True Detective Conference Room (SPOILERS- GO AWAY)

Jesus. What is it with Americans and their prudishness?

It's a pair of tits , it's two people shagging, it's not a kids show anyway so why the fuck do you even care? Whenever I hear comments along the lines of 'HBO always has tits, sex and swearing' I always think that's because real life has tits and sex and swearing. So fucking what?
Whine about visceral violence on TV if you want because few people come into direct contact with that in real life so I can see an argument for reducing it on TV. But not fucking sex.

It's like some group of people in the US want to drag the 21st century back to the friggin' Middle Ages. Just like here.

Well, that was something of an overreaction.

Legomancer wrote: Good enough, case closed. Cohle doesn't find out that there's more, until the drugstore killer lets him know that there are still killers out there.

You're right. I need to watch again because I was hazy on when they knew what.

I'm also pretty certain they had no solid evidence of any further activity after the raid on the farm. The kids were traumatized and not talking, and the case was pretty much finally handed over at that point to the Tuttles to bury any further leads. The viewers knew at the time that it wasn't over because of the interview scenes.

What I think is really unclear is if there was anything at all going on with the cult in the intervening years. One of the Tuttles had a child porn stash in a secret room, and Childers had some bodies lying about. But there is not any discussion of further disappearances or anything.

Interestingly, the details of the crimes definitely are underplayed. There is a clandestine pedophile ring, and then a couple of brazen ritual killings. Both have obvious occult overtones, and Childers seems involved with both, but trying to work out motives and who did what is not only impossible but the two sets of murders seem almost at odds regarding motive.

I'm pretty convinced that the entire cult "plot" is really just dogs fighting. Simply background theme to the main story, and not intended to withstand any serious scrutiny. Totally the opposite of a modern forensic analysis series. That's why I think Twin Peaks is still the closest comparison. It wasn't about who killed Laura Palmer and why--it was really about the small town freak show on parade.

Last bit. When networks are promoting a TV show, they'll often send out a promo dvd set to various media. These often come in giant boxes with press materials, extra info to make the article writing easier and the occasional oddity.

At the AJC, the Features reviews are all outsourced to freelancers, which means they get all the cool swag. And AJCs freelance coordinator is named Sandi, so the swag they don't want often ends up coming here.

No one wanted this. So it is on our mantle. Probably the closest look you'll get to seeing one of these.

Is Frank Branham the King in Yellow?????

I bet that thing would fetch a cool $500 on ebay right now, easily.

Simply the single most incredible cop story I've ever watched. Trumps everything, primarily because the script and actors were so incredible.

I'm convinced that the portal at the end of Carcosa wasn't a hallucination, but rather the drugs allowed Cohle to see underneath the real world. The things that are there that you can't simply see unless some experience unlocks that door.

My God, how the fuck will they ever equal this with Season 2?

I also just finished this season over the weekend and echo all the great things said about it on this thread. Really some of the most fantastic acting I can remember in a while and I think the best music match-up ever. I will say I'm pretty surprised it has gained this amount of popularity. Not on sites like this, but general water cooler talk from John Q. Public. I guess with the right medium even the deeper philosophical themes portrayed can find the mark. Kudos for that.

I am worried Season 2 is going to be quite a few steps down but I'll give it a shot whenever it comes out.

SuperflyTNT wrote: I'm convinced that the portal at the end of Carcosa wasn't a hallucination, but rather the drugs allowed Cohle to see underneath the real world. The things that are there that you can't simply see unless some experience unlocks that door.

Sorry, late to the party.

Do you know what I liked best about that part? That it didn't explain it. You chalk it up as one of Rust's hallucinations, but if you want that scene to be about peering in to the vast horrors of the cosmos, well, it can be.

This was, after all, Errol's ascension chamber, the chamber of the King in Yellow, the ritual chamber where murders and worship takes place. "If they had but eyes to see." He wanted the confrontation and led it there. Either the place had power, or he believed it had power.

And the viewer is free to take whichever interpretation that they want. That's brilliant.

Also, even though Arkham Horror and Eldritch Horror have made us believe that humans can take on Cthulhu and all the expansive Mythos with just some tomes of spells and a Tommygun, it's refreshing to see that very Lovecraftian concept that individual people are only capable of seeing a tiny fraction of the horrors of beyond...that they're only capable of even processing that tiny fragment...and "victories"--such as they are--are small. Hell, keeping a few shreds of one's sanity are a win in the typical Lovecraft story, and that's after dealing with some very minor minion of the Great Old Ones.

Ken B. wrote: it's refreshing to see that very Lovecraftian concept that individual people are only capable of seeing a tiny fraction of the horrors of beyond...

Except there was no indication of any "horrors of beyond." Horrors of men, maybe.
I had no interest in the show until I heard there were King in Yellow references. Of course the King in Yellow had nothing to do with the story except as a stand-in for "weird cult". It could have been any everyday cult as we know them. Why include such a specific reference if you aren't going to do anything with it? Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed to realize this. Now, I didn't need monsters showing up or anything, but some small indication that there was something otherworldly out there, something beyond their/our understanding, would have made all the difference. Instead we just got some sick fucks parading around in Generic Cult X, with no indication of any greater purpose to be horrified by.
I obviously don't find the evils of men as compelling.

In summary, I felt duped into watching the show and I'm just bitter.

SuperflyTNT wrote: I'm convinced that the portal at the end of Carcosa wasn't a hallucination, but rather the drugs allowed Cohle to see underneath the real world. The things that are there that you can't simply see unless some experience unlocks that door.

I agree, Supes. Cohle had cleaned his act up and was sober when he arrived in Carcosa. If he was high on something it was done off-screen and I have no idea why they would have made such a choice. Further, Cohle actually reacted to his vision and seemed in utter shock. He never had such a reaction to ANY of his previous "visions" so I tend to agree with you on your interpretation. Something was there but it isn't explained.

SuperflyTNT wrote: My God, how the fuck will they ever equal this with Season 2?

There will be more seasons??? Oh man, no way they top this one.

Thanks to everyone here for making me aware of True Detective. I had not heard of it and decided to rent it based on all the positive discussion and I am glad I decided to do it. I don't think I would have made it past the first couple of episodes as all of Cohle's nihilism and bullshit totally turned me off, but McConaughey is a beast and sold me on his road to retribution.