With Nicolas Cage is nearing a deal to headline HBO’s True Detective Season 5, Issa López (Night Country) has to opportunity to lean into Cage’s strengths in the funniest way: go full Werner Herzog and have Cage recall his manic, corrupt, addict cop Terry McDonough of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.
Why Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans?
True Detective is all about eccentric, irregular investigators. Werner Herzog is the man who made a ship climb a mountain for a film about how crazy it would be to make a ship climb a mountain (Fitzcarraldo, 1982). Eccentic is Herzog’s baseline, and his Bad Lieutenant film has a whole lot of drugs and iguanas tossed into the mix.
The result is both bizarre and beloved, check out this iconic scene:
What’s Issa Lopez Planning?
So far we know two things: Cage’s character is called Henry Logan, and the season is set in Jamaica Bay in New York City. Jamaica Bay looks, at least superficially, like Season 1’s Louisiana. Could Lopez be planning a return to form? Coming in from the cold of Night Country?
It’s difficult to tell. Night Country was denounced by fans, but it was otherwise well-recieved and even beat season 1 on Rotten Tomatos. After all, it’s what got her another season writing True Detective. Could she be trying to compromise and do both? Please fans new and old?
Will Cage smoulder like Rustin Cohle?
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans isn’t among his more regarded work, but PIg (2021) is. A film where he plays a isolated character not unlike Rustin Cohle. López has hinted she won’t abandon the folkloric elements that made Season 4 a breakout hit, and HBO has reportedly given notes on early scripts that maintain the show’s atmosphere. And if they do a dual-timeline story like Season 1 & 3, Cage could be playing both PIg Cage and Bad Lieutenant Cage.
Who’s Cage’s Partner in this Scenario?
Your guess is as good as mine, but if we’re continuing Bad Lieutenant theme, Michael Shannon or Eva Mendes would be fun picks (Val Kilmer was Cage’s partner in the film, but has since passed way). Elijah Wood has also played Cage’s partner in The Trust (2016). But based on Issa Lopez previous casting of Kali Reis as the partner in Night Country, we may likely see a smaller actor in the role. Who’s your pick?