Spoiler Free Zone – This is a pretty typical cop buddy TV show, the main difference is the quality of the acting and the production in general. This does not look like typical TV and would sit easily with high budget films, but we’re used to that by now, right? That shouldn’t be a surprise at this stage, there’s been more than a few years of that quality of production.

Matthew McConaughey does great work with the role of Rust Cohle, who is enigmatic and distant agent. He struggles to integrate with the rest of his department, but is one of the best detectives out there. You see what I mean about typical storyline? This part could have been truly awful in less capable hands than McConaughey, but he performs admirably. Woody Harrelson plays his likeable partner Marty Hart, who is a decent sort, who just can’t keep it in his pants!

The case they are investigating is that of the murder of a young prostitute, who is found bound and with a crown of thorns, in what appears to be an occult style murder/ sacrifice. The story is told from a couple of perspectives, with a fresh faced Rust and Marty investigating the case in 1995 and also from more modern times, with a new couple of agents reopening the case, due to a new murder. The years have been hard on the two agents and they are very different men today then they were nearly 20 years previous.

The locations of the shoot are stunning, with the large industrial buildings and open plains of Louisiana. The style of cinematography is also impressive, with many shots taken from high above, with cars driving through long open roads. The story line flashes from modern day to the case in the mid 90’s, telling the tale of both worlds and slowly letting you work out the changes that have happened to each character in the intervening years.

Spoiler Zone – So, let’s first deal with the ending. As ever, there’s been a backlash, with many unhappy for a variety of reason. First off, that they didn’t kill one of them. Well, if there’s going to be a Season two, they couldn’t, so just get over that. There were many disappointed it didn’t have a more supernatural ending, but I enjoyed that they didn’t resort to anything out of the ordinary for answers. There’s nothing in the story that wasn’t entirely possible. What I would say is that after such an impressive start, the story doesn’t continue at the same pace. I think McConaughey’s character was just a lot more entertaining in the early part of the story than in his modern day incarnation. The clean cut Rust Cohle who was liable to say anything to anyone was a better creation than his more visibly damaged later self. It doesn’t bode well for Season two, where I’m sure it will all be set in modern day, but we’ll wait and see what they come up with.

Conclusion (Spoiler Free again) – This is more ‘must see TV’ from HBO and is a hugely entertaining cop show that will keep you guessing throughout. There are elements of Twin Peaks in there, with the supernatural aspects and also small town America facing up to such a murder, but this is very much its own creation. Writer Nic Pizzolatto deserves high praise for his work.

So, what for season two? Writer Pizzolatto says it will be about “hard women, bad men and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system”. Hopefully it’ll be just as enjoyable!

Read Nic Pizzolatto’s interview with Hit Fix here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXwCoNwBSkQ