True Detective S1E3
WARNING: This review contains spoilers.
As True Detective moves along this season, we see that Hart is not bound as tightly as he appears.
Over the past few episodes, Hart and Cohle have offered us a buddy film: a cerebral loner and a gregarious straight man. But behind the facades of the two protagonists lies something much different than outward appearances. Cohle, who has come across as a tortured soul, seems to be perfectly content with his place in the world. Hart, on the other hand, is struggling with responsibility and middle age as he desperately tries to appear as the typical family man.
Last episode's church mural leads Hart and Cohle to a tent revival that is led by a fire-and-brimstone folk preacher, played by Shea Whigham. Whigham's portrayal yields an Elvis impersonator that lords over his "flock," a collection of down-and-out country misfits. Hart and Cohle attend a tent service, where they pit nihilism versus a Southern Baptist view of the world. An amusing and entertaining debate ensues, and we learn more about Cohle's worldview.
Later, Hart comes home and finds that Cohle is there talking with his wife, after returning a borrowed lawn mower and taking care of the Hart family's lawn. A not-very-subtle argument takes place, with an angry Hart chastising Cohle for "mowing another man's lawn." Mrs. Hart still seems to have her eye on Cohle, even going through the trouble of arranging a date for the loner with one of her friends. The date goes OK for Cohle, but Hart loses it when he sees his mistress on a date with another guy, and drunkenly confronts and attacks her potential suitor later that evening.
The 2012 interviews are a welcome break in the dark world of 1995, as the older Hart and Cohle individually interview with the detectives. Cohle appears to still be the prime suspect in the modern-day crimes, but you can't help but wonder if he is actually a suspect or a means to get into the killer's mind. The cliffhanger this week is a shot of prime suspect Reginald LeDoux, who Hart and Cohle see walking around his property in a pair of tighty whiteys, a gas mask, and carrying a machete. How's that for a parting shot?
No episode next week, as HBO breaks for the Super Bowl, but True Detective will be back on February 9th.
Random Thoughts:
- When a drunken Hart visits his mistress' house, he carelessly runs over a girl's pink bicycle. Is this related to the death of Cohle's daughter? Was Cohle the drunk driver of the vehicle that killed his daughter?
- Mrs. Hart's booty call in the middle of the night was odd. Or was she really checking up on the whereabouts of the philandering Mr. Hart?
- Cohle's speechifying on his nihilism is fun to watch. But it borders on teenage emo diatribes. Its fun to watch McConaughey toe that line while spouting the viewpoint of the average troubled teenager. So far, he is pulling it off.
- "I think its safe to say that no one here is gonna be splitting the atom, Marty" - Cohle. I almost choked on my tongue.
- "Its been that way since one monkey looked at the sun, then looked at the other monkey and said, "He said give me your f-ing share!" This dialogue is as good as anything on television.
What did you think?
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