Television Review: Form and Void (True Detective, S1X08, 2014)

Form and Void (S1x08)

Airdate: 9 March 2014

Written by: Nic Pizzolatto
Directed by: Cary Jo Fukunaga

Running Time: 54 minutes

The eighth episode of HBO's True Detective will leave many viewers feeling rather dissatisfied—though not, perhaps, for the reasons one might expect. The majority shall simply be displeased that it has ended at all; the next twelve months shall see them endure the pangs of withdrawal until the network releases the announced second season with its entirely new plot, characters, and cast. A smaller contingent shall grumble that the season comprised a mere eight episodes, with the unfortunate consequence that many questions raised throughout the series remain less than perfectly answered, and that the promised "epic" conclusion appeared somewhat rushed. And naturally, there shall be those most aggrieved that their painstakingly constructed theories—so diligently researched and eloquently argued across the Internet—have now been rendered utterly irrelevant.

Writer Nic Pizzolato, however, remained faithful to his assurances that he would not gratuitously "season" his work with supernatural elements or contrived "unexpected" plot twists. The first season—and the investigation pursued by our two protagonists—concludes precisely as Hollywood convention dictates: with the unmasking and elimination of a monstrous murderer, executed in the most dramatically satisfying manner possible. Pizzolato, alongside director Cary Joji Fukunaga, rather skilfully recycles the action of the fifth episode, which apparently was intended to resolve the case and conclude the series. Yet one protagonist—or to be precise, a single protagonist—fatally "mucked things up" on that occasion, and is now compelled, alongside his companion but burdened with excess kilograms and lacking police credentials, to sit a remedial examination of sorts. Cohle and Hart are once again forced to operate as freelancers, mounting a raid upon an isolated property in the back of beyond where a depraved and violent enemy awaits, enjoying all the advantages of home turf. Unlike that similar operation in 1995, viewers are not afforded the luxury of hearing about this assault through the protagonists' retrospective narration; consequently, we are left uncertain whether either man shall escape with his life. It is precisely this uncertainty that provides the episode's greatest tension—not cheap gimmicks such as body counts, explosions, or physical altercations.

The matter that most occupied the series' devotees—the identity of the killer—was already resolved in the previous instalment, meaning the opening of episode eight, which depicts his quotidian existence, initially appears rather superfluous. Indeed, this may represent the series' weakest segment, given that the character portrayed by Glenn Fleschler seems somewhat overloaded with serial killer clichés. To many, he shall appear an almost parodic combination of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs and Norman Bates from Psycho, not to mention his daily practice of incest. At this juncture, True Detective perhaps does not cross the threshold into exploitative "trash," but it certainly positions itself uncomfortably close to it.

Those most disappointed by True Detective, however, shall be those who—perhaps precisely because the series led its protagonists and audience into the "heart of darkness"—expected it to conclude in that very same stygian place. The final confrontation unfolds within the semi-mythical "Carcosa," which proves as dark and terrifying a location as many had imagined, yet simultaneously appears rather banal and realistic. Pizzolato, however, declines to subject his audience to the sort of shock that Se7en delivered two decades prior. Some might argue he does so at the cost of the finale occasionally resembling a deus ex machina—though everything might have appeared rather more polished had the episode run some ten minutes longer, allowing for scenes that would clarify certain details.

This approach, conversely, permits some of the "strongest" scenes—those allowing the cast to demonstrate their considerable talents once more—to be presented within an unusually lengthy epilogue for this genre. Within these sequences, the characters finally confront the emotional and other consequences of their actions, experiencing something approximating "catharsis"—a sort of enlightenment after which they shall view their lives and the universe in an entirely different manner. These scenes may not align in tone or philosophy with the preceding episodes, yet they feel like something the protagonists—and the viewers who patiently sat before their screens for two months—richly deserved.

RATING: 8/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)

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