Blog Entry #2 - True Detective - "Darkness Becomes You"

Darkness Becomes You - True Detective - Blog #2

 

Genre: Drama

Written by: Nic Pizzicato

Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Starring:

Matthew McConaughey as Det. Rustin "Rust" Cohle

Woody Harrelson as Det. Martin "Marty" Hart

Michelle Monaghan as Maggie Hart

Michael Potts as Det. Maynard Gilbough

Tory Kittles as Det. Thomas Papania

 

In the wake of the zombie apocalypse fad and The Walking Dead resting upon the throne of that realm (and ruling indisputably) many Sunday nighttime television shows have taken a backseat. However, one HBO drama has emerged on January 12^th that I firmly believe is a solid contender for the best drama series. True Detective is an American television drama series on HBO, and uniquely portrays its plot with timelines to trace two Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigations Division homicide detectives' hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana across the span of seventeen years. I had the distinct pleasure of stumbling across this gem a couple weeks ago, and I’m quite happy that I have – because you can only take so much of “People Arguing and Eventually Zombies Show Up.”

 

To begin, the partnership that exists between our two main characters, “Rust” (McConaughey) and “Marty” (Harrelson) is enthralling to watch because of just how much disparity lies between these two. Rust is a man apart from the entire division, with a shrouded past intertwined with substance use, alcohol, a failed marriage, and so much more. Marty is merely trying to do his job and keep his marriage intact while raising two daughters. One scene in particular that solidified my stance on this series was during the first episode, wherein Rust and Marty are returning to the station after their investigation. They have a conversation in the car about their views, and Rust’s are so absolutely structured around a pessimistic view of the world that Marty ends up telling him to shut his mouth, and that any period of time spent together in the car will now exist as “silent reflection time”.

 

The level of discomfort the viewers experience – a pure, genuine discomfort – is what makes this show so compelling. Every major scene is set up with the interaction between Rust and the new team of investigators, or Marty and the new team of investigators beforehand, which tells us this entire story has some incredible depth. The series begins this way, and the simple fact that neither of these two look anything as they do during the story tells us that so much time has passed, and so much has gone on. Rust looks like the epitome of white trash, and Marty looks like the Chief of a police division – opposed from both of these gentleman appearing as partners. The question is raised, and never leaves. “How did both of them end up this way?”

 

The general theme, filter and/or colors shown throughout this show in all scenes are all grim and uninviting. “Darkness Becomes You” is the catchphrase used throughout all advertising tied in with it, and it merely takes seconds to understand why upon watching. Any kind of scene with happiness, vibrancy, or anything associated with a more joyous approach is minimal. The events that take place are violent, uncomfortable, and sometimes gruesome - displaying a putrid side of humanity we only typically see in thriller or horror movies, or hear about in newspaper reports. But, what makes this show stand apart from all the rest – is quite simply, it makes you think. It makes you watch. It makes you intrigued to know just how much deeper this rabbit hole goes. I’m certainly following it now, and I’d easily recommend it to anyone looking for something they can actually call a “drama.”