True Detective Season 1 Analysis

True Detective Season 1 

Created by: Nic Pizzolatto

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson

This show is an investigative thriller, where two cops Rust and Marty are investigating a murder case of a prostitute and it is shown beside Rust and Marty talking about these experiences several years later. They use this as an extra tool to reveal character, yet they don't do it in an expository way where for example Rust is saying that Marty is a brave man or such, but they narrate incidents and talk about them from their own present perspectives. There isn't much of a character arc in both of them, they are almost the same even after those many years and in spite of they getting challenged in a lot of aspects, they might have become more stronger mentally but the fundamental nature of their characters are same because they are strongly opinionated people.

It's interesting to see how an unsolved case can haunt a detective for years as much as it feels like it's his purpose in life to solve this case and he won't matter even if he loses his life in the process. People say that every cop has such a case in their career which they get attached to and it becomes difficult to look at things objectively. The show isn't made like a Netflix original that's made now where there is a tight screenplay and the show is compelling throughout, this show is more of a slow burn and in spite of events happening slowly, it slowly spikes our interest. I can recall at the end of the 6th episode, Rust and Marty decide to hang out and chat and it's not a very compelling event but for some reason I couldn't wait to see what happens next. It's because the characters of Rust and Marty are written in a way that doesn't shy away from the nuances of reality. 

When religion comes into play with such gruesome crimes, it is even more scarier because we know what kind of trace religion can take people in and what they can be capable of. I got recalled of Se7en, as there is also a video essay by LFTS analyzing Se7en and True Detective. I'd look at this as a drama more than as a thriller, because of the way the show is conceived and the pacing of the show.