There are many positions to be taken on most slices of culture, but a general consensus rules when it comes to weighing up the various seasons of True Detective. Having arrived with a whole heap of anticipation in 2014, the first set of episodes delivered the goods (and some) as Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson pulled off performances of a lifetime. Their mismatched pair of crime-fighters struggled against a slew of corruption and depravity while attempting to uncover the brutal truth behind occultist slayings. We had reached peak Southern Gothic.

Could the second season even come close to matching that opener’s brilliance? Nope. No, it couldn’t. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn did their best but a tale which revolved around the death of a crooked politician never quite took flight. On the back of that disappointment, many viewers might not even have bothered to switch on part three which was helmed by the excellent Mahershala Ali.

But excitement is way back up at fever pitch with Jodie Foster on the trail of a possible serial killer (her CV has renowned form in this area) who may be responsible for the disappearance of some research scientists in a frozen Alaskan outpost. Foster teams up here with Kali Reis and yes, their characters have different ideas on how to go about carrying out investigative duties. Whether this pair can resurrect a once-majestic anthology series is another mystery that awaits to be unravelled.

True Detective starts on Sky Atlantic and NOW, Monday 15 January.