Is it okay to get excited again?

We're not 100% sure, to be honest. When we heard the incredibly impressive cast line-up for season 2, we got blind with excitement, but to be fair, as we had to go on was the incredibly brilliant first season, so how were we to know that Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and co. would be lumbered with such a... how do we put this... "mixed-bag" of a story. You just have to look back to before the first season came out, and even then the idea of a murder-mystery starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson wouldn't sound that enticing, but they've both made massive career turnarounds in the years since. Plus, we had the frankly brilliant director Cary Fukanaga directing all of the episodes of the first season, and he didn't return for the second season, and his absence was sorely felt. Who they get behind the camera for season three is going to be very important, but so far the early decisions have got us feeling optimistic. A few months back it was reported that writer and producer David Milch - of Deadwood and N.Y.P.D Blue fame - would be joining series creator Nic Pizzolatto in the script-writing process. This weekend, Deadline is reporting that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali is in early talks for one of the lead roles in the new season. Ali won his Best Supporting Actor award for his brilliantly nuanced turn in Moonlight earlier this year, but has been turning in solid work in the likes of House Of Cards, Luke Cage and The 4400 for years. We don't want to get burned again like we were last time out (actually, was S2 as bad as remember? Or did it just suffer from comparison? Discuss.), but this is definitely a fantastic step in the right direction.