In television and movies, the guiding philosophy is that anything done well is worth doing again.
The allure of the streaming age has included a shift toward shorter commitments, allowing viewers to catch up and consume something like “White Lotus” in a single weekend.
“True Detective,” however, which premiered in 2014, remains an early cautionary tale, with the second season demonstrating that there can be a sizable gap between an original concept that captures the audience’s imagination and a follow-up that even with the same title, creative pedigree and new big-name actors seeks to recapture that magic.