episode creates a spooky juxtaposition and could be setting up the direction and possibly a subversively optimistic message for the season.
- Despite the show's cynical tone, the use of clips from a movie about enjoying life suggests that True Detective: Night Country may deliver a similar message about seizing the day, which could be an important lesson for someone like Danvers.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for True Detective: Night Country episode 1.
The iconic “Twist & Shout” parade scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off makes an unexpected appearance in True Detective: Night Country, but what’s the deeper meaning behind including this famous movie moment? The fourth season of HBO’s dark, disturbing anthology crime drama revolves around the investigation into the disappearance of eight men from a research station in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. Spearheaded by a new showrunner, Issa López (taking over from series creator Nic Pizzolatto), True Detective season 4 returns to the Lynchian surrealness of the show’s classic first season.
The season premiere has kicked off Night Country on an appropriately unsettling note. Just after Alaska enjoys its last sunset before 60 days of night, the researchers are unwinding by watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Then, one of the men experiences a seizure and cryptically says, “She’s awake,” before the power cuts out. Three days later, a supplier arrives to restock the station. There’s a severed tongue in the kitchen, a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, and the Ferris Bueller parade scene playing on a loop on the TV. So, what’s that all about?
"She's Awake": What Does True Detective: Night Country's Creepiest Line Mean?
The creepy "She's awake" line in True Detective seems to have multiple layers to it, hinting at how Navarro and Danvers' past connects to the present.
"Twist & Shout" Likely Connects To Danvers' Past In True Detective: Night Country
The appearance of “Twist & Shout” (via its most memorable use in film) is likely a hint at the enigmatic backstory of the season’s protagonist, Detective Liz Danvers, played by Jodie Foster in the True Detective: Night Country cast. The episode delivers several other hints that Danvers has a troubled past. Perhaps the classic Beatles song reminds her of somebody from her past. Given the flirtatious nature of the song, it could connect to a former romantic partner. It could also link to a particularly traumatic memory, like a bad case.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off Is An Important Choice For True Detective: Night Country
Tonally and stylistically, True Detective: Night Country is a million miles away from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. López may have just wanted to use a fun, lighthearted teen comedy to create a spooky juxtaposition in the season premiere’s scariest scene, but there could be more to it than that. It could be slyly setting up the direction that the season is heading in, and a subversively optimistic message it might deliver in its finale.
It’s interesting that such a cynical show filled with so much death and evil would feature clips from a movie whose message is that life is too short to worry, so everyone should seize the day and have a good time. The meanings behind True Detective: Night Country and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off seem to be diametrically opposed. But perhaps the use of Ferris Bueller is foreshadowing a similar “Life moves pretty fast” message in True Detective season 4. Perhaps it’s a lesson that someone like Danvers will eventually need to learn.
