True Detective: Season One

So, I finally finished watching season one and I have to say, True Detective turned out to be indeed one of the best shows of the last years. Starting watching it after it became the talk of the town, made me having rather high expectations; thankfully I was not let down (at least that much).

It is always exciting when film stars are involved in TV projects but I have to admit that when I heard that Matthew McConaughey was the star of the show, I was a bit concerned. You see, I had not yet watched Dallas Buyers Club and I had the same opinion as the rest of the planet regarding McConaughey’s acting skills. But then (alright alright, alright!) it happened. He turned his whole career around with this film, this TV show and of course his Wolf of Wall Street cameo role. 

True Detective is a show with great performances, compelling photography and irresistible darkness. A cop show by definition, but at the same time not a cop show at all. The story revolves around a certain case that the two stars of the show (Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson) were investigating in 1995, with flash forwards to 2002 and today. Despite the fact that the story line follows the investigation, the show goes beyond the police case, portraying human relationships and philosophical issues.

The show is pretty much based on the McConaughey’s monologues about life, space, philosophy – you name it - and this might become the reason why you love or hate this show. For me, it was indeed tiring at some points, but the good thing is that there was balance that came with Harrelson’s character’s reactions. Lines such as “Let’s make the car a place of silent reflection from now on, ok?” really enforced the partners’ chemistry and dynamics.

Through this bizarre bromance, we witness the facts that led to the resolve of the case, as well as the way that the characters’ lives turned out. The powerful performances and the stunning settings of the Louisianna swamps make this show addictive to watch, but having finished the season, I have to admit that I did not feel that the balance between the case and the characters stories was equal. It seemed as if (SPOILER ALERT) the way that the clues were piling up, did not make any sense and then boom! “Why green ears?” Seriously? That’s what gave him away? I don’t know - I was expecting it to turn out differently…

Nevertheless, True Detective is still one of the best shows on TV for the last years and what’s even better is that the creators did a really clever thing: they decided to move with different cast for season 2. Of course this could go both ways: either lose its audience because the stars of the show that made it what it is will no longer be part of it, or become an even better success, as rumors have it that the show will continue with yet again an "A" star cast: Brad Pitt’s name has come up more than many times…. And who can blame them? The whole style of True Detective is clearly influenced by Se7en, so who would be better for the job than the original Detective Mills?