It’s a strange time of year for TV. Shows are coming back after nearly three weeks of preemption for Olympic coverage. We’ve already marathoned the new season of “House of Cards” and started marking off days on our calendars until the April returns of “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones.”
But in this empty space, a new show has taken the stage: “True Detective.” Without a doubt, the HBO drama is one of the most talked about programs lately. Even though the show’s first season wrapped up this past Sunday, people are still a-buzz about the show. It even crashed HBO Go post-finale.
So, what is it that makes “True Detective” one of the best shows on TV right now?
First off, you have a strong main cast. Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey play Marty Hart and Rust Cohle respectively, two Louisiana State detectives in the homicide division. The series shows the two partners attempting to solve a murder case in 1995, while jumping forward in time to 2002 to the pair being interviewed separately about the events and an eerily similar case that appeared since they left the force.
Second of all, the series’ atmosphere is great. It’s a dark story, but nothing that someone that’s seen “Breaking Bad,” for instance, can’t handle. The southern gothic theme is played up very strongly, underscored wonderfully by executive music producer T-Bone Burnett, who has won an Oscar and several Grammys for his past work.
And third, it’s just very unique. The first season only has eight episodes and it’s an anthology show, meaning the next season will feature a new cast and storyline (Think “American Horror Story”). McConaughey’s Cohle spouts seemingly deep and nihilistic opinions on the world, which your average show would buy into and display as commentary on the real world. However, in “True Detective,” Cohle has his musings only for Harrelson’s Hart to essentially roll his eyes and tell him to keep that sort of stuff to himself.
Some of the praise for the show has come, in particular, for a scene at the end of an episode that utilized a six-minute continuous tracking shot that takes place in a single take. Even if you have the bare minimum of knowledge about film, it’s still impressive to watch.
A recently deleted tweet from show creator Nic Pizzolatto hinted at the possibility of the next season featuring female detectives. If true, that would truly be something to look forward to. But until then, you can watch the first season on HBO Go. Let’s hope it doesn’t crash on you.