The Scene of the Crime (Episode Summary): Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Hart (Woody Harrelson) start delving deeper into Reggie LeDoux, the meth dealer who might be the mastermind behind the serial murders. Hart tracks down one one of LeDoux’s known associates at a warehouse rave and forces him at gunpoint to give him info on LeDoux. It turns out LeDoux exclusively deals meth to a notorious biker gang from Texas — one Cohle dealt with during his deep cover days. Cohle takes personal time from the force in order re-immerse himself in the drug-fueled world of biker gangs in order to gain the trust of Ginger, a former associate who now buys from LeDoux. Outside of the case, Hart’s cheating ways are revealed to his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and Hart’s family life implodes.
The Lead Investigator (Favorite Performance): McConaughey just flat out owns this entire episode. He have a really strong performance in the beginning of the episode playing the “tough love” partner, not allowing Hart to wallow in his own self-induced misery. Yet, he still lets Hart crash at his place during his lowest point, showing a bit of kindness to a man who doesn’t deserve it. Yet, watching Cohle submerse himself back into a life which nearly killed him is the banner part of his performance. McConaughey gives his character this kamikaze, death drive in 5th gear mentality. He knows that he’s walking into probable death, but he still meets it head on with a fifth of whiskey coursing through his veins. Then during the high stakes climax of the episode he’s the quarterback of the whole situation. He’s able to act on his feet despite all the drugs in his system. McConaughey continues to blow my mind with just how consistently great he’s been throughout the series.
They Could’ve Spared Us These Gory Details (Worst Part of the Episode): This episode was pretty free of anything subpar.
The Devil in the Details (The Little Thing You Loved): While Hart whines and moans about getting a second chance with his wife, Cohle repeatedly tells hims “This is none of my business.” He refuses to give Hart any kind of solace or sympathy — and he shouldn’t. Also, the mid-90s rave warehouse rave scene complete with baggy pants, glow stick necklaces and bad music — a nice bit of nostalgia.
The Debriefing (Thoughts on the Episode): Two weeks ago we were given a hint about this episode and it sent chills up my spine. In no way, shape or form, did that trailer prepare me for just how amazing this episode of True Detective was. The entire end sequence where this small neighborhood in East Texas turns into a war zone, is white knuckle intense. The near documentary-style camera work in the episode heightens the intensity and chaos in the scene. Then there’s McConaughey’s character who should be tripping like crazy because he’s taken so many drugs, but yet there he is running the show, thinking on his feet and pulling off something crazy. It’s going to be really hard for the show to pull off scenes that can actually top this. But, maybe we don’t need them to top this action sequence with another crazy action sequence. No, if True Detective has proven anything to us it’s that they can deliver with acting and storytelling.
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