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Nic Pizzolatto got his career as a storyteller started by writing short stories and a novel called Galveston, then made his move into television by writing a couple episodes of the first season of the AMC series The Killing. He wasn’t pleased with that experience, telling Nola.com that, “I want to be the guiding vision. I don’t do well serving someone else’s vision.” So he left The Killing as it headed into season 2 and went off to create his own show: True Detective, which found a home at HBO. Pizzolatto’s deal with HBO was renewed twice over the years as he crafted three seasons of True Detective, with his final deal with the network earning him $3 million a year. He was going to work on the network’s Perry Mason reboot, but had to let it go so he could focus on True Detective. Once True Detective season 3 wrapped up,...

“Can’t blame me.” Those are the words of Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of True Detective, in response to a post on social media criticizing season four of the HBO anthology, the first cycle in which he has had no direct involvement. That tweet, as well as reposts of messages by the viewers critical of the new season, raises the question of what the show’s original creator has been up to since he left the series.

To refresh: The 2014 season one of True Detective, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as Louisiana detectives tracking a serial killer, was a breakout hit for HBO, earning a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91 among critics and an 88 audience score. The freshman run went on to collect a franchise-high 12 Emmy nominations, helping Pizzolatto skyrocket to fame.

Season two, which starred Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams as detectives probing a corrupt politician, was far less glowingly received,...