‘Pagan Peak’ Is the Only ‘True Detective’ Season 1 Replacement You’ll Need

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With the fifth season of True Detective still years away in September 2027, many fans believe it will be hard to match the high quality of the first season. While Season 3 is good, the original True Detective stands out thanks to the fantastic writing by Nic Pizzolatto, the skillful direction of Cary Joji Fukunaga, and the memorable performances from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as their Texan characters. It’s a combination that’s difficult to beat.

I stumbled upon this amazing crime thriller from 2019, and it immediately reminded me of the first season of True Detective. It’s an Austro-German series called Pagan Peak (Der Pass), and it follows two detectives investigating a series of disturbing, ritualistic murders. What really hooked me was how it delves into ancient European folklore, echoing the dark, satanic elements that made True Detective so captivating. It ran for three seasons – a total of 24 episodes – and honestly, it feels like the closest thing I’ve found to recapture that same eerie vibe.

‘Pagan Peak’ Is a Remake of a Show That Was ‘True Detective’ Before ‘True Detective’

Premiering in Germany and Austria on Sky in January 2019, Pagan Peak is a crime series about two detectives investigating disturbing ritualistic murders near the border. German detective Ellie Stocker, played by Julia Jentsch, and Austrian detective Gedeon Winter, played by Nicholas Ofczarek, are assigned to the case, and both are fiercely protective of their respective countries as a series of brutal killings threatens them.

When the first episode begins, local officials discover a dead body in the Alps with a piece of horse hair carefully placed on it, almost as part of a religious ceremony. The crime’s details—including the cold, winter setting—strongly resemble the start of True Detective. That show also opened with a disturbing murder: a body adorned with deer antlers and marked with a strange spiral symbol.

I keep seeing comparisons to True Detective Season 1, and people think Pagan Peak is just copying it, but that’s not quite right! Actually, Pagan Peak is based on a fantastic Danish-Swedish series called The Bridge. And get this – The Bridge actually came out a year before True Detective did! It’s also highly rated, currently sitting at #150 on IMDb’s Top 250, while True Detective is at #50. Honestly, all three shows are great if you like crime dramas that weave in local folklore, mythology, and a bit of eerie historical stuff. They really create a unique atmosphere.

‘Pagan Peak’s Ritualized Killings Evoke ‘True Detective’ Season 1

If you’ve been disappointed by recent seasons of True Detective, Pagan Peak might be exactly what you’re looking for. A standout feature of True Detective‘s first season was its clever use of flashbacks, jumping between 1995 and 2002 as detectives investigated a disturbing case. Pagan Peak‘s first season, also eight episodes long, uses a similar technique, shifting between the present day and the previous year as detectives hunt a killer wearing a Krampus mask.

It’s worth noting the striking parallels in how the initial murders are presented in each series. In True Detective, detectives Cohle and Hart discover a woman’s body intentionally arranged in a prayer-like position, wrapped in branches that look like a traditional Cajun birdcage, and adorned with antlers. Similarly, in Pagan Peak, Stocker and Winter investigate a man’s body deliberately positioned on the border between Austria and Germany, clutching a piece of horsehair and a chilling message: “The Red Season is Coming.”

The Red Season feels reminiscent of the mysterious Yellow King from True Detective, a figure drawn from old writings who uses lore to manipulate the detectives. While the first season of Pagan Peak is most similar to True Detective’s first season, its subsequent seasons also explore themes of religion, ritual, and folklore, offering fans something to enjoy after True Detective’s initial run ended in 2012.

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2026-04-17 16:19