Barstool DVR: True Detective Hysteria, Episode 2
Click here to download Barstool DVR episodes on iTunes
2nd episode of our very own little mini-series here for True Detective. Me, Feits and Super Producer BC back again to recap episode 7 of the most popular show on TV, preview the finale, and talk about the overall hysteria surrounding the show.
Now I’m sure some of the True Detective fanboys will listen to me on this podcast and hate me. Because at the moment I’m pretty down on True Detective. Pretty negative feeling about where the show has gone. That doesn’t mean I think the show is “bad.” Doesn’t mean I’m not excited for the finale. But between the the last couple episodes and the a lot of the online theorizing and hypothesizing, I think I’m gonna end up being disappointed.
I think the first 5 or so episodes set the tone that so much was going on beneath the surface. And his may be a product of Reddit forums and blogs and online hysteria that analyzed every little detail ad nauseam. Audrey setting up dolls in the exact same formation as the rape video. The same paintings from the walls of the insane asylum being in Marty’s bedroom. Rust cutting up his Lone Star beer cans into 5 men with stars on their heads. All these little easter egg nuggets proposing all sorts of possible storylines that, in all likelihood now, mean absolutely nothing. In all likelihood, this is really just going to end up the story of two detectives with distinct personalities who followed the evidence of ritualistic murders to uncover a cult of men in high positions of power. I suppose thats fine. McConaughey’s acting and Woody playing off him will always make it a memorable 8 episodes for me. The creepiness and eeriness of the series will always be nightmare worthy. But I guess I was more intrigued by all those little bits of symbolism and foreshadowing and what not that apparently aren’t going to mean anything. Its like Lost all over again except somehow they did it all in only 8 episodes. The members of the cult have pretty much all been revealed. Not much mystery left – unless there’s a curveball out of left field, which I don’t think I’d like either. All thats left if for Cohle and Marty to go after them.
Now Nic Pizzolatto, the writer, has said over and over again that we’re over thinking it and its just a murder mystery story and nothing more. But I guess the first 7 episodes just had so many subtle hints and scenes that made me think it was going to be more. I suppose I perfectly fit into the story as “bending the narrative” that permeates through the show between Marty, Rust and the black detectives. I made up my own theories and made the evidence fit. But if I had to sum it up I think I’d say that my response to Nic Pizzolatto would just be that I wish it was more than just a murder story about two detectives. I wish all those weird scenes and shots that lead you to certain theories actually meant something.
Feits’ theory about the fate of Marty and Cohle would go a long way for me. Also of all my favorite Reddit theories, the one I liked the best was “I just picture Marty getting out of Carcosa thinking the whole thing is over and he’s given up being an investigator. A while later he goes to one of Audrey’s shows to see her and buy a painting. He’s standing in front of one of them and…spirals and black stars. Pan out, roll credits.” There’s still one more episode that could potentially blow me away, but overall I think I’ll look back at all the other stuff that ended up meaning nothing and being aggravated.
Advertisement
PS – I realize that my perception of this show is completely skewed because of the Reddit type of forums, but at the same time if it wasn’t for those people hypothesizing and all those subtle, cool nuggets, I wouldn’t have ever liked the show as much as I did. Kind of a double edged sword for me.