True Phenomenon, The Brilliance of 'True Detective'

Until January 12, 2014 the cop drama procedural was, just that, a by the numbers procedural cop show. On the 12th, we all got a brilliant rude awakening with the HBO drama 'True Detective', a show that has flipped or, better yet, removed every single procedural cliché.

The show is about two Detectives: Cohle (played my Matthew McConaughey) and Hart (played by Woody Harrelson) as they track a ritualistic serial killer. It sounds very cliché... it is not.  The show takes place in both the past and the present.  In the past, we are following the case and the darkness in the lives of these two detectives.  In the present, these now retired and disturbed detectives are being interviewed by the police.  Why, we don't know. 

'True Detective' is a show that thrives on brilliant writing, specifically character development and development with little or no exposition. 

What is so amazing is that this show is very, very philosophical and interesting, yet not boring.  We care as much about these detectives' lives outside of the case because it informs their actions in the case.  These men lead extremely different lives.  Cohle is a man of philosophy and pessimism; where Hart is a man cheating on his wife, trying to convince himself that he is a family man.  Both men are right for the job but wrong for almost everyone around them.  The show thrives on realism both in the case narrative and character narrative.  

In terms of action, there is not a shot fired in the show until the fourth episode and when shots are fired, it's not for filler; it is furthering the story in the most impressive way I've ever seen.  We got a 6 minute one take tacking shot with Cohle undercover on a drug bust, tracking a lead to find the killer.

There is a line in the show that sums up the darkness, realism and fantastic symbolism we receive and it is this:

Hart: "Do you wonder ever... if you're a bad man?"

Cohle: "No, I don't wonder, Marty. The world needs bad men. We keep the other bad men from the door."

People don't think much about this line when they first hear it, but later, down the line, everything comes full circle.  Nothing in 'True Detective' is there just to look or sound good. Every line spoken, facial expression or movement means something.  Maybe we don't realize it right away, but we do next week or the week after.  That is a gift that as a viewer I am extremely thankful for; we aren't just viewers, we are part of the case and process. As we watch this, we consciously or unconsciously are following leads, the same as Cohle and Hart, because this show is unpredictable. There are things left specifically for us to pick up and figure out.  When a show can pull that off and not be boring or convoluted, it is something remarkable. 

I think 'True Detective' has broken ground for all television from this point forward, and we are only 5 episodes into the 8 episode arc.  Although, if I'm being honest, I wish it was an 18 episode arc because this is too good to not be on my television screen every week.

- George McCann