After a suspenseful fourth season, True Detective: Night Country comes to a close. But for many avid viewers, there are still some loose ends that need to be answered. One of the questions people have is: did Hank cut out Annie's tongue? Here's what we know.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes spoilers for True Detective: Night Country, so proceed with caution.
Who Killed Annie K in True Detective: Night Country?
When True Detective: Night Country started, Chief Liz Danvers (played by Jodie Foster) and Trooper Evangeline Navarro (played by Kali Reis) were investigating the case of the missing Tsalal researchers.
Although they find most of the scientists dead and frozen together in a human icicle, the case connects them to the brutal murder of a woman who was killed six years before.
The two cases turned out to be connected when Danvers discovered a tongue belonging to a Native woman.
They later found out that this belonged to Annie Kowtok (played by Nivi Pedersen), whose murder remained unresolved.
As revealed by Raymond Clarke (played by Owen McDonnell), the Tsalal scientists were responsible for her death.
Clarke, the only remaining scientist alive, confessed to killing the activist together with the other scientists.
Did Hank Cut out Annie's Tongue in Night Country?
In his admission, Clarke revealed that they called the mine people to take care of Annie's body. A police officer, who turned out to be Captain Hank Prior (played by John Hawkes), disposed of the body.
Hank dumped Annie K's body in the Villages, which was later found by the locals. Navarro was the one who showed up at the scene and handled the case at the time.
Judging by Clarke's admission, did Hank cut out Annie's tongue? Why did he have to do it?
Even though the fourth season has ended, there was no clear answer to this. While Hank was the one who moved and dumped the body, the show did not reveal who was responsible for cutting out Annie K's tongue.
Plus, it's important to take Clarke's admission with a grain of salt. After all, he previously said he loved Annie K and would not hurt her. But in the end, he was the one who delivered the final blow and choked her to death.
In his admission, Clarke said he did not lay a finger on her. But when asked if he was the one who cut off Annie's tongue, Clarke said he and the scientists didn't have anything to do with it.
It's possible that he had something to do with it but kept it to himself. Otherwise, Navarro would have shot him right then and there.
RELATED: Did John Hawkes Write No Use from True Detective? Hank's Song Broke Fans' Hearts
How Did Annie K's Tongue End up with the Dead Tsalal Researchers?
There's also the question of how Annie K's tongue ended up with the human icicle. If Hank was the one holding on to it like a souvenir, how did it end up with the Tsalal scientists?
If Hank was the one who cut off the tongue, he could have thrown it out at the place where Annie K was killed. Fans think that this could be why Clarke claimed that he heard Annie K's voice calling to him.
Looking at the supernatural aspect of the show, it's possible that Annie K became a ghost at Tsalal to haunt the scientists who killed her.
Follow our Facebook page for more news coverage and other explainer articles.
READ NEXT: True Detective Fans Think Hank Committed 'Suicide by Cop': Theory Explained
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!