The future of HBO’s “True Detective,” which was a critical smash in its first season back in 2014 and gained viewers in season two even as the accolades tapered off, has been up in the air since the second cycle wrapped in 2015. But Entertainment Weekly reports that a third season appears to be gaining traction.

“EW has exclusively learned that creator Nic Pizzolatto has penned at least the first two episodes for a potential third edition of the acclaimed anthology crime drama,” the publication reports. “We have also learned that Emmy-winning writer-producer David Milch — the mind behind dramas such as ‘Deadwood’ and ‘NYPD Blue’ — is coming on board to work with Pizzolatto.”

The first season of “True Detective,” which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, chalked up a ton of awards recognition, including 12 Primetime Emmy nominations and five Emmy wins. The major kudos fell off considerably — along with the show’s critical consensus — in season two, when Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams stepped into lead roles.

Even so, the numbers picked up a bit for the crime anthology’s second cycle, ticking up from an average of 2.33 million same-night viewers during season one to about 2.61 million in season two. But prospects for a third season have been the subject of speculation and not much real information over the past two years.

“The extent of Pizzolatto and Milch’s collaboration is still early days and not yet formalized,” EW notes. “Obviously, Milch’s experience as a writer will be a key component, but for the record he’s not expected to serve as the ‘True Detective’ showrunner (at this stage, there is no specified season 3 showrunner).”

Season three has not yet been greenlighted by HBO.