HBO TV
TV has never been short of Detective series. These type of shows generally show the viewer how efficient the police are in an attempt to deter potential criminals. There is usually the same kind of set up for these shows, a team or a partnership investigate crimes, usually breaking the rules as they go and with great ease they solve their cases.
So what has True Detective got to offer? Well, it has Woody Harrelson for a start, and Woody is on form in this one. The story is basically about an old case he and his partner worked on being reviewed. The case had been that of Det. Rust Cohle (Matthew McConnaughty) and Det. Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson). The case is being re-examined by two detectives, Maynard Gilbough ( Michael Potts) and Thomas Papania ( Tory Kittles). At first they are reluctant to tell either Rust or Marty why they are looking in to the case. They make them go through every detail of the case they worked. Apparently Hurricane Andrew had destroyed the original case notes.
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| IMAGES FROM THE INTRODUCTION |
Right from the start the viewer knows that this is going to be a dark piece. The titles feature a sort of bluesy/country song which is downbeat and sets the scene for the area where the action happens. There is an Aluminium works which in the titles is belching out smoke. Perhaps high levels of Aluminium in the blood may help understand the way people in this show act. The lyrics refer to "the poisoned Creole soul". There are a lot of dumbed down trailer trash kind of people and all the characters, including the main characters seem to have a difficult time controlling their behavior. Other images in the title show bondage, nudity, roughnecks and farmland. When Woody Harrelsons face appears he looks stern and there is an overlay of metal which makes him look creepy. I really liked that. It sums up the mood of the piece precisely. This is followed up with religious images and fire. Rust is seen in the fire, which also sums him up. He burns inside, mostly with disgust for the world. By the time the titles have finished running the viewer knows what they are going to get and should be looking forward to watching.
The case in question was one with satanic overtones. A young girl was found naked and posed, with a deer antler head piece on. The two original detectives go through the case step by step. They had thought it was a one off murder at first but on looking in to unsolved cases they realised that they were dealing with a serial killer. The pace of this show is very slow. We learn as much about the character of the detectives as we do the case. The dynamic between the two main characters is strained : they are not friends but not against each other either. Marty is a straight up kind of guy with normal beliefs and a desire to fit in with his colleagues. Rust on the other hand is broody, antisocial and solitary. When Rust is being interviewed he both smokes and drinks although asked not to. He does not respect authority and is highly individual. He also has beliefs and opinions that Marty considers to be "out there". In one exchange Rust tells Marty that humans should not exist. He claims that consciousness in humans led to too much self awareness which led to the concept of the self. He rejects this notion as false as we are not separate from nature and our separateness has led to our downfall. On hearing this deep and philosophical theory Marty feels uncomfortable and says to Rust "Don't talk like that, people don't like it - I don't like it! Rust describes himself as an Atheist and pessimist. After giving Marty his very gloomy run down of his interpretation of life Marty responds with "I tell you what, let's make the car a zone of quiet contemplation."
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| The victim of the original crime |
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| The new case |
As they investigate, however it becomes apparent that they work well together and respect each other as detectives. As the case unfolds it leads them to a very influential family. You know the sort, just think "Eyes Wide Shut" or the Rothschild parties exposed on Infowars.com and Youtube. As the guilty person is from an elitist family the detectives begin to get their case interfered with by people who don't want the truth to come out. Eventually Gilbough and Papania show Rust a picture of a new case where the victim has been crucified. This was in response to Rust becoming suspicious that the interview was because something new had happened. Up until that point it looked like they thought that Rust was involved somehow.
As a result of this new evidence Rust and Marty decide to investigate anew. Neither of them are detectives anymore, well not on the force as Marty has a Private Detective and Rust seems to be a drifter. He has definitely let himself go, looking extremely unkempt. They know that they are looking for someone in the Tuttle family, an influential local family which includes a state governer and a minister who has opened bible schools all over the west coast. The victims of satanic ritual were from close by to these schools.
The original case took its toll on the detectives and their relationship which was not helped by Martys wife Maggie (Michelle Monaghan) sleeping with Rust. Putting all that aside they bring the case to a proper conclusion bringing down the elitist family. Yep, thats my kind of drama. Rich devil worshipping paedophile elites getting what they deserve. If only it would happen in real life. Its a shame I live in the UK because I would love to have a gun with which to mete out social justice. (I jest, of course. I don't know why anyone would want a gun. They should be banned.)
Although the pace of this piece is slow it is none the less fascinating and kept my eyes glued to the screen. The interplay of characters, and of past and present are excellent and the mood of the drama draws you in. The story has eight parts and is wrapped up nicely, suggesting it is a stand alone drama rather than an ongoing series. It is certainly worth watching and I highly recommend it. More like this please, HBO.
