True Detective

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by nol

Interesting theory I saw the other day.

Hahaha. A pleasant surprise.

[stevew]

Watched like 6 episodes in a row when i got home from work last night. Wow...those boobs in episode 2.

[stevew]

do we know who killed MM's kid? I don't think it was as simple as a tricycle accident.
Marty's daughter was also molested by someone, i bet it's related to the original killing.

[whomario]

why wouldn´t it have been an accident ? He didn´t even live in Louisiana at the time or do i have the timeline of events switched up ?
It´s part of the characters profile and the reason he turned out the way he did, no reason for the writers to have it be connected with anything else.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by whomario

why wouldn´t it have been an accident ? He didn´t even live in Louisiana at the time or do i have the timeline of events switched up ?
It´s part of the characters profile and the reason he turned out the way he did, no reason for the writers to have it be connected with anything else.

I agree and would be rather disappointed if they tried to tie that into this. There has been no other mention of it so I doubt that will tie in.

Now for Marty's daughter, there is something going on there. Though I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a season two plot.

[EagleFan]

I have to say, Woody is a good actor. It took me a little while with his earlier roles to stop seeing the Cheers Woody but he has successfully avoided being type cast after that.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

I agree and would be rather disappointed if they tried to tie that into this. There has been no other mention of it so I doubt that will tie in.

Now for Marty's daughter, there is something going on there. Though I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a season two plot.

Season two is going to be an entirely different story with different characters, so that's unlikely. This is our last go with Rust and Marty.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Season two is going to be an entirely different story with different characters, so that's unlikely. This is our last go with Rust and Marty.

One of my buddies mentioned Marty's father in law as a guy who might be involved in some way. Mostly as a way to explain how Marty's daughter turned out and the whole doll scene in episode 1.

It's plausible to me, and it could be nonsense. I have no idea.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Season two is going to be an entirely different story with different characters, so that's unlikely. This is our last go with Rust and Marty.

Ah, didn't know that. Tough act to follow for the next group.

[EagleFan]

Spoiler

This dude is seriously fucked up, not like that is really a spoiler.

[EagleFan]

Spoiler

Was it just me or was the finale the worst of the episodes?

[Simbo Klice]

I'm satisfied with the ending.

[EagleFan]

Spoiler

Two issues. No possible way he can survive out there being run through like that, he would have bled out in minutes. Second is that they didn't even address the daughter issue.

[Drake]

I was a little disappointed. Sort of felt, starting last episode, like the show was becoming more procedural and less "interesting"...but I have that same issue with detective stories in general.

I prefer the mystery to the solution.

[EagleFan]

Up until the second to last show I don't believe they ever had a scene where one of them wasn't involved. I think when they branched out it kind of hurt the show a bit.

[Drake]

About EF's second issue:

Spoiler

I've been thinking for awhile that it was something of a red herring with the daughter. This writer/producer in particular seems to like to tell stories about a dark world where bad shit just happens. The darkness warps everyone, and you can't really defend against it -- just do your best to muddle through it.

If anything is there, it's the idea that Marty -- who was the All-American Family Man verbally -- was out there chasing child molesters and child killers, but couldn't even defend his own circle of intimacy against the darkness. Not to mention that that was the source of much of the darkness that tore his family apart eventually.

We can't keep our eye on our own ball (no pun intended)...what would ever make us believe that we can actually fend off the darkness that encompasses everything else? That's where Cohle's "time is a flat circle" thing comes in -- we're telling ourselves all of these stories about progress, safety, and redemption, but they're just self-soothing lies.

Edit to add: Of course, if my reading of that detail is accurate, then Cohle's final luuurv epiphany then feels like a major betrayal of that character's core identity. It's a cheap-assed come-to-Jebus moment.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Drake

About EF's second issue:

Spoiler

I've been thinking for awhile that it was something of a red herring with the daughter. This writer/producer in particular seems to like to tell stories about a dark world where bad shit just happens. The darkness warps everyone, and you can't really defend against it -- just do your best to muddle through it.

If anything is there, it's the idea that Marty -- who was the All-American Family Man verbally -- was out there chasing child molesters and child killers, but couldn't even defend his own circle of intimacy against the darkness. Not to mention that that was the source of much of the darkness that tore his family apart eventually.

We can't keep our eye on our own ball (no pun intended)...what would ever make us believe that we can actually fend off the darkness that encompasses everything else? That's where Cohle's "time is a flat circle" thing comes in -- we're telling ourselves all of these stories about progress, safety, and redemption, but they're just self-soothing lies.

Edit to add: Of course, if my reading of that detail is accurate, then Cohle's final luuurv epiphany then feels like a major betrayal of that character's core identity. It's a cheap-assed come-to-Jebus moment.

Very much agree, good summary. But, I loved how is was Marty who says darkness is everywhere, and it's rust that says he sees light winning. Rust confirmed his love of family, while the rest of the shows families deconstructed. Great turn. So glad they didn't tie everything to everything.

[Johnny93g]

I couldn't be more satisfied. No disappointment at all.

No real tricks, no real twists, just a show that tried to tell a story, and did it better then anything I've ever seen.

I really enjoyed watching Rust and Marty's relationship evolve, and pick up again after all these years. They really do like each other.

I was truly on the edge of my seat from the moment they got to the house. I felt like the detectives, no clue what they were about to find.

[Radii]

Also 100% satisfied.

Spoiler

So this has pretty much been presented as a story about two people, Rust and Marty. Everything that happens around them, even the case in large part, hasn't been as well developed as those two characters.

I wish I had posted earlier today in reply to the ideas about Marty's daughter and even Rust's daughter, as I think they were always irrelevant to the case. They were relevant because they helped define who Rust and Marty were, and helped to tell the story about the two of them, that's all, but that's the most important part of the show, so that's a lot.

Watching the end of the investigation was riveting, and was pretty great TV I think, but how they chose to end this one was mostly unimportant I think, as long as it wasn't 100% botched.

They told a really great story with this one, and its going to be nearly impossible to match, much less top, in a second season with a new story.

[stevew]

There were just so many memorable things that happened in this show. The stash house take down. Alexandra Daddario. Maybe the prologue was a bit long, but unless you wanted to end it like something like the movie Seven, you weren't gonna end it with a super strong 15 minutes.

[stevew]

RE:The Emmy's

I have zero issue if McConaughey takes the Emmy over Bryan Cranston. He was on fire all 8 episodes.

[sabotai]

Spoiler

The only disappointment I had was the climatic scene with the person they were chasing. This show stayed clear of crime drama clichés, and to watch a fight scene just loaded with fight scene clichés was a let down. Even just having a fight scene at the end felt out of place for this series.

Other than that, good last episode of a fantastic series.

[chadritt]

Originally Posted by stevew

RE:The Emmy's

I have zero issue if McConaughey takes the Emmy over Bryan Cranston. He was on fire all 8 episodes.

Im not sure but I dont believe theyll be in the same category. True Detective will count as a miniseries, Breaking Bad as a series so they can both win.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I clapped at the end. Bravo for good fuckin' television. It's about damn time.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by chadritt

Im not sure but I dont believe theyll be in the same category. True Detective will count as a miniseries, Breaking Bad as a series so they can both win.

Ah, yeah I see now that American Horror Story is in that category.

Agree with whomever said HBO theme credits suck. Hated this one, hated True Blood. After crming through 70 EPs of the sopranos last month I hate that one as well.

[stevew]

I'd love it if they did some pulp era LA Confidential type thing next year.

[Logan]

I heard HBO Go was a disaster for anyone trying to watch this last night. I'm curious as to what percentage of those users truly have their own accounts, versus being given log in info from someone who is actually paying for the service.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I don't think there's any need for the Spoiler tags, fellas. Feel free to drop those.

Overall the show was fantastic. I felt like it lost a bit of steam over the final three episodes, but not enough to make it a disappointment. The show still had great acting, great writing, beautiful direction.

Ever since "Lost" people have been all about searching for clues, meaning, twists and the like. It just wasn't that kind of show.

The one lingering question for me was Marty's daughter. I am not sure why they had her arrange her dolls like that, draw those pictures and all of that if it wasn't tied into what was happening. I guess I can buy into Drake's explanation, seems plausible enough.

[judicial clerk]

Completely agree with the above. Also agree with a couple of earlier posts about the climactic confrontation. I kind of expected something along the lines of Seven but would have also appreciated an anticlimactic confrontation like Fargo.

What I do know is that both leads absolutely killed it and I hope they get recognized. I think they also set up this series for great things to come because they set the bar so high and great actors/writers/directors will feel that this is an appropriate venue to put out top quality work. As an example, I believe the same guy made Training Day and End of Watch. Either of those stories could have been better told in this format and maybe in the future they will be.

I also think that I am very happy with the idea that this story is over. No need to come up with reasons to keep the story going. Shows like Glee, the Shield, Rescue Me, and Lost could have followed a limited run format and been better for it. (Although the Shield was pretty strong throughout).

[M GO BLUE!!!]

What do you mean, "Scented meat?"

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Logan

I heard HBO Go was a disaster for anyone trying to watch this last night. I'm curious as to what percentage of those users truly have their own accounts, versus being given log in info from someone who is actually paying for the service.

The more over the top the outrage was, the more likely it was borrowed accounts. HBOGO is awesome but I'd much rather watch it off my DVR. Easier to skip credit sequence, for starters.

[APC]

The last 18 minutes of the finale was some of the best television I've ever seen. Both Harrelson and MM deserve an Emmy.

The sequence at the Childress residence gave off a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe. I loved it.

[EagleFan]

Something that took away from it for me was the change of format. The entire show was all about them. The finale became about the nut job. Didn't need to see him in the scene painting or with his wife slash sister.

[HomerSimpson98]

Originally Posted by APC

The sequence at the Childress residence gave off a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe. I loved it.

Fucking terrifying

[stevew]

That's probably why people referred to him as the Yellow King though. All of that yellow paint he used in that job and many others.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Something that took away from it for me was the change of format. The entire show was all about them. The finale became about the nut job. Didn't need to see him in the scene painting or with his wife slash sister.

They devoted 3 scenes i believe to Childress in the finale, to show us something about the killer they could not show for 7 episodes. It showed us what Marty and Rust were about to encounter. I understand personal preference and all that, but in no way was the finale about the nut job.

It concluded the story of Marty and Rust. Brilliant stuff IMO.

[AENeuman]

Heard this line from a U2 song and I think it describes rusts journey perfectly:

Kick the darkness till it bleeds daylight

[law90026]

Absolutely amazing show and what a journey it was. The confrontation was really well-done and tense. Looking forward to another season to see what the showrunners come up with.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by stevew

That's probably why people referred to him as the Yellow King though. All of that yellow paint he used in that job and many others.

Pretty sure the Yellow King was more of a god-like being those nutjobs looked to, not him.

[MizzouRah]

Fantastic ending.. fantastic series.

[Julio Riddols]

More of this can never come too soon. A really good and satisfying ending is one of the things almost every show or movie has a hard time achieving and True Detective pulled it off with ease. The whole show managed to feel like a crescendo to me, and the climax was intense. The pleasant reverberations afterward were a great way to fade this story to black.

[Ronnie Dobbs3]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Ever since "Lost" people have been all about searching for clues, meaning, twists and the like. It just wasn't that kind of show.

Watched the show in spurts over the past month, so I just watched it - no reading theories online, no discussions, so all the talk about Marty's daughter and other possible cliched "greater conspiracies" were a surprise to me upon catching up with this thread.

I loved it. The show was always very realistic (maybe save the biker abduction part) and was *always* about two men. If it had been Homelanded with some great conspiracy where the clues had been laid out for us (let alone any Lovecraftian shit) it wouldn't have rung true. It was about Rust and Marty, their demons, and the debt they had to pay.

Absolutely fantastic.

[Subby]

Finally finished this off last night. If you want to read a great wrap-up review, go here. There is also an excellent interview of Pizzolatto by Alan Sepinwall that really elucidates the thematic structure of the show.

The whole show was so great. My favorite part just from an artistic standpoint might be the six minute tracking shot from the end of episode 4. Just brilliant.

[Bonegavel]

I loved how MM smoked his cigarettes.

[Sun Tzu]

Wife and I watched all 10 episodes over a 3 week period, capping things off a couple nights ago.

Wow. This show provided, without question, some of the most engaging television viewing I've experienced in my life. Just fantastic.

[Radii]

True Detective submitted as a drama instead of a miniseries (like American Horror Story does) for the Emmy's. Gonna be interesting to see if they can win anything over Breaking Bad this year, since I think most assume Breaking Bad is going to win everything for general achievement for the whole series (kind of like Return of the King did at the Oscars back in the day).

Personally, I could totally see McConaughey winning best actor over Cranston, since Cranston already has a ton of those, but I don't think there is a chance in hell anything else but Breaking Bad wins best drama.


I'm not trying at all to start a "which is better" debate. Both were *awesome*. I'm more interested in the fact that True Detective could have submitted as a miniseries and won every single thing they were up for without a contest if they cared about that at all.

[Logan]

I was surprised by that too and I agree with your line of thinking. With all the acclaim McConaughey has gotten over the past year, HBO probably thinks they can ride that momentum while also taking advantage of "Cranston has a bunch already". They probably consider the potential prestige from having another Best Actor in their stable way above a Best Miniseries.

[EagleFan]

It deserves to score a couple awards. Excellent show.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Bonegavel

I loved how MM smoked his cigarettes.

I almost wish I still smoked so I could practice.

[kingfc22]

Just flew through season 1 on demand. Wow.

MM and Woody were outstanding as was the story. This show should kill it when the Emmy's role around again.