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| Photo: Warrick Page/HBO |
After spending the past three years in TV purgatory, True Detective returns for another season of moody crime drama. Perhaps in an attempt to woo back fans disappointed by season two's exploration of political corruption in Los Angeles., season three travels back down the Mason Dixon line, this time in Arkansas, as detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) attempt to solve the case of Will and Julie Purcell, two kids who took off on their bikes one afternoon and never came home.
"The Great War and Modern Memory" hits the usual beats--frantic parents, the exhaustive search, the odd loner who becomes a suspect, the discovery of a body (Will's), the emotional toll death and disappearance take on a family-- while "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" depicts the dog-chasing-its-tail reality of police work and the frustrating, self-defeating affect of bureaucracy. Between murder, missing kids, small town gossip and odd, cryptic objects--a doll left at the spot where Wayne finds Will--both episodes are stacked with many of the same elements found in season one. Then there are also the time jumps, which span three decades; 1980, the year Will and Julie went missing; 1990, when Wayne is called in for a deposition; and 2015, when a now 70-year-old Wayne is being interviewed about the case.
All of these similarities could be warning signs of an elaborate retread. However, both episodes have a captivating, emotional resonance, thanks in large part to the effortless transitions between time periods, which genuinely give the feeling of living inside a disjointed, declining mind. Mahershala Ali's performance also raises the bar, as he perfectly channels Wayne as both focused, slightly offbeat young detective and haunted, grieving widower, while Dorrf's Roland provides a prickly contrast to Wayne's quiet confidence. Carmen Ejogo also gives a strong performance as English teacher and Wayne's future wife Amelia, displaying sensitivity and intelligence while offering up hints (taking part in anti-war protests, taking on a different identity when on vacation) of a complicated, unconventional streak lying beneath her polished surface.
The way the episodes approach race is also refreshing. Wayne doesn't ask Amelia "How these white folks treating you?" when he interviews her Amelia at school, or say "They'll listen to you because you're white" during he and Roland's spat after the higher ups ignore his advice, because there's no need for it to be said. It's already understood by everyone how the system works, as messed up as said system is. It's a small thing, but gives the dialogue a realistic touch.
However, if this season is go beyond the series' past glories, it'll have to push past what is familiar and find its own voice. "The Great War and Modern Memory and "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" give clues that True Detective may be up to the task.
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