“Y’all never caught the man who did that. He’s been out there, killing…”
We open tonight pretty much exactly where we left off, with Cohle and Hart using Ginger to lead them to Reggie Ledoux. Remember that glimpse we got of Lange’s supposed killer two weeks ago wandering his compound & wielding a machete? That’s exactly where intel leads our detectives tonight and the extended scene that takes place there is, like much of the series, an awesome mix of chilling, darkly funny and thematically complex. Rust Cohle, of course, is the one who speaks the episodes title as part of one of his nihilistic ramblings to detectives in 2012. With the story of Reggie Ledoux seemingly wrapped up, Papania and Gilbough reapproach the question presented in the premiere - if the man responsible for these murders was found, then how are they continuing into present day? It’s a question posed both to Hart and Cohle as well as the audience. Papania and Gilbough believe they already know the answer.
Hart walks us through parts of what came after Ledoux’s apprehension as the story begins to shift attention to 2002. While we don’t yet see what exactly caused the rift between our protagonists that year, we do get a good idea of where things were at with them individually. Hart’s creepy daughters (sorry, they are) have grown up, and so have their problems. Watching Harrelson play the conflicted father to two teenage girls is fantastic, and I can't help but be amazed at how precisely fleshed out our main characters have become in just five episodes. I’m also not ready to say goodbye to them in three weeks.
“The Secret Fate of All Life” provides many more questions than answers, but in doing so also propels the series into new territory. With only three episodes to go this season the most compelling mysteries are heading to the forefront - what happened to cause a rift between Hart and Cohle? Who is “The Yellow King” (lots of mention of him tonight) and could Rust possibly have something to do with the murders he's been trying to solve? Evidence provided tonight may make you believe he does. The tone of the series remains darkly unique, and creator / sole writer Nic Pizzolatto has done an incredible job of keeping audiences totally immersed in this world. The dialogue is so great I often find myself rewinding scenes to listen closer and take more away. This series, certainly, is one that will benefit from repeated viewing. Hit the comments to let us know what you’re most excited for about tonight and visit again after the show to share your thoughts. This one is a doozy.
Excerpts from tonight's episode:
“You know the good years when you’re in ‘em. Or you just wait for ‘em until you get ass cancer and realize the good years came and went.”
“This is a world where nothing is solved.”
“I cleaned up, but maybe I didn’t change. Not the way I needed to.”
“I know what happens next. I saw you in my dream. You’re in Carcosa now. With me. He sees you.”
True Detective airs Sunday nights at 9 on HBO and “The Secret Fate of All Life” premieres tonight. Follow me on Twitter for updates on True Detective & all my other SpoilerTV work.
