Matthew McConaughey’s performance, dreary and wily in equal measure, may be the finest thing he has ever put on screen, and True Detective can only bolster his chances for Oscar gold for his charismatic turn in Dallas Buyers Club. Meanwhile, the actor’s brittle way of speaking and his gaunt, skinny physique (likely a result of losing 40 pounds for Dallas Buyers Club but still as significant to his character here) signify how his lost, tormented psyche weighs him down. Cohle’s nerves are frayed: he almost always looks half-awake, half-hallucinating. In a moment late in the episode, he steps out of the police car and sees a flock of birds flying in a looped formation that looks too perfect to be real. Is this a hallucination, or can beauty and nature still survive in such an impure setting? Chole is a character both pulpy and philosophical and McConaughey has been mesmerizing in the part so far.
Meanwhile, Harrelson is no slouch next to his old friend’s showier, more damaged portrayal. Hart is a man who likes being in control, but he is starting to slip into deceitful patterns. There is a real conflict within him, trying to clean up crimes while also dirtying his own reputation as a respected cop and family man. Hart makes a point to spit out his disgust at the prostitutes he interviews at the “bunny ranch,” criticizing the young girls’ indecency. That may not be the wisest thing for an adulterer to say and Harrelson is starting to reveal his character’s negative sense of moral judgment in provocative, pointed ways.
Right now, the only thing miring True Detective are the moments from 2012, when two cops interview the men years after the bizarre Lange case, when a similar crime pops up in the modern day. There is nothing wrong with this chronological device as a way to show how these two men have changed over a span of 17 years, but there are too many moments of Hart and Cohle going through very miniscule details of their own personalities. These details feel too written and somewhat unnatural within the context of an interview.
Dark and moody, True Detective also has a harsh disposition toward female characters. However, one thing bonding the two detectives is how protective they are of young girls. With Cohle’s daughter’s life cut short and Hart’s lack of time with his own girls, the two men transfer their will to be good father figures to bringing justice upon Dora Lange’s murderer. The show may takes place in a man’s world – tough, ugly and threatening – but what a vivid, uncompromising vision of pulpy masculinity it is. Hopefully, Hart and Cohle will find a sort of salvation in their own ashen hearts as the series develops.
