True Detective season 5 gets a new update from returning Night Country showrunner Issa López, confirming a totally new direction for the show. After first airing on HBO in 2014, the hit crime drama, which was created by Nic Pizzolatto, returned for three subsequent seasons. López took the reins for the Alaksa-set season 4, subtitled Night Country, earlier this year, and the showrunner is now confirmed to return for the renewed True Detective season 5.

During a recent interview with Variety, López shares an update on the status of True Detective season 5, confirming that it will be a departure from the events and setting of Night Country. While the showrunner remains tight-lipped about the specifics of her vision, she seemingly confirms that it will feature a new story with new characters in a new setting. She also wouldn’t comment on whether it would again revolve around two women. Check out López’s full comment below when asked about her progress on season 5:

“In the writing. And it’s a blast. It’s completely different. There’s different characters, different setting, different story — and I’m enjoying it like crazy… It’s a completely different adventure. Let’s put it that way.

True Detective Season 5’s Update Is Good News After Night Country

Season 4’s Reception Was Mixed

Kali Reis as Evangeline Navarro looking off in the distance in the True Detective: Night Country trailer Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers looking suspicious in True Detective Night Country Jodie Foster looking at a phone with earbuds in in True Detective Night Country Danvers and Navarro interrogating Clark in True Detective: Night Country Travis Cohle pointing in True Detective Night Country episode 1

True Detective season 1 told a complete story over the course of its 8 episodes back in 2014, and each subsequent season has followed this same pattern. It’s tradition now that each new season of the show is its own thing, exploring similar themes and subject matter through a similar story structure, but all while standing on its own two feet. If season 5 picked up the story after the True Detective: Night Country ending, this would be a big break in tradition, and arguably not one that the show needed given season 4’s conclusion.

The True Detective: Night Country reviews were largely positive from critics, but the reception to the new season overall was somewhat mixed. Season 4 has a 92% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, for example, but the audience score is a lackluster 56%. At least part of this audience score may have been affected by review bombing, with the female-centric storyline leading to some unfortunate backlash online. It’s also clear, however, potential review bombing aside, that the new season just didn’t work for everyone.

Night Country arguably starts out strong but loses its footing somewhat toward its conclusion, so it seems like a safer course of action for López to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. While there will undoubtedly be some who won’t give season 5 a fair shake simply because López will be spearheading it, the new season will hopefully be relatively free of season 4 baggage. It remains to be seen where True Detective season 5 will take place and who will star in it, but it’s now clear that the new season will be leaving Alaska behind.