Everything We Know About 'Rectify' Season 4 So Far

It may not be drawing in strong ratings, but thankfully, SundanceTV is fully committed to Rectify, renewing it for Season 4 before the third season even kicked off. I'm hoping the new season brings it the large audience it deserves. especially since the first two seasons are currently streaming on Netflix, and it's one of those shows you constantly want to talk about with your friends — and not because it has the nonstop action of other series in its genre. Rectify is deliberately slow-moving, but there's so much to think about and discuss: the complex characters, the political and legal issues it raises, and the mystery of who really killed Hanna. So naturally the question on most fans' minds right now is what will happen in Recitfy Season 4?

Although we can rest easy knowing that it has been confirmed, there's not much concrete information about the season available. It will air in 2016, most likely during the summer months like the previous seasons, so we're in for a bit of a wait. The show's creator, Ray McKinnon has indicated that he's not interested in neat and tidy conclusions, so although I'm sure we can count on thought-provoking character and plot developments, it sounds like the series will conclude with many questions left unanswered.

Here are some hints courtesy of McKinnon, and a few fan theories about the crime that set Rectify in motion.

What The Creator Has Told Us

Although there are no concrete spoilers about Season 4, creator Ray McKinnon dropped what could potentially be a hint during a recent interview with the Huffington Post. What stood out most to me was his response to the interviewer's observation that many scenes take place in doorways:

We frame some aspect of the human condition in stories. There is a frame for stories. Taking that further, this is part of why we have the wrongful convictions -- people need something with a beginning, a middle and an end. A narrative, closure, a framing of it. And that’s not the way life always works. When you think of rectangles and squares, those are mostly man-made devices, whereas nature is more round and circular. So that’s a part of what we do.

Rectify has consistently been praised for being one of the most realistic shows on TV, so McKinnon's observation that the human desire for closure clashes with nature being circular indicates that we may not see as much resolution as we crave. Although many of us watch TV because it's a pleasant escape from the "circular" nature of our actual lives, I don't think McKinnon is going to give us neat and tidy closure just because it would feel satisfying. If we are left with loose ends, I'm sure they will be very deliberately planned.

Will Hanna's Murder Be Solved?

McKinnon recently told The Hollywood Reporter that we may never learn the truth about Hanna's murder. Honestly, an actual solve would feel unrealistic, because it's such a cold case. But that hasn't stopped me and other fans from attempting to play armchair detective. So, who is the most likely suspect? Many Reddit fans believe Trey Willis is the killer. We already know that he, along with Chris and George, raped Hanna before her death. User worththeshot points out that the statute of limitations for rape has expired, so Trey's ongoing dishonesty indicates he's covering up a bigger crime. Still, if Trey goes to prison for anything, it's more likely that it will be for George's death — which we know he wasn't responsible for.

Another Reddit user, WhileFalseRepeat, notes it wouldn't be surprising if Trey was guilty of Hanna's murder but ended up going to prison or death row for an entirely different crime, as this would fit in with the show's overall commentary on the flaws of our justice system. And multiple Reddit fans remain unconvinced of Daniel's innocence — and that would be far more heartbreaking to many viewers than seeing this case left unsolved.

It May Not Last Much Longer

Although SundanceTV is committed to the series, McKinnon stated in his Huffington Post interview and in a separate interview with Forbes that he "[doesn't] think it should go on too long." So, does he know how Rectify will conclude? "I have an image of an end in my head," McKinnon told Forbes. "I’m not necessarily going to stick to this come hell or high water." When the series finale does air, I think we may still have more questions than answers about many of the characters and plot lines. And, for this particular show, I'm actually OK with that, because its entire premise hinges on the dangers and consequences of forcing a definitive conclusion.

Images: SundanceTV (4)