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[Cornballer]

Content Roundup - Episode 8 - Form and Void

Reviews:

- Sepinwall's review
- IGN review
- MTV review
- The New Republic
- NY Times on the finale, One more from the NY Times
- Rolling Stone review
- Onion A|V Club review
- Poniewozik
- NY Mag
- Slate.com
- Alyssa Rosenberg for the Washington Post
- Maureen Ryan
- Nola.com
- IndieWire
- EW
- Newsday
- Paste Magazine
- TV Overmind
- CraveOnline
- Daily Best
- The Atlantic
- SJ Mercury News
- Zap2It
- Variety, Variety #2
- The Wire
- Warming Glow
- Think Progress
- NPR review
- Collider
- Matt Zoller Seitz with a long look at TD: The 7 Things That True Detective Was About
- Emily Nussbaum
- Andy Greenwald and other Grantland writers on the finale
- Tim Goodman for THR on the finale
- LA Review of Books on the finale​

Videos

- Inside the Episode (youtube)
- The Altar
- Episode clip: "I am not ashamed"
- Episode clip: "This is the place"
- Closing credits song: "The Angry River" - The Hat, Father John Misty, & S. I. Istwa​

Other

- Sepinwall Interview: 'True Detective' creator Nic Pizzolatto looks back on season 1
- HBO episode synopsis
- Final lines from the show:

"You're looking at it wrong, the sky thing. "
"How's that?"
"Well, once there was only dark. If you ask me the light is winning.”

- GIFs from Warming Glow
- GIFs from NY Mag
- Slate.com: Here Is Rust’s Final Speech From True Detective (transcription of the final scene)
- A few promo pics and other content from the darknessbecomesyou website
- Closing credits song: "The Angry River" - The Hat, Father John Misty, & S. I. Istwa (available on iTunes)
- Variety: True Detective Finale Overwhelms HBO Go
- Daily Beast: True Detective’s Red Herring: Actress Erin Moriarty, Who Plays Marty’s Daughter, Tells All
- IndieWire: Say Goodbye To 'True Detective' With All The Music From The Series
- Rolling Stone: 5 Things We Learned From 'True Detective'

Gifs:

- Onion A|V Club's "For our consideration" feature: Into the void: True Detective’s (completely necessary) ridiculousness
- Film Critic Hulk on True Detective
- NY Mag: Was There a Hidden Comic Book Homage in the True Detective Finale?
- NY Mag Interview: True Detective’s Glenn Fleshler on Playing Lawn-Mowing Monster Errol Childress
- NY Mag: True Detective’s Production Designer on the Finale’s Mazelike Fort
- NY Mag: True Detective Director Cary Fukunaga on the Season-1 Finale and Why So Many ‘Clues’ Aren’t Addressed
- Slate: Interview with the TD costume designer Jenny Eagan
- Variety: ‘True Detective’: Where Things Stand with Season 2​

 

[big ander]

I agree with people that Fukunaga made the show look great, but I'm not as willing to hop onboard his hype train. I know some love Sin nombre, but...it's a below average movie with plenty of bad writing and strained relationships. I've heard his Jane Eyre is good, so maybe he just can't write stuff himself.

It's not about change so much as the abruptness of it. Yes, he had a near death experience. But this is a guy who literally lived on the edge of life for years as a undercover. At any moment his life could have been forfeit: he even once joked how the stakes were lower now since he'd just get a bullet to the head, not tortured.

Every single moment of Rust's character had to that moment been about his nihilistic philosophy, every element of his life leading to inform that moment. It wasn't just the death of his kid, but the crimes he saw, the predictable pattern of human behavior. It goes to the very basics of what he felt humanity was all about. To have an incredibly convenient near death experience where he feels his families presence (whatever it was), and then to have his view of the world change so profoundly due to it just didn't gel whatsoever with whom I had grown to know. It didn't seem to make sense that this is the conclusion he would arrive at. I felt it was the wrong thing to do.

If I felt there was a series of actions that naturally led to his growing into this change, I would have more readily accepted it. I just did not think given what they had just experienced that Rust would so easily cast his cynicism aside. It didn't feel natural.

None of the crimes he'd seen to that point had been as atrocious, though. An unwatchable tape, a land of horror hidden in the bayou, a man so demented by his beliefs and his ancestors that he's become inhuman. Rust saw pure darkness in all that, purer than he'd ever seen before despite all his waxing on the evil nature of man.

And then, after facing it: he tried to die. People have brought that up but I haven't seen much focus on it and I think it's important. A guy like Rust would only let the knife run up him and then pull it out when it's all over if he wanted to die. He knows better. Instead he throws himself into the void, almost in confirmation of his beliefs, only to find that the world doesn't work quite the way he thought it did. That's why it makes so much sense to me, because he set out to confirm his worldview and discovered it was slightly off: a flare in the sky over Carcosa, light penetrating what should be the center of darkness. Rust's a smart man, and seeing that evil isn't as unbeatable as he thought would definitely spur a change in philosophy.

 

[DarkJediKnight]

A 20 year investigation finally cracked by some insane assumption that a person would paint their ears while painting a house. Oh well. Whatever.

That to me made no sense.

I would have bought the story of freshly cut grass getting stuck on his hat and face or something.

The whole paint theory makes no sense.

 

[Carbonox]

:lol

Man, now Hannibal's flying solo where my TV viewing is concerned. True Detective is over and I have no idea what to watch now because I'm going to end up - whether I like it or not - hold crime dramas/thrillers against these shows. I know full well I shouldn't and would be make every effort to separate them in my mind. Might be wise to hold off on starting something new for a bit in that case...

I can't be bothered to catch up on Boardwalk Empire season 4 (first few episodes left a bad, dull taste in my mouth) and Person of Interest was equally starting to dull out for me after the first few episodes of season 3 (I loved seasons 1 and 2 but these types of 20+ episode season-based shows really take their toll on me to the point where I phase out).

 

[Amir0x]

Rust went into this thinking that death was the solution to his pointless existence. He truly believed that what was at the end of this case, was his death. He welcomed it, and expected it. As he was literally dying and slipping out of consciousness, the things he repressed (such as how hurt he was over his daughters death, his repression of how much he loved her, how much she loved him), Rust was able to finally let go and accept that despite his world views, life did have meaning for him because of these experiences.

I don't really see why that's so far fetched, or abrupt. Rust could still accept there is no afterlife. No God. No real point to existence. But I don't see why he can't believe in these things, and also hold on to these experiences, and personally feel it gives him meaning.

Even the near death experience itself was a contrivance I found hard to believe. It's one of those typically convenient things television and movies love to do to give people happier endings. So even if I accepted the result was natural (and respecting people's various thoughts on the matter, I still would disagree), I wouldn't accept that it was a well written conclusion because it felt like they were conveniently guiding the pieces in place so he could have that revelation.

Anyway, that's my take on it. Fun first season, glad I watched it. Hope next season has a better final act

 

[-griffy-]

There it is. Nice work.

Also, while we're on the subject of Hannibal/True Detective. Was at my mom's last night post-episode, and she was watching The Following. That show is like a fucking joke now after these two shows. There was some cult/worship stuff going on and it was laughably bad.

 

[big ander]

Anyone thought the final episode turned into a cliched suspense/mystery show?

True Detective was littered with cliche from the very first episode, if you didn't catch it until the eighth you missed how the show tried to work as metafiction. "It's just one story."

 

[thecouncil]

That to me made no sense.

I would have bought the story of freshly cut grass getting stuck on his hat and face or something.

The whole paint theory makes no sense.

I think it would've been better if it was presented as a "this is a shot in the dark" but it was instead presented as an "of course!"

 

[kingocfs]

That to me made no sense.

I would have bought the story of freshly cut grass getting stuck on his hat and face or something.

The whole paint theory makes no sense.

It adds up, but the lightbulb moment could have been set up better for sure.

 

[trab pu kcip]

I think it would've been better if it was presented as a "this is a shot in the dark" but it was instead presented as an "of course!"

to be fair a lot of stuff was based on premonition, like rust just knowing "this is the place" and shit. it's a bit weird in this case but I can live with it.

 

[kmax]

About the whole Rust thing, I think a part of him died after his daughter passed, and he regained some of it when he had that moment. A sort of epiphany, if you will. I think it fits well with the whole
rebirth element that has been prevalent throughout the show. He returned to the man he once was, by finding meaning where there was none to be found. Death was the only thing that gave him meaning before, and once he embraced it in the end, he found light.

I thought that moment was poetically beautiful.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Time is a flat circle...

NO IT'S NOT.

 

[UrbanRats]

In the end the finale didn't change the opinion i've held for most of the show.

Good show, not great.
The clash of self importance with the goofy ass cliches and (some of the) writing really didn't click with me, and this final episode consolidated that feeling.

Not sure if i'm gonna tune in for a second season, but given the change of cast and setting, it's a 50/50 as of now.
The cast was actually (or should i say Mcconaughey) what kept me interested for 8 episodes, so anything less could really be a deal breaker, provided all the other elements stay on the same level.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

A 20 year investigation finally cracked by some insane assumption that a person would paint their ears while painting a house. Oh well. Whatever.

That to me made no sense.

I would have bought the story of freshly cut grass getting stuck on his hat and face or something.

The whole paint theory makes no sense.

Lol, when you paint a house it gets everywhere. It's believable. Also, since when is a little kid a reliable narrator. She also said spaghetti man, but people seem willing to believe that more readily than the green ears part.

 

[plasmawave]

True Detective was littered with cliche from the very first episode, if you didn't catch it until the eighth you missed how the show tried to work as metafiction. "It's just one story."

I certainly didn't think the rest of the show was cliched till the last episode.

 

[-griffy-]

to be fair a lot of stuff was based on premonition, like rust just knowing "this is the place" and shit. it's a bit weird in this case but I can live with it.

That seemed a little more than premonition. Here's a very secluded residence (connected through evidence and testimonial to what they are investigating), in the middle of nowhere, a sprawling property with multiple buildings off the main house. It's the perfect location and setup for naughty things. It screamed "bad shit goes down here."

 

[UrbanRats]

Time is a flat circle...

NO IT'S NOT.

Taking the ramblings of a crazxy person as real, bet you feel like a fool now, eh?!

 

[plasmawave]

Lol, when you paint a house it gets everywhere. It's believable. Also, since when is a little kid a reliable narrator. She also said spaghetti man, but people seem willing to believe that more readily than the green ears part.

I've painted my house many times and never had painted ears.
Especially with a paint roller.

 

[patapuf]

I really liked Marty's resolution, the scenes at the hospital concluded his arc well.

I'm not sure i enjoyed rusts as much. I am aware that his cynisism was a defence mechanism mostly so he did not have to confront feelings about his lost daughter and other horrible experiences he had. However that the trigger to change his mind is simply a near death experience seems too neat somehow.

Marty broke down in front of his family, showing the weakness and dependence he was always denying, most of all to himself. I would have liked Rust epiphany to be a bit more elaborate than being stabbed. Instead, we get to see (or rather hear) it after the fact.

I wish they would have found a way to show Rusts change of mind without needing to explain for 2 minutes that it happend.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

I've painted my house many times and never had painted ears.
Especially with a paint roller.

Lol, that doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to see it happening to somebody else.

 

[not psycho]

Even the near death experience itself was a contrivance I found hard to believe. It's one of those typically convenient things television and movies love to do to give people happier endings. So even if I accepted the result was natural (and respecting people's various thoughts on the matter, I still would disagree), I wouldn't accept that it was a well written conclusion because it felt like they were conveniently guiding the pieces in place so he could have that revelation.

I disagree that it was a "contrivance" because Rust was planning on dying. Otherwise it would have been a coincidence, but he had already essentially said he was going to die (and helped it along by pulling out the knife). Also, while he had previous brushes with death, we don't know that he actually planned on dying in any of them like this time.

And I don't know why you are so convinced about how big of a revelation it was. I thought part of the reason he said what he said at the end was for Marty's benefit (tying in to all the times Mary asked him to stop talking the way he did). That's a change, but not as big a change as some are taking it. And part of it was because he is, and always was, human.

The way I see it, Rust never placed himself above humans. He never considered himself immune to desire or pain. His philosophy was never based on any "code" where he thought it was important or meaningful to believe or say what he did. So I don't see any reason at all that he would dismiss such a powerful experience, nor do I see any reason that the love of his daughter would not be powerful for him. I do think he would be able to see it for what it was, but that is a totally different issue. He can see it for what it is but not feel compelled (for some mysterious reason?) to ignore it.

 

[Death Row]

The best TV show of the last few years. Terrific.

 

[UrbanRats]

I certainly didn't think the rest of the show was cliched till the last episode.

Really? You can say it played a bit with them, but it certainly was.
From the odd pair of detectives, to the pedo/satanic church men.

 

[Soyongdori]

So what exactly does black star represent? It seems like Rust wasn't the only one who witnessed this in carcosa. Both Ledoux and Error knew about this as well.

 

[trab pu kcip]

one more thing: the jesus reflection, you guys saw that too right

 

[Plywood]

omg

I love this.

 

[AkuMifune]

one more thing: the jesus reflection, you guys saw that too right

I've been looking for a screen to grab all day to bring it up.

The imagery bothered me a bit, but have no idea what they were trying to say. Maybe just an ironic reflection, maybe forcing him to think about it.

Or, here's a good one...Rust said before he liked to contemplate letting yourself be crucified, and that's kind of what he let Errol do to him, then he became cleansed....

 

[Sadist]

Fantastic epsisode. Fantastic series.

Will be back for season 2.

 

[lamaroo]

Who says his ears were completely painted green?

This came from a kid's mouth, who described him as having a spaghetti face, a little bit of paint on an ear or two could have stuck in the child's memory as more prominent than it really was.

 

[TheOddOne]

Uhhuh.

 

[Death Row]

Fantastic epsisode. Fantastic series.

Will be back for season 2.

With other actors unfortunately. But for HBO, they will make it fantastic again.

 

[The Artful Dodger]

one more thing: the jesus reflection, you guys saw that too right

I've been looking for a screen to grab all day to bring it up.

The imagery bothered me a bit, but have no idea what they were trying to say. Maybe just an ironic reflection, maybe forcing him to think about it.

Or, here's a good one...Rust said before he liked to contemplate letting yourself be crucified, and that's kind of what he let Errol do to him, then he became cleansed....

Yeah, I saw it. I took it more as a resurrection parallel. Rust is "Born-Again" not necessarily as a Christian as many would have you believe, but well it kinda seemed like he basically had one tie to living and that was solving this case, and now that it's solved...He can go on living.

But that discussion has beaten to death.

I took it more as drawing a parallel to it, nothing more really.

 

[Floex]

Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I was wondering if they were going to go for a more mystical ending and I'm glad they did. The acting was superb and just enough closure yet still had questions to ask as the credits started to roll.

Ok thoughts and stuff I'm trying to get my ahead around. Spoilers for the last episode


So the whole schtick with the Yellow King. Having read the book briefly it mentions of characters reading a fictional book and succumbing to the Yellow Kings madness. I did think at the end Chole had been so engrossed in the case, that the surroundings and situation had finally succumbed him. Or was the Yellow King some meta shit that the writers made for the show, that fans would spend hours devouring and dissecting the story, that any tin point theory would be explored. Maybe I'm looking too much into that.

As for Errol, outside of him being the biggest basket case, the situation with his dad, trying to piece things together here. So his dad obviously abused him as a child along, was it him who bought Errol into the cult? Why was his mouth sewn shut? Was there a reference to something the dad may have said? Was Errol keeping his father alive out of pure hatred?

The 5 horsemen, did we find out exactly who all the members were? I know we have the Tuttals and Errol.

What exactly was carcosa? Who were Errol and his lady friend talking about? Reggie Ledoux mentioned the same person. What exactly was that castle complex place?

Man, I love talking about this stuff :lol:

 

[trab pu kcip]

Or, here's a good one...Rust said before he liked to contemplate letting yourself be crucified, and that's kind of what he let Errol do to him, then he became cleansed....

yes! this is actually quite good! haven't even thought of that. I just kinda saw rust making peace with himself in some way, maybe finding an honorable cause in his own existence. thus the jesus analogy. but your theory with the direct quote makes much more sense. I already forgot it even though I watched the ep yesterday.
funny nobody brought it up earlier.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Uhhuh.

Oh my God.

That would be so amazing.

 

[-griffy-]

Uhhuh.

She looks a lot like Michele Monaghan in that pic...

 

[Sadist]

With other actors unfortunately. But for HBO, they will make it fantastic again.

Oh I know.

Just sayin' I'm there next year or whenever season two hits. But the new cast have some huge shoes to fill.

Don't care they made the final a bit more mysterious and supernatural. Honestly, that's what I expected. Through out the eight episodes we've seen Rust hallucinating things and somewhat wandering off in his own mind during the investigation. The image of Rust seeing that vortex/Carcosa in general was something I expected when he would eventually confront the killer. I mean, I still see him staring at those flock of birds forming a spiral in epsiode 3.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Is it too early for a 'True Detective Season 2 Casting Speculation Thread'?

 

[The Artful Dodger]

Oh I know.

Just sayin' I'm there next year or whenever season two hits. But the new cast have some huge shoes to fill.

I'm excited. I mean, alot of people were saying this was a whack casting, and that both actors sucked, but really they were perfect. So I'm looking forward to seeing who they get next.

 

[trab pu kcip]

Is it too early for a 'True Detective Season 2 Casting Speculation Thread'?

mayybe. but not for a wishlist.
I nominate willem dafoe!

 

[The Artful Dodger]

Is it too early for a 'True Detective Season 2 Casting Speculation Thread'?

Lol, the regulars on this thread have been speculating since the pilot went up.

 

[polyh3dron]

The moment he walked into that area with the open ceiling, Hannibal was all I could think of.

 

[Death Row]

mayybe. but not for a wishlist.
I nominate willem dafoe!

Nah, this atmosphere requires someone like Mads Mikkelsen

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Lol, the regulars on this thread have been speculating since the pilot went up.

Oh, I know, but I meant like a separate thread, just for speculation based on the scant information we've received on Season 2:

Hard women
Bad men
The secret occult history of the United States transportation system

 

[Plywood]

During this scene did anyone else think of Gravelord Nito and silently wish for HBO to do a live action Dark Souls adaptation?

 

[The Artful Dodger]

Oh, I know, but I meant like a separate thread, just for speculation based on the scant information we've received on Season 2:

Hard women
Bad men
The secret occult history of the United States transportation system

Tilda Swinton
Mykelti Williamson
Gary Sinise

 

[brianjones]

Oh, I know, but I meant like a separate thread, just for speculation based on the scant information we've received on Season 2:

Hard women
Bad men
The secret occult history of the United States transportation system

are people taking this seriously? it seems like a joke answer to me

 

[lamaroo]

The season two investigation should centre around finding a killer who pulled up in his truck near some children, got out with no pants on, and eventually kills a young, sexy, 20 something dude who just finished mowing his lawn with his mother witnessing the entire thing.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Oh, I know, but I meant like a separate thread, just for speculation based on the scant information we've received on Season 2:

Hard women
Bad men
The secret occult history of the United States transportation system

 

[Cornballer]

Oh, I know, but I meant like a separate thread, just for speculation based on the scant information we've received on Season 2.

Naw, just keep it here for now.