HBO's True Detective series discussion thread

[Drako]

don't get me started on those 2 black detectives that just sit there. seems like they are just phoning in their performances.

Not sure if serious. :hmm:

If your are, then you need to stick to watching shows like The Bachelor.

 

[smackababy]

Not sure if serious. :hmm:

If your are, then you need to stick to watching shows like The Bachelor.

Next thing we know, he's going to start a threat about how much the Godfather sucks. >_< Oh too late, he'll probably post in support of said wrong opinion.

 

[Spineshank]

I thought the first couple episodes were slow going but it has started to get real interesting. Shame its only 8 eps.

 

[JBT]

Wow that last episode really picked up the action. Great show so far!

 

[zinfamous]

So, what did I miss between episode 3 and 4? I went back and watched the final 15 minutes of ep 3, then ep 4 again...

How do we jump from the final image of ep 3: detectives showing up at the cabin, with, supposedly, a half-naked gas-mask wearing and machete-wielding Ladeux stalking the perimeter of his property; to ep 4: detectives being on his trail once again?

Was this episode a flashback within that flashback?

I guess I need to go back to the beginning of ep 4 some more...

 

[jhbball]

So, what did I miss between episode 3 and 4? I went back and watched the final 15 minutes of ep 3, then ep 4 again...

How do we jump from the final image of ep 3: detectives showing up at the cabin, with, supposedly, a half-naked gas-mask wearing and machete-wielding Ladeux stalking the perimeter of his property; to ep 4: detectives being on his trail once again?

Was this episode a flashback within that flashback?

I guess I need to go back to the beginning of ep 4 some more...

I was expecting the same thing. But yes, this was an inception style flash back.

 

[HN]

So, what did I miss between episode 3 and 4? I went back and watched the final 15 minutes of ep 3, then ep 4 again...

How do we jump from the final image of ep 3: detectives showing up at the cabin, with, supposedly, a half-naked gas-mask wearing and machete-wielding Ladeux stalking the perimeter of his property; to ep 4: detectives being on his trail once again?

Was this episode a flashback within that flashback?

I guess I need to go back to the beginning of ep 4 some more...

i dont' think they ever showed the detectives at the cabin. they were describing the scene and then at the very end it cuts to gas mask guy but that's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOGoX1B6_2k

 

[zinfamous]

i dont' think they ever showed the detectives at the cabin. they were describing the scene and then at the very end it cuts to gas mask guy but that's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOGoX1B6_2k

Could be. The sequence was them going from the derilect school, getting the trail of Ladeux, then driving "there" while they call out the APB on Ladeux. Then it cuts to the road to the cabin, I thought it showed their car driving up, if not actually showing them getting out.

Heart is asking the present time detectives if they've ever been in a gun fight, then cut to creepster with machete.

The problem I am having with the sequence, is that with those final 10 minutes or so, they only get confirmation of Ladeux then head straight to this cabin. with episode 4, it is a more involved process of getting to him--the biker gang, going undercover, etc etc. Even if we believe that to be a flashback somewhere in the middle of episode 3 that was never shown, the time just doesn't seem to add up from when they got Ladeux's name through the episode 3 investigation that leads pretty directly to this cabin, to now looking back that Cohle went undercover to somehow get to that point.

Did I miss some moment in episode 3 where Cohle is "on leave"? (the cover for the undercover investigation). Well, I didn't really, because Heart is with him the whole time, right?

 

[zinfamous]

OK--so maybe the actual sequence is them leaving the school, calling out the APB, but with no confirmed location? I thought the report sent to Haart over the radio was that they had a confirmed location?

I can buy that they put on the signal but then ended up back at the station, with the undercover operation following; but the end of episode 3 was pretty convincing in making that appear to be a direct sequence.

 

[smackababy]

OK--so maybe the actual sequence is them leaving the school, calling out the APB, but with no confirmed location? I thought the report sent to Haart over the radio was that they had a confirmed location?

I can buy that they put on the signal but then ended up back at the station, with the undercover operation following; but the end of episode 3 was pretty convincing in making that appear to be a direct sequence.

Why would they put out an APB on Ladeux if they had a location? Them showing what we are to believe is Ladeux (looking like a far more menacing Walter White) and Hart asking about being in a gun fight was foreshadowing. Episode 4 picks up where they left off (talking with the vic's husband, confirming Ladeux was a fit, getting his friend). Ginger is who, presumably, is going to give them Ladeux's cook site, thus, presumably, leading to a gunfight between him and Hart / Cohle.

The leave Cohle went on is questioned by the interviewing detectives, whom don't believe it (because of his father not actually having leukemia) and because 17 years later, another victim shows up under extremely similar circumstances. They attempt to get Hart to give them more information on the leave, but it looks like he didn't crack. Cohle also gives the same story.

And remember, we might not actually be seeing the interview questions / story in the order it happened, but in the order of what best fits revealing the story to the viewer.

 

[zinfamous]

Why would they put out an APB on Ladeux if they had a location? Them showing what we are to believe is Ladeux (looking like a far more menacing Walter White) and Hart asking about being in a gun fight was foreshadowing. Episode 4 picks up where they left off (talking with the vic's husband, confirming Ladeux was a fit, getting his friend). Ginger is who, presumably, is going to give them Ladeux's cook site, thus, presumably, leading to a gunfight between him and Hart / Cohle.

well, they had already talked to the victim's husband, which then lead them to the high school. Yes--the scenes could have been put together in frayed order, but it was that interview that lead them to the school, where Haart gets the radio call, and they both jump in the car, call it in, and even place the blue light on the dashboard as if they are heading to the scene. That's why I can't rationally see splitting the interview with that methead as they did.

I get that I'm missing something here, and that the specific scene of the cabin can be easily separated from that sequence...I just don't see how the undercover operation, capturing the ginger and all that occurs before they visit the school in episode 3--it seems to me that they were still low on information re: Ladeux at that point. I suppose it's possible that we see the ginger capture turning up nothing in the next episode.

 

[smackababy]

well, they had already talked to the victim's husband, which then lead them to the high school. Yes--the scenes could have been put together in frayed order, but it was that interview that lead them to the school, where Haart gets the radio call, and they both jump in the car, call it in, and even place the blue light on the dashboard as if they are heading to the scene. That's why I can't rationally see splitting the interview with that methead as they did.

I get that I'm missing something here, and that the specific scene of the cabin can be easily separated from that sequence...I just don't see how the undercover operation, capturing the ginger and all that occurs before they visit the school in episode 3--it seems to me that they were still low on information re: Ladeux at that point. I suppose it's possible that we see the ginger capture turning up nothing in the next episode.

I don't think the undercover operation happened then. If you look at that scene after the school, Hart gets back information that Ladeux served time with the victim's husband. They then, jump back into the car, and head to the jail to question him and put out the APB. The scene with, what is presumably Ladeux in his underwear, is simply foreshadowing. They even state in the interview "and that's how we get to Ladeux." possibly leaving the information about the biker gang out, as they might not have put that in the report, to keep as much heat off the undercover operation as possible.

So, the timeline is kind of like this:
they check out the school,
Hart puts in a request about Laduex, gets back he shared a cell for a few months with victim's husband
they put out an APB on Ladeux and head to the jail to question victim's husband again (episode ends with some foreshadowing)
they question husband about Ladeux (even open with "Why did you tell us about Ladeux?") and get information to confirm Ladeux is likely involved
they go after his friend and find out about the bikers
with said knowledge, they go undercover and pick up Ginger (leaving this part completely off the report and out of the interview)

 

[zinfamous]

I don't think the undercover operation happened then. If you look at that scene after the school, Hart gets back information that Ladeux served time with the victim's husband. They then, jump back into the car, and head to the jail to question him and put out the APB. The scene with, what is presumably Ladeux in his underwear, is simply foreshadowing. They even state in the interview "and that's how we get to Ladeux." possibly leaving the information about the biker gang out, as they might not have put that in the report, to keep as much heat off the undercover operation as possible.

:hmm: I have to go back and look at it again, I suppose. I remember both names coming up--Ladeux and his cellmate/victim husband--during an earlier interview with some lady, by her car...somewhere. They are hashing out the real target between the two, then interview the husband, then go to the school. Yes, it could be that I was misled by the editing. not surprising. I just recall the information they were working on while at the school to have come from the interview with the husband.

 

[smackababy]

:hmm: I have to go back and look at it again, I suppose. I remember both names coming up--Ladeux and his cellmate/victim husband--during an earlier interview with some lady, by her car...somewhere. They are hashing out the real target between the two, then interview the husband, then go to the school. Yes, it could be that I was misled by the editing. not surprising. I just recall the information they were working on while at the school to have come from the interview with the husband.

Some of the information did originally. They interviewed him, found the church, found out about a "man with facial scars". Cohle was also looking for prior vic's and found one with Laduex's name came up. They checked out her former school. They decided to run a check on him for any kind of priors and found that he shared a cell with the vic's husband. They then, immediately went to question said husband again, this time about Ladeux and not his dead wife.


Also, it is interesting the school was run by the same guy who was behind the task force. Perhaps, there is a lot more going on we don't know about yet.

 

[Kev]

I didn't think the editing at the end of episode 3 was confusing at all...

During episode 4 when they basically cut from their planning phase right to "I've been hanging out around Beaumont for a week and this guy wants to meet me" -- that was pretty abrupt.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

What an episode last night. I just didnt want it to end.

and a must read: http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

What an episode last night. I just didnt want it to end.

and a must read: http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497

Yeah, my esteem for True Detective increased greatly after episode 4, and even more so after episode 5. That was just stellar. Really looking forward to the last three . . .

 

[smackababy]

Yeah, my esteem for True Detective increased greatly after episode 4, and even more so after episode 5. That was just stellar. Really looking forward to the last three . . .

I am really worried that next season they will have this stellar writing and characters, but won't get actors who can pull it off like Harrelson and McConaughey. They are both from Texas and pull off that southern thing so well.

I am watching the new episode tonight. Can't wait!

 

[pyonir]

What an episode last night. I just didnt want it to end.

and a must read: http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497

Thanks for the link...interesting read.

 

[WiseUp216]

This show is phenomenal. Last week (Ep. 4) was one of the best episodes of any show I've ever seen. Intense is an understatement.

 

[TheAdvocate]

What an episode last night. I just didnt want it to end.

and a must read: http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497

That was a fantastic read. Thanks.

Great example:

 

[PottedMeat]

What an episode last night. I just didnt want it to end.

and a must read: http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497

yeah that's a good one

here's something else: Writer Nic Pizzolatto on Thomas Ligotti and the Weird Secrets of &#8216;True Detective&#8217;

Spoiler

so i'm guessing cohle's been hunting down the cultists for the past 8 years off the grid - got one of the tuttles in 2010?

lol @ ginger. alive, probably dumped in a ditch.

edit:

True Detective Season 1: Inside the Episode #5 (HBO)
is this true: Pizzolatto says "...once he starts drinking in that room anything he says is inadmissible."?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Spoiler

Did anyone else notice that Reggie Ledoux didn't actually have the spiral brand that his cellmate (the ex of the first victim) said he had? Could mean any number of things.

I gather since Ledoux had been in prison there would be no question of his identity (since he would have been fingerprinted), so I don't think it's realistically possible that the man Marty killed was not Ledoux.

It's possible the former cellmate knew the significance of the spiral and told the detectives that in order to mislead them into going after Ledoux. That doesn't seem to make much sense either, since even without his statement to the cops, Ledoux would have seemed like the odds-on favorite to be the killer.

I guess it's possible it was a simple continuity error, but that seems unlikely, particularly since they included the reference to the brand in the "previously on True Detective" montage at the start. I just wonder whether it's a clue to something we don't yet know about.

 

[TheAdvocate]

I just wanted to point out that The King In Yellow (Kindle edition) is Free on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/King-Yellow-Ro...=UTF8&amp;sr=&amp;qid=

This includes the Kindle reader app edition if you wanna read it on something else.

I think I may give it a companion read before the last few episodes of the show.

 

[pyonir]

When they release the show on DVD, I hope they include copious amounts of commentary from many different people. I'm a fan of director commentary anyway, but I think watching the series with the director/writer/executive producer would be awesome and quite informative to point out small things you might not notice the first couple of times through.