Streaming [HBO] True Detective

[Red Black and Blue]

For mine killing Rust off would be the easy way, his character direction was always leaning that way. Killing Marty off trying to save Rust would have been interesting, effectively giving Rust the obligation to look after Marty's family, which is handing back the responsibility of being a father he has been beating himself up over since his daughters death.

 

[Cruyff14]

Gave this a shot but just not a fan.

 

[Starburns_]

I'd say the wormhole Rust saw was a hint towards the mythology/supernatural. I'm guessing alot are just going with it being Rust's halucination and to be honest I did too. Fits nicely with the idea of this case consuming him and being his whole 'universe' for the last few years and he has that vision when he finally reaches the 'centre' of it.

I'd agree it can be interpreted as that, but that doesn't change the fact that nothing presented in the story was supernatural in a literal sense.

Your Lost comparison above is a good one, that was a show that featured otherworldly elements as central to the story, that genuinely invited speculation and an expectation of answers, then at the end said it was a character story. True Detective didn't do that, it never gave any explicit indication it was meant to be about more than the story of two detectives following a case over 17 years. If it was, we wouldn't have been given the extensive dialogue and interactions between them outside of the work environment.

It's ridiculous that according to some it's the writer's fault that people jumped to conclusions without hard evidence.

It's like an each-way bet - the more grounded viewers see it as a hallucination, while the more mythological minded folk get something to hang their hat on, or at least discuss. The more I think about it the more I like it, very clever.

Still wish they had gone a little bit deeper in other areas (the daughter, the tuttles, the cult, the 'rural' interpretation of madi gras etc) but overall still a pretty epic show.

I think the point of not going deeper into the whole Tuttle thing was about leaving some things open to interpretation. They found the main "bad guy" who was responsible for many (if not all) of the killings. They got their guy, the one who killed Dora Lange. That's where their involvement in it all began and ended, with the victim and the killer.

The rest of it falls beyond their story, and any further leads died with Tuttle and Childress anyway. That's the point where people can speculate from, how wide the scope of it all was, there was no explicit answer given on that.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

It's ridiculous that according to some it's the writer's fault that people jumped to conclusions without hard evidence.

It is his fault, but in a good way. He used misdirection masterfully.

 

[Gasometer]

It is his fault, but in a good way. He used misdirection masterfully.

Indeed he did...and some of it was so subtle as I mentioned ^^ re the first encounter with the lawn mower man.

I think that final scene was amazing...despite all their arguing, there was a genuine liking for each other somewhere amongst the bullshit, and the way Marty turned around Rust's desperate longing for his daughter was poignant and moving.

In the end the death of that child caused a no end of grief for Marty for those next 20 years and sadly his life pain was buried in the line of duty with blurry lines of alcoholism and drugs.

Still, that one shot scene in the 'hood was one of the best TV moments of the past year.

The daughters playing with the dolls was just...I don't know, disturbing or a ploy?

TD will smash the Emmys this year...mark this post now...



Cruyff14 how far did you get into the Season and what didn't you like/get?

 

[Cruyff14]

End of the first episode. I just didn't find it interesting, quite slow. Not my thing. Didn't like the characters either.

 

[Starburns_]

It is his fault, but in a good way. He used misdirection masterfully.

I guess, but it was more playing on expectations than misdirection. People automatically gravitated towards a case that was as interesting and dense as the characters, all he did was write it as reasonably 'straight'. I guess that's misdirection, but in a much looser way.

The only genuine red herring was the daughter, but even that only became truly apparent because of the microscope that every detail of the show was put under.

 

[Elixuh]

 

[bourbons]

I'd agree it can be interpreted as that, but that doesn't change the fact that nothing presented in the story was supernatural in a literal sense.

Your Lost comparison above is a good one, that was a show that featured otherworldly elements as central to the story, that genuinely invited speculation and an expectation of answers, then at the end said it was a character story. True Detective didn't do that, it never gave any explicit indication it was meant to be about more than the story of two detectives following a case over 17 years. If it was, we wouldn't have been given the extensive dialogue and interactions between them outside of the work environment.

It's ridiculous that according to some it's the writer's fault that people jumped to conclusions without hard evidence.

Yep agree with that, nothing explicit but I think it was at least given a thought in the writer's mind even if it never really made it onto the page, hell, it had to be considering the literary refernces to the Yellow King and Carcosa. Almost like another form of mis-direction.

...
The daughters playing with the dolls was just...I don't know, disturbing or a ploy?
...

I'd count this as the only real mis-step. Defintely a red herring and not a subtle one, feels more like a cheap bait-and-switch in the end.

...
The only genuine red herring was the daughter, but even that only became truly apparent because of the microscope that every detail of the show was put under.

Hmm dunno about that, they devoted 3 scenes towards indicating something was probably up with her (the dolls, her drawings and the 2 guys in the car). You don't need a microscopic level of analysis to logically think they were setting up for something.

But still, minor quibble in the overall scheme of things. You could even argue that all of those scenes were really character development for Marty I guess.

 

[Quokka]

Maybe like not catching all the cult it's another nod to there being more evil/problems in the world than can be caught by two ex cops working nights? Something probably did happen to the daughter but like in real life it's too neat to put it all at the feet of the one bogeyman.

 

[MC Bad Genius]

I’ve been thinking about it some more and the only thing that really frustrated me was the lack of information about other parts of the investigation, like the cult surrounding the killings and whether Marty’s daughter was involved in some way. But then I realised that when the creator says that it was always about the characters (specifically the relationship between Rust and Marty), he isn’t just paying lip service to that, it’s actually the truth.

There has been HEAPS of criticism that the show presented the supporting characters in a very shallow way, particularly the female characters. But what it shows is that the other characters were merely props or plot devices to learn more about the two detectives. We rarely see their stories outside either Rust’s or Marty’s eyes (or imaginations). All the flashback is done as narration, so it is all coloured by them as people.

So we don’t learn about the rest of the investigation, because neither of them chose to know about it. We don’t know whether Marty’s daughter is involved, because neither of them look into it. We just see what they see. And once I had that realisation, I could understand it all a bit more and enjoy it too.
It’ll be interesting to see how it feels re-watching all 8 episodes at some stage though.

 

[Gasometer]

End of the first episode. I just didn't find it interesting, quite slow. Not my thing. Didn't like the characters either.

End of Ep 1...that's where the mistake lies...it opens up like a Pandora in Ep 2 -3..

 

[Gasometer]

could understand it all a bit more and enjoy it too.
It’ll be interesting to see how it feels re-watching all 8 episodes at some stage though.

I did Ep 2-6 on the couch sick...totally sucked me in....

 

[RobbyRoy]

End of Ep 1...that's where the mistake lies...it opens up like a Pandora in Ep 2 -3..

If you're not at least mildly intrigued after ep 1 I wouldn't bother.

 

[Crapulous]

The only thing I hate about True Detective is when HBO comes on at the beginning I'm waiting for Game of Thrones to start. Top show even though I'm only 3 eps in.

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk

 

[MC Bad Genius]

I hear the HBO "AAAAAAHHHHH" and then expect the tuba intro of Curb Your Enthusiasm!

 

[WinmarToLockett]

Jesus Christ, True Detective fans are patronising! As soon as anyone says "I didn't like the ending so much..." there's always someone who pops up to say "Yeah but it's not about the case it's about the two characters who didn't like eachother at the beginning and then in the end they walk off arm in arm together to have sex".

Like that somehow explains every single criticism you can level at the show.

Talk about cults, how's all the praise people are throwin' at this show just two episodes in: "It's better than the Wire!".

No it isn't. It's better than most thing's you'll see on TV, but then given the piss poor standard of most of the shit on the box that's not really saying much.

I enjoyed it, but if I knew it was going to end up a love story between two Hollywood twats I'd have skipped it and finished Twin Peaks instead.

 

[Bender_]

So either way you'd be disappointed?

 

[Silvagnis]

The only thing I hate about True Detective is when HBO comes on at the beginning I'm waiting for Game of Thrones to start.

Expect these two opening themes...





Opening sequence took six months to make.

Each episode cost $4 million, so it was cancelled. Damn them to hell for shooting Jonesy and leaving it hanging.

 

[FRUMPY]

Sopranos for me

 

[Catfish Alley]

Sopranos for me

What's that got to do with it?

 

[UpForGrabs]

Jesus Christ, True Detective fans are patronising! As soon as anyone says "I didn't like the ending so much..." there's always someone who pops up to say "Yeah but it's not about the case it's about the two characters who didn't like eachother at the beginning and then in the end they walk off arm in arm together to have sex".

Like that somehow explains every single criticism you can level at the show.

Talk about cults, how's all the praise people are throwin' at this show just two episodes in: "It's better than the Wire!".

No it isn't. It's better than most thing's you'll see on TV, but then given the piss poor standard of most of the shit on the box that's not really saying much.

I enjoyed it, but if I knew it was going to end up a love story between two Hollywood twats I'd have skipped it and finished Twin Peaks instead.

I'm as big a fan of The Wire that I know, and True Detective blows the first season of The Wire completely out of the water.

I won't say it's a better show, because The Wire kicked up to TD levels in the second season and kept going after that (although S5 was a bit of a letdown, especially after the one-two punch that was S3 & S4). Whether or not True Detective keeps the momentum going season after season is how we'll be able to judge it in the pantheon of great shows.

As it stands though, that was a hell of a first season, and better than any first season I can remember.

As for the two Hollywood twats, were they the same two Hollywood twats that you watched for the 7 hours and 45 minutes before the final scenes?

 

[darren forssman]

Opening sequence took six months to make.

Each episode cost $4 million, so it was cancelled. Damn them to hell for shooting Jonesy and leaving it hanging.

wish they would revive it now.

 

[WinmarToLockett]

I'm as big a fan of The Wire that I know, and True Detective blows the first season of The Wire completely out of the water.

The Wire has a depth to it that TD doesn't have; it's social commentary. TD is just entertainment. They cant be compared.

This is just my opinion though. I loved the first season of the Wire. I got sucked into watching TD but I don't think I'll bother with the second season.

I won't say it's a better show, because The Wire kicked up to TD levels in the second season and kept going after that (although S5 was a bit of a letdown, especially after the one-two punch that was S3 & S4). Whether or not True Detective keeps the momentum going season after season is how we'll be able to judge it in the pantheon of great shows.

Season 5 was a let down but thematically it was planned to focus on immigration; they had to look at the Media instead as they didn't have the time frame to create as realistic a portrayal as they intended.

I think it's ab it unfair to compare an anthology series with a story that unfolded for five seasons anyway, but that's just me.

As for the two Hollywood twats, were they the same two Hollywood twats that you watched for the 7 hours and 45 minutes before the final scenes?

I don't get to use the remote control at home

But yes, you are correct. Are you a detective?

 

[pantskyle]

Brad Pitts name is popping up as a potential actor for the next season.