True Detective - 1x07, “After You’ve Gone” - First Review

“I won’t avert my eyes. Not again.”

With our story now firmly planted in 2012, episode seven begins exactly as I hoped it would - with Rust and Marty’s first sit-down together in a decade. Cohle knows that he is being investigated in connection to the gruesome religious murders but his only priority remains discovering who the true killer is, and in “After You’ve Gone” our rouge detectives get closer than ever to the truth. It’s another dark, exciting, and downright chilling episode that will stay with you for a while after you watch. With just one episode left after this, the stakes are higher than ever. As Marty realizes that the men behind these murders truly are at large, he begins to feel guilt over his choices during the past 17 years, and a new resolve to bring those responsible to justice.

The episode begins focusing on what exactly Rust has been up to over the past several years and, yes, we do get a look inside his storage unit. He takes Marty there to begin to explain to him why he needs his help and the evidence he’s put together is pretty undeniable. When Hart later sits down with Maggie to discuss what she said to the cops investing Cohle, she wonders what could have possibly brought her ex-husband back to working with the partner who had slept with his wife. That answer is revealed in a scene best left unspoiled. Woody Harrelson’s performance as he discovers Cohle may have been right about Tuttle all along is gut wrenching. This is the darkest the series has been yet and that’s surely saying something. As the investigation continues so does our examination of the true focus of this series - the detectives. While Marty and Rust catch up with one another the audience also gets a chance to fill in the blanks as to what they’ve been up to for the past several years. It sheds a lot of light on how they’ve ended up where they are today, especially in Cohle’s case.

In episode seven we get deeper than ever into the investigation and into our main characters psyche’s. The Tuttle family comes front and center as Cohle reveals evidence he’s acquired over the years and begins to speculate as to what he believes has been going on. In present day, the investigation leads our detectives to unexpected places. Clues from past episodes are starting to fall into place and the finale can’t come any sooner - I can’t remember being more eager to see how a new series plays out. Still, I also can’t help but wish the season was a bit longer. Either way this series looks to go down as having one of the strongest first seasons in recent memory, and sole writer Nic Pizollatto and director Cary Joji Fukuanaga should carry most of that praise. The first seven episodes have been perfectly paced and consistent in tone, with phenomenal performances by the main cast because the characters are perfectly drawn out in the scripts. Let us know what you’re most excited for, and share any theories you have in the comments. Get ready for an ending you won't forget on Sunday night.

Excerpts from “After You’ve Gone”

“You better get those jumper cables ready. Motherfucker’s lying.”

“Rejoyce. Death is not the end. You know Carcosa…”

“I was gonna play baseball, ride bulls… you know, you end up becoming something you never intended. I guess you never really even know why.”

True Detective airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO. "After You've Gone" premieres March 2nd. Follow me on Twitter for updates on True Detective and all my other SpoilerTV work.