And in true “True Detective” fashion, Ali plays the same character through multiple periods of his life, a la Matthew McConaughey in the first season. Unfortunately, our faith in “True Detective” writer/creator/mastermind Nic Pizzolatto has faltered quite a bit due to the lackluster Season 2. But as we’ve said a million times since the casting announcement, you can’t help but be bullish about “True Detective” returning to its award-winning form with Ali at the lead.

Joining Ali in the cast are Stephen Dorff and Carmen Ejogo. The latter of which plays a love interest, who may not be all she’s cracked up to be. It’s very likely that Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali will get another Oscar nomination for his role in this year’s “Green Book.” However, as much as that film seems destined to collect trophies this awards season, perhaps the role everyone is truly excited about is coming to TV in early 2019.

You see, Ali is the lead in Season 3 of “True Detective,” and with the history of the series to date, it’s anyone’s guess whether this will be a career high-mark for the actor or a surprising disappointment. We don’t have much longer until we find out if Ali is going to kick off 2019 with a bang or a bust, as “True Detective” Season 3 is set to premiere on HBO on January 13, 2019.