'True Detective' Season 2 Finale Ratings Well Below Season 1 Numbers; Will HBO Series Get Renewed For A Season 3?

Season 2 of "True Detective" is over and nobody seems all that impressed with the HBO series' sophomore run. Critics and fans alike have flocked to the internet to point out the often-incomprehensible story's glaring flaws, but another more objective metric proves the season's lackluster pull on viewers -- the ratings. The numbers are in for Sunday's big finale and there is no mystery about what they show -- fans were far less enthused about Season 2 than Season 1.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the 90-minute Season 2 finale drew 2.73 million viewers. That may be the highest total the show has notched since Season 2, episode 2, but compared to Season 1's numbers it is a disappointment. The Season 1 finale was watched by over 3.5 million people and ratings for the debut run's episodes had steadily increased throughout the whole season -- fans might remember that streaming service HBO Go temporarily crashed due to the overwhelming demand to view the highly anticipated finale. Season 2's ending had no such issues. Season 2's finale rating might not be terrible, but, combined with the overwhelming consensus that Season 2 was not very good, the numbers indicate a waning interest in creator Nic Pizzolato's labyrinthine crime stories.

What does that mean for a possible Season 3? Perhaps, not much at all. While fans have certainly started to sour on Pizzolato and "True Detective," HBO continues to keep the faith. During the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in July, HBO president of programming Michael Lombardo said the premium cable network would be glad to renew the show for a third season.

"I think [Nic Pizzolato is] an enormously talented writer and I've already called him and said if you want to do a Season 3, let's start talking," said Lombardo, according to TV Guide. "I'm not calling him to say, 'Let's talk about Season 3 if you follow some rules of mine.' It's not a conversation I'm interesting in having or I think I need to have with Nic. I'm happy to be in business with him for a very long time."

Will there be a Season 3 of "True Detective"? Fans will have to wait on Nic Pizzolato to give them the answer, a position that, after Season 2, they should be used to by now.