'True Detective: Night Country': Release Date and How to Watch ...

A new year brings some fresh releases to our screens. Among them is True Detective: Night Country, a fourth season of the anthology series -- this time starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis -- that critics seem to be digging.

The latest season of the crime drama centers on detectives played by Foster and actor-boxer Reis and a chilling mystery: Eight researchers disappear at once without a trace in Ennis, Alaska. Issa López serves as showrunner, writer and director. (Series creator and writer of the past three seasons, Nic Pizzolatto, remains an executive producer on season 4).

True Detective: Night Country will include six episodes and premiere on HBO and the Max streaming service. Other HBO shows set to arrive in 2024 include The Regime, The Sympathizer and season 2 of House of the Dragon. Here's when you can check out the new True Detective season, plus how a VPN could come in handy if you're streaming it.

When to Watch True Detective: Night Country on HBO and Max

In the US? You can catch the premiere in one of two ways. It airs on HBO on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. ET and PT. It'll also be available to stream on Max at 9 p.m. ET and PT. You can expect subsequent episodes to drop like this on Sunday evenings. 

The Max streaming service costs $10 a month with ads and $16 or $20 a month without ads, depending on which plan you choose. Its library includes HBO and Max originals, Warner Bros. movies, DC Comics films, and programming from networks like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC and ID. Seasons 1-3 of True Detective are already streaming.

If you know you want to watch Max for at least a year, you may want to consider an annual subscription. The route is available for all three of the streamer's tiers -- Max With Ads, for instance, is $100 annually, a savings of $20 over paying for a year month-by-month.

How to watch True Detective: Night Country from anywhere with a VPN (Max)

Perhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream Max while away from home. With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.

A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic and stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you're traveling, find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that's passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN. 

If you're looking for a secure and dependable VPN, check out our Editors' Choice: ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on multiple devices, and provides stable streams. It's normally $13 a month, but it currently costs less overall to go for a 12-month subscription, where each month shakes out to $8.32.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our review of ExpressVPN.

Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation, and choose the United States, where True Detective: Night Country will be streaming on Max. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream True Detective: Night Country on more than one device, it's possible you'll need to configure each one to ensure you're signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you're ready to open Max to stream. 

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and have picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.