True Detective, Episodes 1-5 Recap and Review

Every once in a while, Television is blessed with a new show that has so much potential; it can likely take the place of old favorites. It’s almost metaphorical. As one masterpiece ends, another begins. It’s like a circle of life… only on screens… and only cared about by television junkies such as myself. Of course, this is all beside the point. What’s the point of a critic babbling on without reviewing anything?

     True Detective, HBO’s newest addition to their already blooming roster of shows is a winner. So far, five out of eight episodes have aired. Since it is an anthology, each season will be its own story with its own characters and plot. The show’s first season stars Woody Harrelson and Mathew McConaughey as detectives Martin Hart and Rust Cohle. The plot is split between their biggest case being solved in 1995, and them recounting the events of 1995 in 2012 as the case has mysteriously been re-opened. Both characters are no longer detectives and their partnership has ended in the intervening seventeen years. But, what make this show intriguing are not the cases that our detectives look to solve, but rather the detectives themselves.

From loving High School Girls to solving their murders

     Rust Cohle, played wonderfully by Mathew McConaughey, is a depraved man who does not believe in human decency, love, or any physical pleasures, be it food, socializing, or sex. He hates religion religiously and is impossible to socialize with. However, he is incredibly thorough and reads suspects like books, being able to burn through cases like few other detectives. By 2012 however, he has fallen apart. He is drinking six packs of beer at 12 noon and smoking like there is no tomorrow. He lives in the back of a bar and hasn’t made contact with the outside world in years seemingly.

     Martin Hart, played by Woody Harrelson is a bit of a good ol’ boy. He is well-liked by his peers, has a wife to keep him grounded at home, and a mistress to keep him stable in his work life. However, everything that he stands for is hypocritical. In multiple monologues, we see Hart speak about how great the boundaries that a family gives are while having an affair with a courtroom typist. This hypocrisy only shows the contrast between the unlikely partners more. While Cohle is alienating, Hart is fun. While Cohle has animalistic instincts, Hart has deeply human ones. What

From Carnivale to True Detective, HBO loves cool trees

keeps them together however, is obsession. 

     Aside from the study of the characters, the actual format of the show is quite innovative. As of February 16^th, five out of eight episodes have finished and the way the story is told is quite unique. While the first four episodes deal primarily with the original case in 1995, the case is almost entirely solved by episode five. From there, True Detective takes its viewers through the years leading up to the mystery of how Hart and Cohle eventually went their separate ways. The twists and turns are completely unpredictable and keep the viewer guessing every step of the way. With only three episodes left, there are still a plethora of mysteries to be solved and a menagerie of twists yet to come.

     All there really is to say about True Detective is watch it… then watch it again. Fans of character study, philosophical dialogue, mysteries, thrillers, and of course, great story telling keep this show at the top of the watch list for the winter season. With shows like House of Cards, Justified, or The Walking Dead all going on, HBO’s True Detective tops them all.