# 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:** 10
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/181 "2014-02-19T17:31:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Of course. :smack: McConaughy is a hot property in film right now, so wouldn’t want to be tied down with TV parts. It didn’t occur to me that they will have a different story to tell each season and a different cast. A one season wrap-up per case is fine with me. Yeah, the anthology route is super appealing to me with this series as it allows them to do whatever they want with the characters in a single season with a planned ending. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/182 "2014-02-19T23:49:45Z")
In addition to Marty inexplicably killing Ledoux before allowing time for questioning, why does Rust inexplicably smack around the pharmacy killer? Even if it’s 7 years later, I think he naturally would have wanted to extract much more info from the guy. Because of his outburst, he wasn’t able to get anything else since the guy killed himself (apparently). Also, how would the pharmacy killer even recognize Rust as the cop who caught and killed Ledoux that much later? Isn’t this something that Rust would want to know? I really hope that there’s no supernatural explanation at the end of the season. That would ruin an otherwise great show. I’d forgive some minor plot holes, which at this point seem inevitable. But magic would ruin it for me. ETA: IIRC, in Ep.4 Rust gets heavily patted down when entering the VIP area at the biker bar. But the security person doesn’t feel the 2-way radio that he’s holding. Anyone else wonder that? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/183 "2014-02-20T00:26:21Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > In addition to Marty inexplicably killing Ledoux before allowing time for questioning, why does Rust inexplicably smack around the pharmacy killer? Even if it’s 7 years later, I think he naturally would have wanted to extract much more info from the guy. Because of his outburst, he wasn’t able to get anything else since the guy killed himself (apparently). Rust thinks he’s infallible, the smartest guy in the room. He’s pissed that he was wrong. > [@](#): > > Also, how would the pharmacy killer even recognize Rust as the cop who caught and killed Ledoux that much later? Isn’t this something that Rust would want to know? Saw his picture in the paper? Recognized his name? Or he was involved. Too bad Rust didn’t hang around to get more info, but those cops shooed him away pretty fast. > [@](#): > > ETA: IIRC, in Ep.4 Rust gets heavily patted down when entering the VIP area at the biker bar. But the security person doesn’t feel the 2-way radio that he’s holding. Anyone else wonder that? Maybe he felt it but thought it was okay. Dealers carried pagers. The radio’s bigger than a pager though, so good question. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/184 "2014-02-20T00:48:33Z")
Regarding Marty killing LeDoux: remember that they thought they were just busting a meth cooker who had killed a couple hookers. Sure, it’s bad, but CID is probably used to investigating scuzzy people killing other scuzzy people all the time. Opening a truck and finding two little kids chained to the bed and dying of starvation/abuse/exposure was a big shock, and the children were right around the age of Marty’s. Look at Harrelson’s face as he stalks back to LeDoux and pops him - it’s pure animalistic fury. > [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > . . . ETA: IIRC, in Ep.4 Rust gets heavily patted down when entering the VIP area at the biker bar. But the security person doesn’t feel the 2-way radio that he’s holding. Anyone else wonder that? Rust gave Marty a cell phone. He didn’t have a phone or radio - he called Marty from the landline of the house they busted through. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/185 "2014-02-20T01:09:03Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > Rust gave Marty a cell phone. He didn’t have a phone or radio - he called Marty from the landline of the house they busted through. Yep. He gave the radio to Marty and told him to monitor Beaumont police chatter, and gave him a cell phone and said the only person calling it would be himself. Rust took no devices with him. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/186 "2014-02-20T01:29:43Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > Rust gave Marty a cell phone. He didn’t have a phone or radio - he called Marty from the landline of the house they busted through. Thanks. I really need to go back and watch these episodes again. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/187 "2014-02-20T14:33:48Z")
The guy Rust was interrogating for the pharmacy killing was clearly not the killer. They were just trying to find someone to coerce into confessing and close the case. It was mentioned how great Rust was at getting confessions. This snippet showed us why. It didn’t matter if the person did it or not, Rust could talk them into confessing. He was being brought in from all over to get confessions. This “skill” was one of the clues the interviewers were using to back their claims that Rust knew that LeDoux wasn’t the ritual killer. That Rust didn’t care who did or did not do the crime. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/188 "2014-02-20T14:55:14Z")
Here’s my new pet theory: Marty’s daughter witnessed the first killing. She is the new killer, Marty is trying to protect her. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/189 "2014-02-20T19:07:20Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The guy Rust was interrogating for the pharmacy killing was clearly not the killer. They were just trying to find someone to coerce into confessing and close the case. Interesting. I doubt it though. It’s not easy to convict someone based solely on a confession. I assume they had some reason to believe he killed two people in the pharmacy robbery and wanted a confession just to make things go more quickly. Also interesting that the doofus was being interrogated without a lawyer present. ---
**Author:** ![Profound\_Gibberish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Profound\_Gibberish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profound_Gibberish)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/190 "2014-02-20T19:56:09Z")
If I remember correctly Rust stated that they had video. A confession would just make it a slam dunk. But remember, this is TV, it is not reality-based. I keep coming back to Marty’s “under my nose” comment. It’s been said too much to not have significant meaning. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/191 "2014-02-20T21:43:13Z")
> [@Profound\_Gibberish](#): > > If I remember correctly Rust stated that they had video. A confession would just make it a slam dunk. But remember, this is TV, it is not reality-based. Cops lie all the time during interrogations. They have video, DNA, fingerprints, an eyewitness. Hey, don’t call a lawyer, let’s settle this right now. Get you off easy. In this case the imaginary bargain was an insanity plea. The guy had been blacking out while on drugs. He didn’t know where he was or what he had done. Rust was just a friendly cop helping him out of a big jam. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/192 "2014-02-20T21:56:27Z")
I think you’re making it more complicated than it really is. The guy doesn’t have to be guilty or innocent – he just needs to set Rust back on the trail of the antler killers. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/193 "2014-02-21T05:16:58Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > LeDoux’s face wasn’t scarred and he wasn’t particularly tall. The actor playing him is Height 6’ 6½" (1.99 m) Great episode. “Good to finally see you commit to something.” ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/194 "2014-02-21T11:31:43Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Hmm… When Rust was being interviewed, he was making various things out of his beer cans. At first it was just ashtrays and such, but then he started making little men. And he arranged them on the desk in a circle - just like the circle of dolls that Martin Hart’s daughter made with the unclothed doll in the middle. Right! One of them was even lying on the ground before he picked it up and had it join the others. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/195 "2014-02-21T12:20:56Z")
I’m still partially on the bandwagon of Marty himself being involved. The iconography of his daughters playing with the crown is compelling (if they’re princesses, he’s what?); but also when the detectives show him pictures of Rust still investigating, he tells them that they’ve given him “a lot to think about”, i.e. he’s now aware that Rust is hunting the killer. On the other hand, it could just be a line to blow them off because they’re both still working it. All that said, I’m leaning away because it seems like a long stretch for that character. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/196 "2014-02-21T15:20:31Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Yep. He gave the radio to Marty and told him to monitor Beaumont police chatter, and gave him a cell phone and said the only person calling it would be himself. Rust took no devices with him. Were there cell phones in 1995? Also, I’ve been wondering about something pretty minor from the first couple of episodes. At one point, Marty and Rust were eating sandwiches from a roadside banh mi restaurant. Was banh mi popular in rural Louisiana back in 1995? If so, they were well ahead of the times. I just saw something that says that the synopses for episodes 7 and 8 were apparently leaked and online. I don’t know if it’s true since I didn’t want to click the link and have anything spoiled for me. But to those that can’t wait for the finale, it’s apparently available (although I hope it’s fake). ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/197 "2014-02-21T17:02:58Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Were there cell phones in 1995? > > Also, I’ve been wondering about something pretty minor from the first couple of episodes. At one point, Marty and Rust were eating sandwiches from a roadside banh mi restaurant. Was banh mi popular in rural Louisiana back in 1995? If so, they were well ahead of the times. > > I just saw something that says that the synopses for episodes 7 and 8 were apparently leaked and online. I don’t know if it’s true since I didn’t want to click the link and have anything spoiled for me. But to those that can’t wait for the finale, it’s apparently available (although I hope it’s fake). Louisiana has [a huge Vietnamese population](http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/multicultural/multiculturalhistory/vietnamese.html) so I’d say that it’s accurate. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/198 "2014-02-21T17:24:30Z")
Ha! I just got an email from my wife… > [@](#): > > so, remember the scene where Marty says he once again committed the “detective’s mistake” of inattention, at not looking at what’s right under his nose? as the audience, we think it refers to his daughter (and in a sense it does) but now I am thinking that the confrontation between Rust and Marty is that Marty refuses to keep on investigating after he gets pressure from higher up. He never realizes that his daughter’s problems are part of the case. I am guessing his daughter will turn up dead and that is what finally breaks his marriage (in a neat parallel with Rust’s life). meanwhile, Rust is still pursuing the murderer, even after he gets fired or is forced to leave the police (he is a true detective). Marty thinks he is saving his marriage, life and family by doing his duty (just like he believed it was actually “healthy” for him to let off steam); but his lack of being a “true detective”(unable to let go of a case) is what ultimately costs him everything. I am guessing at redemption for the both of them when they begin to work together and ultimately solve the case with the credit, of course, going to the two interrogators. One of the two will probably die. we hardly even have to watch the last three episodes. 🙂 It’s certainly a show that sticks in your mind during the week. ---
**Author:** ![nate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nate/32/13085_2.png) [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/199 "2014-02-21T17:37:39Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Were there cell phones in 1995? Yep. They were bulky like the one that Rust gave Marty. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697/200 "2014-02-21T17:46:00Z")
> [@nate](#): > > Yep. They were bulky like the one that Rust gave Marty. Yeah, a guy in my high school (who also ran the A/V club, of course) had a cell phone in 1993. It was a brick and cost him over a buck a minute to use. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-hbo-mcconaughey-harrelson-spoilers/660697.md?page=11)