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True Detective

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True Detective
Genre
Created byNic Pizzolatto
Written byNic Pizzolatto
Directed byCary Joji Fukunaga
Starring
Opening theme"Far From Any Road" by The Handsome Family
ComposerT Bone Burnett
Country of originTemplate:TVUS
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerCarol Cuddy
Production locationsNew Orleans, Louisiana
CinematographyAdam Arkapaw
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseJanuary 12, 2014 (2014-01-12) –
present

True Detective is an American television anthology drama series on HBO created and written by Nic Pizzolatto, with the first season directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. Season one stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Potts, and Tory Kittles, and uses multiple timelines to trace two Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division homicide detectives' hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana across seventeen years. The series premiered on January 12, 2014, and will consist of eight episodes. The first season debuted to widespread critical acclaim.

Development and production

In April 2012, HBO picked up the series with an order of eight episodes. The series was created by Nic Pizzolatto, who wrote all the episodes, while all the first season episodes are directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga; both also serve as executive producers, with Pizzolatto as showrunner.[2] The series' title is an ironic reference to the "true detective" genre of pulp fiction, particularly the 20th-century magazine True Detective.[3][4][5] Season one is set along the coastal plain of South Louisiana, where it was also filmed.[6]

Format

The series will use an anthology format, with each season featuring a different cast of characters and story.[7]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"The Long Bright Dark"Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoJanuary 12, 2014 (2014-01-12)2.33[11]

Louisiana, 1995. Detectives Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rustin Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) investigate the ritualistic murder of former prostitute Dora Kelly Lange, found with a symbol painted on her back and wearing a "crown" of deer antlers, blindfolded and posed as if praying to a large solitary tree. A twig latticework, like a Cajun bird trap, is found with her body. Cohle is convinced that this is not the killer's first victim, but Hart is skeptical. Their investigation brings up the case of Marie Fontenot, a little girl whose disappearance five years earlier was not investigated. Another report is brought up of a child who claimed to be chased through the woods by a "green-eared spaghetti monster." Hart invites Cohle over for dinner, unaware that it is Cohle's deceased daughter's birthday. Cohle reluctantly accepts, but, losing a battle with alcoholism, turns up drunk. Hart and Cohle follow up on the Fontenot disappearance with a visit to Marie's uncle Danny. In a dilapidated playhouse, Cohle finds another twig latticework.

Seventeen years later, Cohle and Hart are interviewed separately, five days apart, about Dora Kelly Lange by Detectives Thomas Papania (Tory Kittles) and Maynard Gilbough (Michael Potts). Hart and Cohle have not spoken since a falling-out in 2002. Cohle is shown a photograph of another girl whose body has been found posed in similar fashion to Lange. Papania and Gilbough want to know how the killer could have struck again if he was caught in 1995.
2"Seeing Things"Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoJanuary 19, 2014 (2014-01-19)1.67[12]

In 1995, Cohle and Hart continue to investigate the murder of Dora Lange, and learn she was attending church prior to her disappearance. Cohle deduces that Hart is cheating on his wife, Maggie (Michelle Monaghan), with court reporter Lisa Tragnetti (Alexandra Daddario), creating friction between the two. Cohle is also experiencing hallucinatory synesthetic side effects to his drug consumption and is contemptuous of Reverend Billy Lee Tuttle's (Jay O. Sanders) lobbying for the creation of a special task force focusing on "anti-Christian crimes" to assist in the investigation. While buying drugs from a young prostitute, Cohle is pointed towards a trailer park of runaway girls. The two find Lange's diary and learn the location of the church, which was destroyed in a fire, and that she came under the influence of a man she called the "Yellow King." While searching through the wreckage of the church, they find a nightmarish image of a woman with deer antlers painted on a wall.

In 2012, Papania and Gilbough continue their interviews of Cohle and Hart. Hart is divorced, and Cohle confides that his daughter died after being involved in a car accident, leading to the collapse of his marriage and the beginning of his addiction. To avoid prosecution for killing a meth user who had injected his own infant child with the drug, Cohle's superiors compelled him to be a "floating" drug undercover officer for four years, until he was hospitalized in a psychiatric institution after shooting three cartel members and being wounded in the gunfight. After his release, Cohle's request for another job resulted in his becoming a homicide detective with CID, where he was partnered with Hart.
3"The Locked Room"Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoJanuary 26, 2014 (2014-01-26)1.93[13]

In 1995, Hart and Cohle locate the owner of the burnt-down church, preacher Joel Theriot (Shea Whigham), learning that Dora Lange was often seen with a tall man with facial scarring, and begin searching for him while being pressured to turn the case over to the task force. Hart begins to reconnect with Maggie despite her fascination with Cohle, and assaults Lisa's new boyfriend out of jealousy, questioning his own morality. Cohle goes through dead body files in search of cases similar to Lange and learns of Rianne Olivier, a supposed accidental death that shared elements with Lange's murder. They learn through Olivier's grandfather that she attended Light of Way, a defunct religious school owned by Reverend Tuttle, before running off with her boyfriend Reggie Ledoux. The detectives follow their lead to the school, devastated by Hurricane Andrew, but before they can investigate further, a records check reveals Ledoux to be a drug trafficker, repeat sex offender and former cellmate of Lange's ex-husband, Charlie, and they head out to question Lange again. The episode closes off with Hart and Cohle putting out an APB on Ledoux, while elsewhere a tall man wearing only underwear and a gas mask, presumed to be Ledoux, is seen wandering a remote compound wielding a machete.

In 2012, the Papania and Gilbough interviews of Hart and Cohle identify their character flaws, particularly Hart's hypocritical views on morality and Cohle's nihilistic view of the world. Hart reflects that he is now divorced from Maggie.
4"Who Goes There"Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoFebruary 9, 2014 (2014-02-09)1.99[14]

In 1995, Hart and Cohle interrogate Charlie Lange for information about Ledoux, his former cellmate. Lange informs them that he showed pictures of Dora to Ledoux and identifies a known associate, Tyrone Weem, as a lead. Lange also tells the detectives that Ledoux told him about a group of rich men who would get together for sacrifices of women and children for devil worship. Hart tracks down Weem at a warehouse rave and forces him to name the East Texas biker gang Ledoux is now cooking meth for, the Iron Crusaders. Cohle, who previously worked with the gang while undercover, takes "sick leave" to infiltrate the gang, giving the excuse that he needs to visit his dying father. Meanwhile, Lisa spitefully tells Maggie everything about her affair with Hart, who returns home to find his family gone and his bags packed. He tries to talk to Maggie at her workplace and is confronted by security officers before Cohle arrives to take him away. Cohle hits the Iron Crusaders hangout masquerading as former security for a Mexican cartel breaking away on his own, using high-grade cocaine taken from the police evidence room to back up his claim. He negotiates with his contact Ginger (Joseph Sikora) that if given a commitment to back a deal with the gang's meth producer, Cohle will help Ginger rob a stash house in the projects. Disguised as police, they rob the stash house, shooting one of the residents, and stir up the neighborhood's inhabitants in the process, resulting in an outbreak of gunfire and chaos. With the actual police on their way, Cohle holds Ginger at gunpoint as they escape the house and make their way through the projects. Cohle contacts Hart who collects them from the scene as the police arrive.

In 2012, doubts in the investigation start to come forth as Papania and Gilbough question Cohle's sick leave, claiming that there are no hospital records of his father. Cohle tells the detectives about his father while Hart feigns ignorance.
5"The Secret Fate of All Life"Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoFebruary 16, 2014 (2014-02-16)2.25[15]

In 1995, Ginger and Cohle (still undercover) meet with DeWall, Ledoux's cook partner, in a roadside bar. DeWall refuses to do a drug deal with Cohle, but after DeWall leaves, Hart follows him. Hart radios his location to Cohle and the pair meet up near the hidden meth lab, where Cohle leads the way through brush, avoiding hidden explosive booby traps rigged to kill unwary intruders. The pair descend on the house where Hart apprehends Ledoux and handcuffs him. Cohle draws down on DeWall, who has just stepped out of the meth lab, as Hart is searching the premises, coming across two kidnapped and abused children, one of them dead. Enraged, Hart kills Ledoux with a shot to the head. DeWall panics and flees but is killed when he detonates one of the booby traps. Hart removes the handcuffs from the dead Ledoux and Cohle sprays the yard with bullets from an AK to give the appearance that a shootout had taken place. Before a shooting board later, the pair individually relate the same story of surviving a chaotic firefight in which Hart managed to kill Ledoux. Hart and Cohle are hailed back at the station and in the press as heroes, with both receiving commendations and promotions.

By 2002, Hart is reconciled with his wife and kids, while Cohle has a physician girlfriend. Hart's daughter Audrey has begun acting out and tensions rise once again in the household. Cohle, a renowned interrogator, is brought in to get a confession out of a robber accused of murdering two people in a store while high on PCP. After confessing, the prisoner demands a deal from Cohle, declaring that Ledoux wasn't the killer of the missing girls--the real killer was connected to people high up and, he claims, he himself heard about the "Yellow King" (a phrase related to the case never known to the public). Cohle beats the man, demanding "a name," but is restrained by other detectives. He returns later with Hart to find that the prisoner has killed himself in his cell after receiving a phone call (purporting to be from his lawyer) made from a public pay phone out in the middle of nowhere. Cohle returns to the abandoned religious school, where he finds dozens of stick sculptures, and drawings and black stars on the walls.

In 2012, Papania and Gilbough tell Hart that they suspect that Cohle, who they allege conveniently led Hart to every clue or lead in the case, has been behind the killings all along; Cohle has been spotted among the bystanders at the scene of the recent killing in Lake Charles that is similar to the Dora Lange case. Cohle has also been a person of interest in the suspicious death of Reverend Tuttle two years before. Cohle walks out of his interview after the detectives accuse him, ridiculing them to get a warrant, while Hart is asked in his interview to explain what exactly happened between him and Cohle in 2002.
6"Haunted Houses"[16]Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoFebruary 23, 2014 (2014-02-23)TBA
7"After You've Gone"[16]Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoMarch 2, 2014 (2014-03-02)TBA
8"Form and Void"[16]Cary Joji FukunagaNic PizzolattoMarch 9, 2014 (2014-03-09)TBA

Reception

The first season of True Detective has received widespread acclaim from critics. It holds an 88% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.4/10, based on 56 reviews.[17] On Metacritic, it has a rating of 88 out of 100 based on 38 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".[18]

David Wiegand of San Francisco Chronicle wrote "The dialogue is rich, colorful and provocative, adding to the gothic sensibilities of the series. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga makes great use of the Louisiana location, giving it as much importance to the story as the characters of Cohle and Hart. All the performances are superb, but those of McConaughey and Harrelson are in a class by themselves."[19] Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times praised the series' format, writing "We are seeing the return of the miniseries, reborn out of the seasonal long arc of the 8-to-13-hour dramatic serial. With no hurry to get to the end, there is time for slow, detailed storytelling with lots of room for conversation and for silence."[20] Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised the performances and dialogue, writing "The two central performances are so powerful, the dialogue so evocative, the look so intense, that they speak to the value of the hybrid anthology format Pizzolatto is using here—points to a potentially fascinating shift in dramatic series television."[21]

After the fourth episode aired, Christopher Orr of The Atlantic called the series "the best show on TV."[22] In particular, the six-minute long take featured at the end of the fourth episode received much critical praise.[23] Erik Adams of The A.V. Club wrote about the scene, "we might not see another sequence of such sustained tension on our TVs in 2014. This is the crowning achievement of Cary Fukunaga's True Detective direction thus far."[24] James Poniewozik of TIME called it a "tour-de-force" and that "it was one of the most amazing scenes you're likely to see on TV all year."[25] Sean T. Collins of Rolling Stone wrote that the "climactic gunfight was the best TV action sequence since the 'Blackwater' episode of Game of Thrones."[26]

References

  1. ^ Collins, Sean T. (January 12, 2014). "'True Detective' Premiere Recap: Partners in Crime". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 3, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (April 30, 2012). "HBO Picks Up Matthew-Woody Series 'True Detective' With Eight-Episode Orders". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  3. ^ Jensen, Jeff (January 12, 2014). "'True Detective' post-mortem: Unraveling the mysteries". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  4. ^ Smith, Russel (February 20, 2014). "Decoding the secrets of True Detective". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  5. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (January 10, 2014). "TV Review: HBO's True Detective". Vulture. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  6. ^ Walker, Dave (June 12, 2013). "HBO 'True Detective' teaser signals coming boom of New Orleans-shot TV". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  7. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 30, 2013). "HBO Lands Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson Cop Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e Andreeva, Nellie (January 14, 2013). "'Texas Chainsaw's Alexandra Daddario, 'Twilight Saga's Elizabeth Reaser, 2 'Wire' Alums Join New HBO Series 'True Detective'". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 1, 2013). "Kevin Dunn Joins HBO Series 'True Detective', CBS Pilot 'Mom' Adds Regular". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c Levine, Stuart (January 30, 2013). "Simmons added to HBO's 'True Detective' cast". Variety. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  11. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 14, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night, 'True Detective', 'Ax Men', 'Shameless' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  12. ^ Bibel, Sara (January 22, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night, 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians', 'Shameless', 'True Detective', 'Girls' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  13. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (January 28, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Wins Night + 'Live From the Red Carpet', 'Curse of Oak Island', 'Sister Wives' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  14. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 11, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Tops Night + 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  15. ^ Bibel, Sara (February 19, 2014). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'The Walking Dead' Wins Night, NBA All Star Game, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta', 'True Detective', 'Shameless' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  16. ^ a b c "Schedule results for "True Detective"". HBO.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  17. ^ "True Detective : Season 1 (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  18. ^ "True Detective : Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  19. ^ Wiegand, David (January 9, 2014). "'True Detective' review: 2 stars shine brightly". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  20. ^ Lloyd, Robert (January 10, 2014). "Review: 'True Detective's' slow and steady pace a winning formula". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  21. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (January 7, 2014). "Review: Matthew McConaughey & Woody Harrelson amaze in HBO's 'True Detective'". HitFix. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  22. ^ Orr, Christopher (February 11, 2014). "True Detective: The Best Show on TV". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  23. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (February 10, 2014). "Seitz: Why True Detective's 6-Minute Tracking Shot Is More Than Just 'Awesome'". Vulture. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  24. ^ Adams, Erik (February 9, 2014). "True Detective: "Who Goes There"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  25. ^ Poniewozik, James (February 10, 2014). "True Detective Watch: Heart of Darkness". TIME. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  26. ^ Collins, Sean T. (February 9, 2014). "'True Detective' Recap: Blaze of Glory". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
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