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[Levi]

Wouldn't surprise me if the interrogation is off screen, and the conspirators identified and taken down early in the finale, leaving a good long stretch to wallow in the aftermath. Don't see any happy endings for Rust or Marty.

Only thing I'm sure of is of is the futility of the quest. The killings don't end just because they catch or kill the conspirators.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

2 minutes of getting info out of the sheriff, 57 minutes of wandering the insanity of Carcosa, human sacrifice, demons feasting on human flesh and revealing Marty as the Yellow King.

AM I RITE

"God damn it, Marty! I trusted you!"

At this point, Marty starts his philosophical mumbling:

"TIME IS AN ABYSS RUST, A DRAIN WE CIRCLE DOWN OVER AND OVER AGAIN. LIKE BEING TRAPPED IN THE EVENT HORIZON OF A BLACK HOLE, WE NEVER REACH THE CENTER."

 

[Alligatorjandro]

I am convinced Marty's wife is connected somehow.

 

[Cornballer]

- Rolling Stone: Matthew McConaughey on 'True Detective,' His Pal Woody, McConaissance

How does Rustin Cohle fit into the great, acclaimed work you've been doing for the last couple of years?

Oh yeah. Russtiiiinnn Cohhhhlllle. Ha ha! You know, I've been able to find such clearly identifiable characters, whether it's Mark Hanna in Wolf of Wall Street or Ron Woodruff in Dallas Buyers Club. Look at Dallas in Magic Mike and Joe in Killer Joe – these are characters with such clear obsessions. I've said this before, but that's what I've been choosing: Somebody who I could get drunk on their obsessions. Characters that live on the fringe — they're all a little bit on the outskirts of civilization. I find a certain ownership and freedom in that.

How's True Detective spinning out for you? Does it feel different than it felt when you were shooting it?

No, I'm very impressed with it. What did I know going in? I loved the writing. I read the first two episodes, and I said, "If you guys will let me be Cohle, I'm in." I was like, "Jeez, I can't wait to hear what comes out of this fucking guy's mouth on the page." Plus I was a fan of [True Detective director] Cary Fukunaga's Sin Nombre. And the fact that we'd be shooting film – boy, that really shows.

Maybe even more than in Dallas Buyers Club, your body language and your cadences feel so transformed – from the very deliberate, sober Cohle of 1995 to the shattered Cohle of 2012 and this wild, undercover narcotics officer that Cohle plays, who goes by the name "Crash."

I remember making some choices about how to play 1995 Cohle – to really underplay it and keep things boiling underneath. And I remember at about week five or six, getting a little anxious. "Wooh, do I need to do more? Do I need to do something different? Is this gonna be boring?" But I was like, "Trust the 2012 Cohle. Trust that "Crash" is coming and allow there to be a dynamic in there, McConaughey." Looking at the work now, I'm glad I didn't try to give Cohle more colors in '95.

How much Cohle is there in showrunner/creator Nic Pizzolatto, or vice versa?

Well… I don't know. Nic's not Cohle — but Nic sure as hell knows Cohle, probably the best out of all the characters. There's also parts of me in there, I think. What I love about Cohle is everything he says is true. Like it or not. He can't suffer fools, and to get through everyday life, you have to suffer fools. Cohle can't do that. No illusions. Absolutely not.

More via the link.

 

[tycoonheart]

So is one of the reasons for Rust coming back the fact that he has cancer or something?

I don't know if its cancer, but when he tells Marty he came back to solve the case it didn't sound genuine. And the reaction on Marty's face was that of someone who knew Rust wasn't telling the truth.

 

[HalfBakedProphet]

"God damn it, Marty! I trusted you!"

Marty has the Behelit and he'll attempt to sacrifice Rust and Maggie to become an Apostle.

 

[ElFly]

I feel like this was the biggest bone they throw the audience. I remember they specifically focused on Marty, that line he said, and his kids, the tiara... At the time, I figured the crown and the young innocent girls were a figurative parallel to the twisted shit in the cases. But, given how the show makes a point to not go any farfetched path, just pure simple basics. The scene seems very clear now.


Now I'm thinking there might be a scene with Marty visiting Audrey, seeing her art, noticing familiar symbolism, then losing his shit somehow. Whatever happens, I don't think it'll close on a good note for Marty with what's been shown thus far.

Gotta admit, the creepiest thing about this show is knowing this shit, and worse, happens irl.

Oh man, imagine if Marty survives the whole ordeal and emerges unsuspected of any wrong doing.

Then he visits Audrey, and turns out the boyfriend just mentioned this chapter is a Tuttle/Ledoux/Childress.

 

[The One Who Knocks]

I don't know if its cancer, but when he tells Marty he came back to solve the case it didn't sound genuine. And the reaction on Marty's face was that of someone who knew Rust wasn't telling the truth.

Actually your mention of cancer has made me curious of something, do we know what pills Marty is taking? I ask only as he jokingly mentioned cancer while describing life slipping through his fingers as the good times passed and while I don't think he was implying he had/has cancer or anything, I'm wondering if the pills were clarified.

 

[dyergram]

Cohle approached him from the side without scarring. When he turns around to look at Marty, as does Cohle, that's when we notice the scarring here:

It's only a very brief glimpse we get. We have the benefit of knowing it's a television show, and every scene, and character, is important. Considering the visit to the school was just to view around, they had a primary suspect in mind anyway, Cohle was extremely uninterested in him (Cohle rarely looked at him, he was looking at the premises), and Cohle never saw him from the angle which revealed his scarring (looking away as he turns around), all in addition to the terrible beard, I think it is very plausible that he'd miss it and not remember him, despite many of us having suspected him since his appearance and noted the parallels.



They learnt early on that scarring was a feature from I believe two sources, Theriot's camp noted that Dora was with a tall man with scars and I recall there was another source which also stated this (perhaps the spaghetti monster drawing, but I think there was something more definitive) making reference to scarring. This was further emphasized later on but scarring was a feature to note before they arrived at the school.

Also thee green ears could be ear protectors.

 

[Socreges]

Cohle approached him from the side without scarring. When he turns around to look at Marty, as does Cohle, that's when we notice the scarring here:

It's only a very brief glimpse we get. We have the benefit of knowing it's a television show, and every scene, and character, is important. Considering the visit to the school was just to view around, they had a primary suspect in mind anyway, Cohle was extremely uninterested in him (Cohle rarely looked at him, he was looking at the premises), and Cohle never saw him from the angle which revealed his scarring (looking away as he turns around), all in addition to the terrible beard, I think it is very plausible that he'd miss it and not remember him, despite many of us having suspected him since his appearance and noted the parallels.



They learnt early on that scarring was a feature from I believe two sources, Theriot's camp noted that Dora was with a tall man with scars and I recall there was another source which also stated this (perhaps the spaghetti monster drawing, I think there was something more definitive) making reference to scarring. This was further emphasized later on but scarring was a feature to note before they arrived at the school.

Right, my bad. The first part of your post, then, makes a much better case against 'If Rust is such a great detective, he should have known!'

 

[Juz]

Good episode. Shame that there's only one left.

 

[Amir0x]

I wouldn't say there's a lot of indication. She had a troubled youth but Maggie and Marty's scene seemed like more a discussion that would lead to closure on the kids than a scene that's setting us up for a big "your daughter has been involved" reveal. I'll eat my words if I'm wrong but I wouldn't expect to see Maggie or the kids outside of a funeral service or something like that, if at all.

There really is though. Nic Pizzolatto really deliberately focuses on certain story elements, it's obvious now through seven episodes. And it's not that he's hiding these "clues" - they were highlighted in several major scenes, emphasized by specific imagery relating to the crimes, and it's clear the story of what's going on with Audrey is important. For example, why would they even waste time focusing on the extremely odd way in which Audrey places her dolls (reminiscent of a certain ritual)? It's a pointless thing to even waste a second on, yet there it is. Why have an entire scene about her drawing sexualized pictures if the end result is it literally leads no where?

- Audrey has clear fast moving sexual tendencies at a young age (two boys at once)
- Audrey was drawing sexual pictures from a very young age, said her friends made her do it. (and I note upon analysis that the second drawing has a very large man with a beard or something, which could in fact be Audrey's memory of the yellow king. This is obviously just speculation and is unneeded for the larger point.)
- Audrey was arranging her dolls in a very peculiar way, reminiscent of a certain ritual
- The spiral drawing on the wall made by Audrey
- Now on meds; completely disconnected from her family. They continually make a point to show how messed up she is.
- The imagery of the crown and tassels in the tree and what happens there.
- And LukeSmith pointed out a picture of one of adult Audrey's paintings with black star imagery (although this one I admit could be a stretch).

There's no doubt something sinister has gone on with Audrey, that she's messed up from it. The only question is whether it is connected to this case, or whether the sexual abuse will be revealed to have come from an unrelated place. But given how the threads are coming together now, I have to think it ties in. They're not going to waste time in the last episode focusing on how messed up Audrey is if it's completely unrelated, simply not enough time imo.

I feel like this was the biggest bone they throw the audience. I remember they specifically focused on Marty, that line he said, and his kids, the tiara... At the time, I figured the crown and the young innocent girls were a figurative parallel to the twisted shit in the cases. But, given how the show makes a point to not go any farfetched path, just pure simple basics. The scene seems very clear now.


Now I'm thinking there might be a scene with Marty visiting Audrey, seeing her art, noticing familiar symbolism, then losing his shit somehow. Whatever happens, I don't think it'll close on a good note for Marty with what's been shown thus far.

Gotta admit, the creepiest thing about this show is knowing this shit, and worse, happens irl.

It might be the Yellow King taunts Marty with the knowledge of what he did to his daughter, or one of his relatives. That would be a supremely fucked up way to get into his head.

 

[DietRob]

I haven't posted much in here but I did want to pop in and say I've really enjoyed reading the theories and discussion here. Watching the show then lurking around in here to read the discussion each episode evokes is very thought provoking.

Thanks all. It's been a fun ride. This is definitely a show that screams for me to buy the blu ray set that will hopefully have commentary.

 

[Jarnet87]

From episode 3 when they are at the church tent the two women tell Marty about the tall man with shiny skin near his jaw, I guess Marty tells Rust and he says they should keep on about the Tall Man.

Watching the two lawnmower scenes he does seem to talk a bit different in the first one.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

There really is though. Nic Pizzolatto really deliberately focuses on certain story elements, it's obvious now through seven episodes. And it's not that he's hiding these "clues" - they were highlighted in several major scenes, emphasized by specific imagery relating to the crimes, and it's clear the story of what's going on with Audrey is important. For example, why would they even waste time focusing on the extremely odd way in which Audrey places her dolls (reminiscent of a certain ritual)? It's a pointless thing to even waste a second on, yet there it is. Why have an entire scene about her drawing sexualized pictures if the end result is it literally leads no where?

- Audrey has clear fast moving sexual tendencies at a young age (two boys at once)
- Audrey was drawing sexual pictures from a very young age, said her friends made her do it. (and I note upon analysis that the second drawing has a very large man with a beard or something, which could in fact be Audrey's memory of the yellow king. This is obviously just speculation and is unneeded for the larger point.)
- Audrey was arranging her dolls in a very peculiar way, reminiscent of a certain ritual
- The spiral drawing on the wall made by Audrey
- Now on meds; completely disconnected from her family. They continually make a point to show how messed up she is.
- The imagery of the crown and tassels in the tree and what happens there.
- And LukeSmith pointed out a picture of one of adult Audrey's paintings with black star imagery (although this one I admit could be a stretch).

There's no doubt something sinister has gone on with Audrey, that she's messed up from it. The only question is whether it is connected to this case, or whether the sexual abuse will be revealed to have come from an unrelated place. But given how the threads are coming together now, I have to think it ties in. They're not going to waste time in the last episode focusing on how messed up Audrey is if it's completely unrelated, simply not enough time imo.



It might be the Yellow King taunts Marty with the knowledge of what he did to his daughter, or one of his relatives. That would be a supremely fucked up way to get into his head.

Good way to get his head blown off maybe.

 

[oatmeal]

SPOILER ALERT

The Yellow King:

 

[Amir0x]

Good way to get his head blown off maybe.

Yes obviously! But also a good way to send Marty to his own personal "hell" before the end! Might be the nuclear option if he thinks he has no way out

 

[ZQQLANDER]

Initially I thought this would be an interesting show as "filler" before Game of Thrones. Now I'm looking at Game of Thrones being filler until TD season 2

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Yes obviously! But also a good way to send Marty to his own personal "hell" before the end! Might be the nuclear option if he thinks he has no way out

OH MY GOD.

IN 1995, CRASH THREATENS TO NUKE SOMEBODY DURING THE RAID.

NUCLEAR OPTION.

THE YELLOW KING IS ROBERT OPPENHEIMER.

IT'S ALL FALLING INTO PLACE.

But in all seriousness, you raise a good point. The Yellow King, Tuttle, whoever, could obviously try to fuck with Marty so that he doesn't have to be exposed or he can quickly just die...

But I think they'll break out of the 'time is a flat circle' thing. This entire time, Rust has been yammering on about futility and time, but I think ultimately, this story will be the antithesis. Everything repeats over and over again until you make it stop. Maybe Rust and Marty make it stop. At least, for themselves.

You can't stop all evil... but maybe you can put some of it down. And that might be good enough for them.

The bros are back together again though. Man, I hope this doesn't end like Butch Cassidy and Sundance.

 

[TTG]

There really is though. Nic Pizzolatto really deliberately focuses on certain story elements, it's obvious now through seven episodes. And it's not that he's hiding these "clues" - they were highlighted in several major scenes, emphasized by specific imagery relating to the crimes, and it's clear the story of what's going on with Audrey is important. For example, why would they even waste time focusing on the extremely odd way in which Audrey places her dolls (reminiscent of a certain ritual)? It's a pointless thing to even waste a second on, yet there it is. Why have an entire scene about her drawing sexualized pictures if the end result is it literally leads no where?

- Audrey has clear fast moving sexual tendencies at a young age (two boys at once)
- Audrey was drawing sexual pictures from a very young age, said her friends made her do it. (and I note upon analysis that the second drawing has a very large man with a beard or something, which could in fact be Audrey's memory of the yellow king. This is obviously just speculation and is unneeded for the larger point.)
- Audrey was arranging her dolls in a very peculiar way, reminiscent of a certain ritual
- The spiral drawing on the wall made by Audrey
- Now on meds; completely disconnected from her family. They continually make a point to show how messed up she is.
- The imagery of the crown and tassels in the tree and what happens there.
- And LukeSmith pointed out a picture of one of adult Audrey's paintings with black star imagery (although this one I admit could be a stretch).

There's no doubt something sinister has gone on with Audrey, that she's messed up from it. The only question is whether it is connected to this case, or whether the sexual abuse will be revealed to have come from an unrelated place. But given how the threads are coming together now, I have to think it ties in. They're not going to waste time in the last episode focusing on how messed up Audrey is if it's completely unrelated, simply not enough time imo.



It might be the Yellow King taunts Marty with the knowledge of what he did to his daughter, or one of his relatives. That would be a supremely fucked up way to get into his head.

You're really not letting go of this daughter stuff until the last minute of the season, are you? It always seemed too cheap and ham fisted to involve Marty's family, that's one and the most important. Two, don't you think that with a responsible mother(and father, somewhat) along with Rust's investigation into the schools etc., someone would have made the connection by now? If there was ever a time to do it, it would have been last week. Third and lastly, I don't see this show as being one of those Assassin's Creed let's take some screencaps and dissect everything until we can draw some absurd conclusions type of deal.

 

[Moff]

You're really not letting go of this daughter stuff until the last minute of the season, are you? It always seemed too cheap and ham fisted to involve Marty's family, that's one and the most important. Two, don't you think that with a responsible mother(and father, somewhat) along with Rust's investigation into the schools etc., someone would have made the connection by now? If there was ever a time to do it, it would have been last week. Third and lastly, I don't see this show as being one of those Assassin's Creed let's take some screencaps and dissect everything until we can draw some absurd conclusions type of deal.

what? there is no way that barbie scene didnt have anything to do with the cult.

and its true that someone would have made the connection by now, thats why some people think that marty and/or his wife are somehow connected to the cult, not necessarily involved, but somehow connected.
marty said several times in the past episodes that "things were right under his nose", foreshadowing that he literally raised one of the victims himself, never realizing it.

I'm very sure audrey will play some role in the finale.

 

[Dresden]

I hope she doesn't appear in the finale. Intimations of victims they'll never uncover, sure, but tying it explicitly to Marty's failure as a father feels too dramatic for me. Some plot points should stay buried, or just hinted at.

 

[PBY]

I hope she doesn't appear in the finale. Intimations of victims they'll never uncover, sure, but tying it explicitly to Marty's failure as a father feels too dramatic for me. Some plot points should stay buried, or just hinted at.

Agreed.

 

[Amir0x]

You're really not letting go of this daughter stuff until the last minute of the season, are you? It always seemed too cheap and ham fisted to involve Marty's family, that's one and the most important. Two, don't you think that with a responsible mother(and father, somewhat) along with Rust's investigation into the schools etc., someone would have made the connection by now? If there was ever a time to do it, it would have been last week. Third and lastly, I don't see this show as being one of those Assassin's Creed let's take some screencaps and dissect everything until we can draw some absurd conclusions type of deal.

It's nothing to let go of. The show has clearly focused on it, the family drama will return in the final episode, and this show has demonstrated time and time again it is not out to fool or trick anybody - so one can take these many many quite clear scenes as proof they want people to remember it for some reason.

Do you really think they went through the trouble of establishing this pattern of strange behavior and problems with Audrey only for it to be just some random teenage rebellion with no connection to anything? It's a honest question. Whether or not people think it's a "good outcome" for the story or that it's a good direction is beside the point, and one I would not argue either way. I merely think it IS a direction that is happening. This is not the same as thinking Marty or Rust were the killers, ideas that make no sense in the context of the show. This makes perfect sense within the context of the show and even the poem.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

It's nothing to let go of. The show has clearly focused on it, the family drama will return in the final episode, and this show has demonstrated time and time again it is not out to fool or trick anybody - so one can take these many many quite clear scenes as proof they want people to remember it for some reason.

Do you really think they went through the trouble of establishing this pattern of strange behavior and problems with Audrey only for it to be just some random teenage rebellion with no connection to anything? It's a honest question. Whether or not people think it's a "good outcome" for the story or that it's a good direction is beside the point, and one I would not argue either way. I merely think it IS a direction that is happening. This is not the same as thinking Marty or Rust were the killers, ideas that make no sense in the context of the show. This makes perfect sense within the context of the show and even the poem.

Yes I think they would. No connection at all is totally possible.

 

[Amir0x]

Yes I think they would. No connection at all is totally possible.

Well, we'll see this Sunday won't we? I will just say I don't know why anyone would think this given how the show has gone. Nearly every single story element can be traced to deliberate foundation laying.

Edit: I'd also love to be wrong. I'd love to be 'surprised' by an outcome, because the show is so good, but I also can predict a lot of the stuff in advance. Which is fine, not every show needs to be surprising - True Detective is superlative without dramatic twists every second. But it would be a nice change of pace to really be surprised by something. It would surprise me if they don't touch the Audrey situation again and tie it in in some way.

 

[HalfBakedProphet]

I hope she doesn't appear in the finale. Intimations of victims they'll never uncover, sure, but tying it explicitly to Marty's failure as a father feels too dramatic for me. Some plot points should stay buried, or just hinted at.

depends on how it is handled. It could easy drift into heavy-handed terriorty if it isn't dealt with carefully, for sure

 

[Extra Sauce]

Initially I thought this would be an interesting show as "filler" before Game of Thrones. Now I'm looking at Game of Thrones being filler until TD season 2

And to think AMC seemed primed to steal the crown away from HBO just a few years ago...

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Well, we'll see this Sunday won't we? I will just say I don't know why anyone would think this given how the show has gone. Nearly every single story element can be traced to deliberate foundation laying.

Edit: I'd also love to be wrong. I'd love to be 'surprised' by an outcome, because the show is so good, but I also can predict a lot of the stuff in advance. Which is fine, not every show needs to be surprising - True Detective is superlative without dramatic twists every second. But it would be a nice change of pace to really be surprised by something. It would surprise me if they don't touch the Audrey situation again and tie it in in some way.

Remember how the father in law was supposed to be all involved? What happened there?

 

[Grimsen]

The whole Audrey thing could come from the sexual abuse being some kind of urban legend going around schoolyards. She could have heard that shit from anyone.

 

[aFIGurANT]

Well, we'll see this Sunday won't we? I will just say I don't know why anyone would think this given how the show has gone. Nearly every single story element can be traced to deliberate foundation laying.

I give you the Mardi Gras setup of her dolls but otherwise she's just a kid from the suburbs who is both rebelling and part of a messed up, breaking home. The sexual drawings/problems are probably fairly common when girls are starting to hit puberty and talk to their friends about what their parents told them about sex. The spirals in the drawing are compelling but are so far into Lost territory that I don't think it fits the show's aims at all. That goes for most of your bulleted list really. There's maybe something there but it's not supposed to mean much more than that the show has brilliant visual design that incorporates motifs across the season.

I'm willing to accept that maybe the final scene is a triumphant Marty visiting Audrey and then seeing her sketchbook full of the terrible shit he's just been fighting in Carcosa (or whatever we're calling the final act) but it will only serve to further the theme that evil never goes away. I feel like you're suggesting that Audrey is going to be sitting waiting for Rust and Cohle in the

Spoiler

hellhole we see in the preview

.

We will indeed see on Sunday if there's a part for Audrey still to play but I think it's very minor versus the grand setup that you're insinuating. For that matter what role do you think Audrey is supposed to play if she really was targeted by the Tuttles and co.?

 

[ZQQLANDER]

And to think AMC seemed primed to steal the crown away from HBO just a few years ago...

HBO raised the bar with True Detective. Hopefully this is an indication of their ability to grab big name actors on a regular basis for future drama series.

 

[Incandenza]

"I don't think I've been very clear with you, Rust. If you were drowning, I'd throw you a fuckin' barbell."

 

[Devolution]

I hope she doesn't appear in the finale. Intimations of victims they'll never uncover, sure, but tying it explicitly to Marty's failure as a father feels too dramatic for me. Some plot points should stay buried, or just hinted at.

True BUT there is that bit of drawing people having sex that was never tied up. Just where did she get that from?

 

[Sadist]

Fantastic episode again. Next week will be great and sucks

 

[Devolution]

There's also that weird scene of the princess crown or streamers stuck in the tree so that it looks like it's got "antlers" if I'm remembering correctly. There's a bunch of clues and imagery around her. I am not certain what it means but it's there.

 

[TTG]

It's nothing to let go of. The show has clearly focused on it, the family drama will return in the final episode, and this show has demonstrated time and time again it is not out to fool or trick anybody - so one can take these many many quite clear scenes as proof they want people to remember it for some reason.

Do you really think they went through the trouble of establishing this pattern of strange behavior and problems with Audrey only for it to be just some random teenage rebellion with no connection to anything? It's a honest question. Whether or not people think it's a "good outcome" for the story or that it's a good direction is beside the point, and one I would not argue either way. I merely think it IS a direction that is happening. This is not the same as thinking Marty or Rust were the killers, ideas that make no sense in the context of the show. This makes perfect sense within the context of the show and even the poem.

There's a connection, no doubt. The connection is to Marty's character, his "inattention"(his word right) isn't just undermining his marriage. That coupled with the way he blows up, maybe rightly so, at child/adolescent abuse or any women in his life that he deems promiscuous builds a pattern. It also furthers his own turmoil as he's obviously sleeping with young women as this is going on, some might say it's connected. Shit culminates when Marty slaps his daughter, severing his ties to the family in a way besides the infidelity. The scene when he's trying to watch tv and there is obvious tension with his daughters further illustrates the point.

His family life is written well, but to no greater conspiratorial purpose. Of course, it's clearly part of the tone of the show to keep the viewer doubting the whole picture, but don't get carried away.

 

[HalfBakedProphet]

By the way, I LOVED the one line from Marty...

'It’s like you told yourself this story and kept drinking until you believed it”.

Its like he was speaking directly to the wackos coming up with inane theories on the internet.

True BUT there is that bit of drawing people having sex that was never tied up. Just where did she get that from?

Marty's daughters arranging the Barbie dolls just like the ritual in the video Rust found is the biggest question mark in my mind.

 

[Devolution]

There's a connection, no doubt. The connection is to Marty's character, his "inattention"(his word right) isn't just undermining his marriage. That coupled with the way he blows up, maybe rightly so, at child/adolescent abuse or any women in his life that he deems promiscuous builds a pattern. It also furthers his own turmoil as he's obviously sleeping with young women as this is going on, some might say it's connected. Shit culminates when Marty slaps his daughter, severing his ties to the family in a way besides the infidelity. The scene when he's trying to watch tv and there is obvious tension with his daughters further illustrates the point.

His family life is written well, but to no greater conspiratorial purpose. Of course, it's clearly part of the tone of the show to keep the viewer doubting the whole picture, but don't get carried away.

It could be as simple as an allusion to the family lives of the victims and how easy it was for them to fall into "bad things." We never get to see what kind of family life they actually endured just the end result.

Marty's daughters arranging the Barbie dolls just like the ritual in the video Rust found is the biggest question mark in my mind.

This too. Of course they could have also learned these things from another child being groomed and had Marty been more attentive, might have found a victim in the making.

 

[Salsa]

I hope she doesn't appear in the finale. Intimations of victims they'll never uncover, sure, but tying it explicitly to Marty's failure as a father feels too dramatic for me. Some plot points should stay buried, or just hinted at.

yup

I trust the show so far in that it doesnt go places other people behind it would have certainly taken it, but who knows. That'd certainly be too overdramatic for me

 

[Tugatrix]

Amazing episode, shame only one episode left.

That tape really freak me out, never happened to me before see a piece of fiction able to genuinely mess with me

 

[Dresden]

True BUT there is that bit of drawing people having sex that was never tied up. Just where did she get that from?

I think it's pretty likely that something happened to the daughter, but I just don't like the idea of it being tossed in Marty's face at the end. I'd be fine with Marty acknowledging a fear of it having happened - there's a sense that he's starting to connect the dots when he meets Maggie again - but I don't think it needs to be explicitly confirmed.

 

[Devolution]

I think it's pretty likely that something happened to the daughter, but I just don't like the idea of it being tossed in Marty's face at the end. I'd be fine with Marty acknowledging a fear of it having happened - there's a sense that he's starting to connect the dots when he meets Maggie again - but having her actually show up, or seeing a picture of her being abused? I don't think it needs to be explicitly confirmed like that.

Oh then I understand. Yeah. I think it was as confirmed as it's going to be when the whole on meds, good boyfriend, selling work conversation occurred. The gears should be turning in his head after he saw the vid knowing what his kid drew and the figurine model she set up.

 

[TTG]

There's also that weird scene of the princess crown or streamers stuck in the tree so that it looks like it's got "antlers" if I'm remembering correctly. There's a bunch of clues and imagery around her. I am not certain what it means but it's there.

If I remember correctly, the driving purpose of that shot is to illustrate time passing. The two children are playing, well one is teasing the other, the tiara gets stuck in the tree and as the camera pans down we see them in cheerleader outfits and finally the older daughter getting out of a truck with the sound of empty cans/bottles portending some wayward young adulthood for the older girl.

Again, plenty of imagery throughout, but not an allusion to the cult.

 

[aFIGurANT]

Amazing episode, shame only one episode left.

That tape really freak me out, never happened to me before see a piece of fiction able to genuinely mess with me

Do NOT watch the horror film Sinister then. If it wasn't for that show the tape would have been more disturbing for me than it was. I liked how small and grainy the thing was though, it had a very creepy presentation.

 

[Sketch_Turntable]

HBO raised the bar with True Detective. Hopefully this is an indication of their ability to grab big name actors on a regular basis for future drama series.

I bet there is a long list of females just waiting for the call to star in Season 2 (assuming the 2 female rumor is true). Hell, they probably already received several calls from agents saying their clients are interested.



Anyways, I was playing on my iPad during this last episode and got super confused as to who was who and all the names they were referring to...

 

[Coffee Dog]

I would prefer it if there was an implication and a certain level of ambiguity over marty's daughter being a target, and have the viewer and marty connect those dots and providing a sense of dread, but I think having the show go YOUR DAUGHTER WAS RAPED MARTY would be a bit too hamfisted for the type of show this is trying to be.

edit:

I think it's pretty likely that something happened to the daughter, but I just don't like the idea of it being tossed in Marty's face at the end. I'd be fine with Marty acknowledging a fear of it having happened - there's a sense that he's starting to connect the dots when he meets Maggie again - but I don't think it needs to be explicitly confirmed.

basically this.

 

[Devolution]

If I remember correctly, the driving purpose of that shot is to illustrate time passing. The two children are playing, well one is teasing the other, the tiara gets stuck in the tree and as the camera pans down we see them in cheerleader outfits and finally the older daughter getting out of a truck with the sound of empty cans/bottles portending some wayward young adulthood for the older girl.

Again, plenty of imagery throughout, but not an allusion to the cult.

They could have illustrated time passing in any number of ways. Simply put there's a lot of cult imagery surrounding her or she even alludes to it herself with the drawings, the dolls, trying to work it out with two boys at once.

I don't think the show will come out and say "she was a victim" but the message about parental neglect feeding the machine is there.

 

[lamaroo]

I think the cult definitely established itself at Audrey's school, but I have my doubts she was abused herself. I think knowing these sick fucks were in anyway involved with his children's school would be enough to send him over the edge.

There is no happy ending regardless imo. Marty and/or Cohle are definitely killing somebody because there's no way they'll get them all arrested.

 

[Moff]

I think it's pretty likely that something happened to the daughter, but I just don't like the idea of it being tossed in Marty's face at the end. I'd be fine with Marty acknowledging a fear of it having happened - there's a sense that he's starting to connect the dots when he meets Maggie again - but I don't think it needs to be explicitly confirmed.

well this brings us back to the question if the parents really dont know what happened to audrey, even if they didnt realize it had something to do with a cult. or does just the audience not know what happened?
marty showed quite an overreaction when he saw the kids at reggies house and shot him. am I the only one who felt that was an overreaction? it was the first time he ever used a gun. the reaction would make perfect sense if one of his one kids was the victim of abuse.