True Detective Season 1

I watched True Detective season 1 for the third time, as my wife and I are planning on wading through the next two seasons to get to the well regarded fourth. I remember loving this season the first two times around, and thankfully my memory is bad enough that it felt mostly new and fresh to me, seeing it again after six or so years.

This season is excellent. The story itself is the weakest piece, as the show follows one case for eight straight episodes and there are, unsurprisingly, some slower parts to that journey. Even so, the story is disturbing, fascinating, and meaty enough to cross my mind on occasion since the last time I watched the show.

I’d probably give the story a 7 or 8 on its own, but the main characters and actors are even better. The acting, in particular, from the leads down to the supporting actors is excellent. Matthew McConaughey should have won at least one Emmy for this performance, and Woody Harrelson and Michelle Monaghan are both just a step behind. The dialogue wavers between deep and philosophical and comedic but does a great job with both.