At its core, True Detective (Sundays, 9pm, HBO) is doing what television has been doing for the past few years: pushing the boundaries of television to a level almost that of film. Viewers are starting to like the idea of becoming invested in a story over a period of 12 weeks rather than 2 hours. The best thing that this show does is take the crime-drama genre to a place that has seldom been seen before on television. It’s remarkable story and format put it into another league of fine watching. Coupled with A-List performances from Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, True Detective brings the police procedural to such a high level that one would best be left stunned that what they’re doing week in and week out hasn’t been done before.
The plot of the show is that two detectives, Harrelson and McConaughey, are being interviewed about a murder case they investigated in the past. The murder of a teenage girl, who was propped up in a seemingly satanic matter, has the detectives thinking, “Serial.” We see a clearly aged and unkempt McConaughey in the present and a younger, more clean-cut version in the past. Harrelson is noticeably balder and fatter in his present form, but he seems more in the moment than McConaughey’s dead-eyed, wanderer look he’s got going for himself. This provides the notion that whatever happened in the case laid a remarkable and profound affect on those with connections to it.
What separates this crime-drama from others is that HBO allows a longer runtime (55-57minutes) for setup and character development. As opposed to basic cable shows that have about 40-44 minutes and commercial interruptions.
In one episode, you get the investigation procedure, in-depth looks into both detective’s personal lives and their time in the interview as they narrate certain aspects of the case; in addition to other sub-plots not even related to the case at all.
This is a 12-part investigation of a crime that feels incredibly realistic when compared to a CSI: or Criminal Minds type of show where we only see them investigate for 40-44 minutes and then it’s “case closed”.
The show’s music is a huge bonus and really drives home that “down-south” feeling. T-Bone Burnett, a living legend in the music industry, producing for Elvis Costello, Elton John, John Mellencamp, and Tony Bennett means that you have indeed heard his work at one point or another. His numerous awards boast considerable proof that every episode you may enjoy the music just as much as the finely crafted show itself. The introduction has one of the best themes ever on television and serves as a reminder that what you are about to watch is of the highest caliber.
There is already a feeling amongst viewers of True Detective that this show will fall into great television lore along with The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and The Wire.
Right from the start you get the sense that what you are seeing is not as much a show as it is an experience. The feeling of getting lost in the world of the case and discovering how it affects those around it makes for a profound impact on the viewer that could only be transported through the small screen by way of expert storytelling and fantastic acting.