Peter Prior: True Detective: Night Country character explained

In True Detective: Night Country, Peter Prior is a young officer working under Liz. Finn Bennett plays Peter Prior.

Peter Prior is the son of Hank Prior. However, he is unlike his father. Everyone sees a bright future ahead for him.

Peter Prior is married to Kayla, who is of Inupiaq descent. Together, they have a son named Darwin. When Peter and Kayla are busy, Kayla’s grandmother takes care of Darwin.

Peter also shares a close bond with Leah, Liz’s stepdaughter. He used to babysit her when she was a kid, and she is like family to him.

Peter’s nature and it’s consequences

Peter is a smart, capable, and obedient cop who never defies Liz’s orders and likes to tend to them immediately.

Many times during the investigation of the Tsalal men’s case, Peter has been of big help, as he has gathered information that has been influential for the case.

People appreciate Peter, but they don’t admire how loyal he is to Liz. They know how Liz is and that she is going to break his heart soon.

Liz and Peter True Detective Night Country
Peter works tirelessly for Liz

Slowly, these predictions come true. Working tirelessly for Liz sees Peter getting distanced from his family.

A point comes when Kayla kicks him out of the house for not being there for them, forcing Peter to find a home.

Peter and Hank’s relationship

Peter has seen Hank get insulted in front of him. Still, he genuinely cares for him. Hank loves his kid, and he has made his feelings known.

When Peter investigates the Wheeler case, he is left disappointed by both Liz and his father. While Liz hid the truth from him, Hank accessed his laptop and used the Wheeler case against her.

In the fifth episode, Hank, who is involved in Annie’s murder, comes looking for Otis Heiss at Liz’s.

Hank is not willing to talk it out with Liz. He thinks she turned his son against him.

Hank kills Otis to stop him from taking Liz to the Night Country. Peter has moved to the shack in the backyard of Liz’s house.

He shows up at the scene, and after thinking long enough, he continues to hold Hank at gunpoint.

After confessing that he didn’t kill Annie but only moved her body, Hank aims his gun at Liz, prompting Peter to kill his own father.

Following that, Peter volunteers to take care of his father’s body while Liz and Navarro enter Night Country to find the location where Annie died.


Also Read: The Wheeler case in True Detective: Night Country explained

Rahul Shinde
Rahul Shinde
Rahul is an editor on The Envoy Web who is working from Mumbai. You will find him obsessing over the genres of horror, thriller, sitcoms, and musicals—a weird combination right there. It's either something spooky or a comfort watch.

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