HBO has released the first trailer for True Detective season 3. The anthology series has been away for a few years and it's not really a mystery as to why that ended up being the case. Unfortunately, season 2 of the show changed things up a bit too much and simply didn't deliver the goods in the way that the show's first season did. But we've had a few years to wash the bad taste from our mouths and True Detective is back with the first intriguing and very mysterious footage from season 3, which is giving off some serious season 1 vibes.

It's difficult to make much of what we're seeing in this first look, which debuted ahead of the Sharp Objects season finale. It's very atmospheric and incredibly ominous. We do get a healthy look at Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali as the show's new lead. It also illustrates that we'll be following him on this journey for quite some time, as we see the character at various stages of his life. Beyond that, it's just interesting glimpses and mysterious imagery. The video ends with his character saying, "I want to know the whole story." We're guessing he's not the only one.

True Detective season 3 takes place in the heart of the Ozarks and sees a man obsessed with a crime, unlocking a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three different time periods. HBO and creator Nic Pizzolatto have assembled one heck of a cast for the show's return. In addition to Ali, this season also features Carmen Ejogo, Scoot McNairy, Mamie Gummer, Stephen Dorff, Michael Greyeyes, Jon Tenney, Deborah Ayorinde, Rhys Wakefield, Sarah Gadon, Emily Nelson, Brandon Flynn, Michael Graziadei, Josh Hopkins, Jodi Balfour and Cyborg himself, Ray Fisher.

The first season of the series debuted in 2014 and boasted a great double bill of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as the series leads. True Detective lends itself very well to the anthology format, or so it appeared. Even though the second season was bringing in a new cast, it seemed as though having the same creative team and being able to tell a completely new story, but having it feel like the same show, would be enough. It wasn't. Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch were all brought in and, their fault or not, they went down with the ship.

Nic Pizzolatto is giving it another go and let's hope some time away did this thing good. Pizzolatto wrote every single episode, save for episode 4, which he co-wrote with David Milch. Daniel Sackheim directs alongside Daniel Sackheim, with Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier having helmed the first two episodes. True Detective season 3 doesn't yet have a premiere date, but it's set to arrive on HBO on January 2019. Be sure to check out the new trailer, courtesy of the HBO YouTube channel, for yourself below.