Long regarded as one of the best single seasons of "peak TV" ever created, I missed this back in 2014 and only now circled back to it 10 years later. For lovers of airtight mystery/thriller plotting this first True Detective season might leave a little to be desired. But make no mistake--this is character work of the highest prestige TV drama order.
For a very basic overview, True Detective season one focuses on detectives Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) & Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) investigating a string of sadistic murders in the Louisiana bayou. Armed with two polar opposite police-work styles and personalities, Rust & Marty must form an uneasy alliance while simultaneously dealing with the stress the job puts on their personal lives.
In terms of characters, TD S1 is a treatise in quirkiness and rapport. It's fitting this came out the same year The Leftovers also premiered on HBO, as TD rivals that series strictly in the character-development department. McConaughey's Rust is the biggest enigma--the actor absolutely melts into the role and, though spouting what sometimes seems like philosophical gibberish, is on the mark more than off of it. Meanwhile, Marty is more the "everyman" cop with a by-the-book approach and nuclear family waiting at home--yet, it quickly becomes clear that his demons rival (if not perhaps surpass) those harbored by Rust. The conversations and just general interactions between the two are the engine powering this whole endeavor.
It helps, of course, to have two established acting stars in the lead--and then they are surrounded by the likes of Michelle Monaghan, Alexandra Daddario, and Kevin Dunn (to name just a few). A truly loaded cast that raises the overall quality of the material even if/when the "cop stuff" sags.
To that end, I do also think that S1 isn't necessarily the most well-plotted detective mystery--hence the 8/10 rating rather than higher. Even as a pretty detail-oriented viewer, I often found myself a little befuddled at all the names and details in the actual investigative work. I think this is a show that sometimes uses intensity to paper over some plot convolution. Some will enjoy this, others (like myself) may not.
Overall, though, S1 of True Detective is worth the price of admission for the McConaughey & Harrelson performances alone. I enjoyed the heavy character beats/themes even if just barely keeping up with the investigations they are pursuing.
For a very basic overview, True Detective season one focuses on detectives Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson) & Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) investigating a string of sadistic murders in the Louisiana bayou. Armed with two polar opposite police-work styles and personalities, Rust & Marty must form an uneasy alliance while simultaneously dealing with the stress the job puts on their personal lives.
In terms of characters, TD S1 is a treatise in quirkiness and rapport. It's fitting this came out the same year The Leftovers also premiered on HBO, as TD rivals that series strictly in the character-development department. McConaughey's Rust is the biggest enigma--the actor absolutely melts into the role and, though spouting what sometimes seems like philosophical gibberish, is on the mark more than off of it. Meanwhile, Marty is more the "everyman" cop with a by-the-book approach and nuclear family waiting at home--yet, it quickly becomes clear that his demons rival (if not perhaps surpass) those harbored by Rust. The conversations and just general interactions between the two are the engine powering this whole endeavor.
It helps, of course, to have two established acting stars in the lead--and then they are surrounded by the likes of Michelle Monaghan, Alexandra Daddario, and Kevin Dunn (to name just a few). A truly loaded cast that raises the overall quality of the material even if/when the "cop stuff" sags.
To that end, I do also think that S1 isn't necessarily the most well-plotted detective mystery--hence the 8/10 rating rather than higher. Even as a pretty detail-oriented viewer, I often found myself a little befuddled at all the names and details in the actual investigative work. I think this is a show that sometimes uses intensity to paper over some plot convolution. Some will enjoy this, others (like myself) may not.
Overall, though, S1 of True Detective is worth the price of admission for the McConaughey & Harrelson performances alone. I enjoyed the heavy character beats/themes even if just barely keeping up with the investigations they are pursuing.