I remember the day I sat down to watch the pilot of True Detective. It was one of those wonderful hours of TV that completely blew my socks off. It had this contemporary noir feel that sucked you in and made you feel like anything was possible. Now, we're four seasons deep on the show, and looking at a new season coming starring Nic Cage. But before all that, I thought it was a pertinent time to go over the thing I love about the show the most: the writing. Let's dive in. 1. Let Character Dictate the DirectionThe heart of True Detective is the detectives at the center of the universe. everything they're going through, and the case at hand is thematically intertwined. The central mystery is the crucible in which the opposing ideologies and internal demons of the characters are tested.This idea of letting the character lead the way, and letting the case pull out the worst and best in them, is not new, but this show does it so consistently over the course of several seasons.The key takeaway is that the external investigation is secondary to the internal struggles of the protagonists. This ensures that the story is not simply a procedural but an exploration of the human condition.2. Dialogue as a Philosophical ArenaThe early seasons of the show were renowned for their dense, literary dialogue. This all came particularly from the mouth of Rust Cohle, but other seasons also had strong discussions and storytelling that put...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday