# True Detective - HBO - McConaughey / Harrelson \[SPOILERS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697 "2013-06-11T03:43:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/1 "2013-06-11T03:43:08Z")
Anybody else see the recent promo on HBO for 2014 series called True Detective, starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson? Looks promising. Looks like the two A-listers signed up for 8 episodes of a first season of what may become an anthology series. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/2 "2013-09-14T03:03:57Z")
I just saw the trailer, and based on that it looks awesome. January’s pretty far off, though! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/3 "2014-01-13T16:18:16Z")
It’s been a while since I watched a TV series. I think that last ones were _The Sopranos_ and _Curb Your Enthusiasm_. The main reason is that if I miss most of the first season, I feel that I can never catch up. I’m not the type to make enough time to watch multiple episodes over a week. For this reason, I never watched _The Wire_, _Breaking Bad_, _Boardwalk Empire_, _Mad Men_, etc., all of which many people think that I would have loved. So what do dopers think of _True Detective_? Should I latch on? Please box any spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/4 "2014-01-13T16:47:03Z")
It’s too soon to tell after just one episode but I think it’s got potential. It appears to be character-driven more than plot-driven. The first episode set up a possible serial killer but it focused more on the two detectives. I don’t see it lasting more than two or three seasons and it might have a satisfying finish with just one. It felt very original. I didn’t hear any dialogue that I’d heard before, and that’s unusual for a cop show. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/5 "2014-01-13T17:18:24Z")
Haven’t watched it yet, but the promos looked interesting–thanks for putting it back on my radar. Alan Sepinwall, whose opinions I generally respect on TV, reviewed it [quite favorably](http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/review-matthew-mcconaughey-woody-harrelson-amaze-in-hbos-true-detective/2). Also, apparently the plan is for this to be a “hybrid-anthology” series: each season will tell a self-contained story, with unique characters that don’t carry over from season to season. It’s an interesting idea that has apparently been working for _ **American Horror Story** _. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/6 "2014-01-13T17:20:12Z")
As usual, **AuntiePam** said what I was planning to say more clearly and in fewer words than I would have. I sense a connection with _Justified_ in the regional tone and speech patterns that will help me continue being fond of the dialog. I also sense a huge backstory that may take a while to unravel. Having two Texans in the lead roles helps a lot with authenticity and I never tire of those guys. Just saw _Mud_ with McConaughey and it’s well above average. And I had the thought that Woody has had about as varied an acting career as anybody working today. I’m going to stay with it! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/7 "2014-01-13T17:43:39Z")
Zeldar, did you recognize Brother Mouzone and Lester Freamon? Of course you did. 🙂 LawMonkey, does that mean that a second season won’t have McConaughey and Harrelson as leads? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/8 "2014-01-13T17:49:16Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Zeldar, did you recognize Brother Mouzone and Lester Freamon? Of course you did. 🙂 Indeed, I did. It’s becoming a telling sign of the good shows that folks from _The Wire_, _Deadwood_ and _The Shield_ keep popping up in juicy little roles. That was one of the trademarks of _Breaking Bad_ that was clever and rewarding. It’s sad that _Boardwalk Empire_ is calling it quits after this season, so where will Omar go next? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/9 "2014-01-13T18:01:27Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > LawMonkey, does that mean that a second season won’t have McConaughey and Harrelson as leads? That’s the impression I got from the Sepinwall review. > [@Alan Sepinwall](#): > > “True Detective” is designed along similar lines. McConaughey and Harrelson aren’t at a stage of their careers where they would commit to four or five years of an ongoing show, but ask for only five months of their time and two characters this rich, and you can get them. And because the actors won’t be sticking around, Pizzolatto is able to take every last interesting scrap of each character, and of this case, and squeeze it all into only eight episodes that feel incredibly dense with event and meaning, even at times when Rust and Marty are making fairly slow progress in their investigation. > [@Zeldar](#): > > It’s sad that _Boardwalk Empire_ is calling it quits after this season, so where will Omar go next? Say it ain’t so! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/10 "2014-01-13T18:13:38Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Say it ain’t so! ☹ [It’s so.](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boardwalk-empire-ending-after-season-5-girls-renewed-for-season-4/) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/11 "2014-01-13T18:23:56Z")
I sort of hate shows that deal with “flashbacks” - and this story seems to be solely flashbacks from the point of view of the individuals currently being interviewed, and their back story. That said, they are doing a good job of keeping the story moving along, so I will stick with it for a least another episode or two. I am not loving Woody Harrelson’s crappy, mumbled southern accent. Sounds like he has a mouth full of Rocky Mountain oysters. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/12 "2014-01-13T18:51:47Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I am not loving Woody Harrelson’s crappy, mumbled southern accent. Sounds like he has a mouth full of Rocky Mountain oysters. He talked like that in **No Country for Old Men** too. That’s all I’ve seen him in, except for Cheers. Is it an affectation or is that his normal speaking voice? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/13 "2014-01-13T19:25:26Z")
Just watched episode one, and will stick around for at least a couple more. McConaughey’s accent is really thick and difficult to understand at times. Two nitpicks on the first episode. His character says he “grew up in Alaska”, so where did the thick southern accent come from? Not a big deal, I guess. Second issue: the murder they were investigating took place in 1995. The camera that Harrelson was using at the scene was a Canon S series digital, which didn’t exist until 1999 or so. I only noticed because I own an S95. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/14 "2014-01-13T23:09:36Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Just watched episode one, and will stick around for at least a couple more. McConaughey’s accent is really thick and difficult to understand at times. Two nitpicks on the first episode. > > His character says he “grew up in Alaska”, so where did the thick southern accent come from? Not a big deal, I guess. > > Second issue: the murder they were investigating took place in 1995. The camera that Harrelson was using at the scene was a Canon S series digital, which didn’t exist until 1999 or so. I only noticed because I own an S95. I thought he said Onalaska, though that’s actually in East Texas, not South Texas, where he said he was from. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/15 "2014-01-14T03:34:42Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Zeldar, did you recognize Brother Mouzone and Lester Freamon? Of course you did. 🙂 BROTHER MOUZONE!!! Damnit my brain was trying to place him. The regular tie threw me. I did catch Lester Freeman though. I am liking McConaughey’s character. He’s not playing his usual role and seems to have lost a lot of weight. The image fits. I’m am sticking with this for sure. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/16 "2014-01-14T04:00:37Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > BROTHER MOUZONE!!! Damnit my brain was trying to place him. The regular tie threw me. I did catch Lester Freeman though. It took me a minute and it was the smile that did it – the way his mouth turns up at the corners. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/17 "2014-01-14T04:10:48Z")
“But one thing’s sure. Inspector Clay is dead, murdered, and somebody’s responsible.” - oh, sorry, that’s a fictional detective’s opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/18 "2014-01-14T04:50:26Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > I thought he said Onalaska, though that’s actually in East Texas, not South Texas, where he said he was from. Ah, I misunderstood that particular mumble. I wish he’d quit making such a production out of smoking a cigarette; it’s annoying. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/19 "2014-01-14T17:49:23Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > He talked like that in **No Country for Old Men** too. That’s all I’ve seen him in, except for Cheers. Is it an affectation or is that his normal speaking voice? I thought Harrelson sounded like he had a mouthful of chaw. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/20 "2014-01-14T19:23:59Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > He talked like that in **No Country for Old Men** too. That’s all I’ve seen him in, except for Cheers. Is it an affectation or is that his normal speaking voice? He was born in Texas, but grew up in Ohio, so I suspect it’s a bit of both. Reading his Wiki page, I was very surprised to learn that his father was a professional hitman, who died in prison after being convicted of killing a judge. :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697.md?page=2)