When regular movie stars suddenly join a television series, it’s fairly common for people to go out of their way to watch it. It’s assumed that the acting will be spot on and that it could potentially be the only project that a regular 3 movies a year actor works on for a while. To sum that all up, it’s normally assumed that the show will be good. True Detective is a case where it is indeed safe to assume.
The show centers around two detectives working in Louisiana. The framing device of the series is similar to How I Met You Mother in that the story is told through flashbacks. The pilot has a great mix of story and flash-forward for the narration. The most interesting aspect of the show is the transition between past and present. We know that things have changed between 1995 and 2012, but what caused the massive change is unknown. As the writers allow us more and more info on the transformation of our two central characters, I think it may become clearer what lies for the two after 2012. This will undoubtedly take a long time to get to, but I am sure it will be worth the wait.
Matthew McConaughey plays Rust Cohle and there’s no easy way to say it; he’s nuts. He is certifiably nuts. His outlook on life is without a doubt the most depressing thing that I have ever heard and on top of this even Mathew McConaughey describes his character as “an asshole”. They say that the two things to never bring up are religion and politics. With this guy, I would be afraid to say anything. He has an extremely complex peculiarity about him that allows him to turn any conversation into an “Alrighty then” moment. Based on the less-than-subtle hints in the pilot, I expect we will continue to learn about his past more over the series. Though Woody Harrelson’s Martin Hart describes Cohle as “always weird” I suspect that part of his past made him the way that he is.
Martin Hart, in contrast to Rust Cohle, seems to be a decent human being. He has a nice, although a bit nosy, family. I suspect that we will get to see that change over the course of the series. It wouldn't be a drama if everything stayed perfect. While Martin would have the rest of his colleagues believe that he has a “perfect” family, we know that the likelihood of this existing is slim to none. Part of me wonders if this will be a central part of the show.
Subsequently, while Martin Hart tries to view the world in an idealistic view, Rust Cohle is plain and upfront with what he sees. This is a fairly common aspect for a crime procedural to display. While one of the leads continually exhibits an odd behavior, the other lead character chastises them for it. The thing that makes True Detective different is that normally the two leads have to actually get along, at a bare minimum respect each other. In spite of this, Cohle and Hart have an odd combative relationship that I’m not sure I’ve seen before on television.
Overall, I think HBO has struck gold with True Detective. It’s a show that while centered on a murder (possibly a future set of murders) it isn’t focused on that murder. After having watched the pilot, I know just enough about the murder to stay interested, but I know more about the characters than I expected. This makes character development not only interesting to watch, but also easy for the writers to execute. They have a place that they know the characters will go in 2012 and all they have to do is slowly take them there.
Rating: Solid A – It’s entertaining, different, and altogether enjoyable.
Tune in to True Detective on January 12 on HBO. Be sure to come back here to SpoilerTV to let everyone else know what you thought of the episode.
True Detective - Pilot - Advance Review
Jan 13, 2014
BR True Detective
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Thanks for the great preview Brandon. Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very different "detective" story from what I've seen before and the acting, writing and overall atmosphere is exceptional.
Glad to hear it's good. I'm really excited to watch this. If this does become a success which I'm about 90% sure it will be, I'm hoping that the future seasons will be on par considering this is the American Horror Story of the Detective stories
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for this one Mathew McConaughey is on a roll right now and I've always liked Woody Harrelson
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Andy. It really is quite a different story. I was a little hesitant at first to take on another detective show, but this is unique.
ReplyDeleteI actually had that same thought in the middle of watching it. It definitely has an odd take on things. I can definitely see the AHS comparison.
ReplyDeleteYup. They're both great actors. I watched the pilot without knowing a whole lot about the show and was really surprised to see McConaughey in the weird role just because Harrelson is normally tied to those. They fit in perfectly though.
ReplyDeleteI had quite a hard time watching the pilot to be honest - typcial slow 60 minute HBO episode - but I found it good enough to keep watching. I enjoyed ep 2 and 3 a lot more than the pilot, especially of the great characters, although I find McConaughey's role a bit over the top sometimes.
ReplyDeleteBut overall I'm pretty sure I will stick with this show.
So happy to hear that the premiere was overall excellent. This show is one of my most anticipated new shows of 2014. Can't wait for it to start on Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see why you thought the pilot was a little slow, but I think that's a part of the show's genius. It can allow us small amounts of information on the crime because the real mystery is what happens to Cohle and Hart by 2012.
ReplyDeleteI was happily surprised when I found this show since I didn't have a whole lot of hope for another detectives show. You won't be disappointed though. It brings something different to the table.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review, Brandon. I´ll be watching as I love both actors and usually like HBO´s shows.
ReplyDeleteI've only been hearing how good this show is,cannot wait!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt truly is a good first episode. You'll get to know the characters quite well.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it. I definitely did.
ReplyDeleteI didn't mean to be rude yesterday,i also wanted to thank you for your review! I normally don't read reviews before i watch the show. I find if the reviewer doesn't like it that stays with me,so i rather read it afterwards to see what there opinion of it was then.
ReplyDeleteThis review got me even more excited about the premiere, I'm really looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat! I was hoping this is EXACTLY what the show would be about - the characters and how the investigation/detective's job is going to affect them and the people around them. One of the things I loved about Homicide: Life on the Street.
ReplyDeleteHmm. I never watched that one. I might have to give Homicide: Life on the Street a try. If it's anything like this I'll enjoy it. Hope you like True Detective as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteThe first four seasons were fantastic. Season 5 was okay, but it was beginning to show the meddling from NBC. Seasons 6 & 7 ... yeah. There are still brilliant episodes in those seasons but it was nowhere the gritty reality portrayed in S1 - S4. It's my favorite series, despite it all.
ReplyDeleteTarotManiac is actually referring to the way the series will work from year to year. Each season will be a new case and new cast of characters: an anthology, much like AHS.
ReplyDeleteAhh. I see that now. I didn't realize it was using this format until yesterday although it makes sense considering the multiple big movie stars. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteI didn't find you to be rude at all. Lol. So no worries. I also have experienced negative reviews sticking with me. Hope you enjoy the show.
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