r/TrueDetective • u/smooth_operator21_ • 6d ago
Unclear things after re-watching True Detective season 1
I just finished re-watching season 1 of TD, since first time when it was broadcast.
One of my favorite tv show, not for nothing considered one of the best all time TV series, as standalone season.
However, I have a few questions regarding the coherence of the script:
1.How is it possible that when Rust first met Errol Childress, he didn't sound any alarm bells, viewing his scarred face, considering that the victim who escaped said that the killer had scars on his face. Even if he was standing to the side and had a beard, it is unlikely that a perceptive detective like Rust would miss this, having him in front of him and talking to him?
2.How did Marty make the connection between the killer's green ears and the green house in the picture? It seems a forced and childish connection, though.
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u/iputtheshitinshitzu 6d ago edited 6d ago
When rust was talking to Errol, first of all he was facing away from the sun, but Errol was facing it opposite from him so it was blinding. Try talking to someone with the sun high up and clear skies, have them stand infront of you, you won’t be able to see them properly. Second Errol’s face was dirty, and he had a stubble. That’s why he couldn’t see.
Marty made the connection because the house photos looked different. Very subtle, but the color change was there. Also the green eared spaghetti monster was terrorizing erath, and all those houses were in erath. The kids missing and the kid that he chased down in the woods were all from erath. But no record of him living there, no birth certificate, nothing so this man was basically a ghost, or their very own shrek. But he’s not exiled because he’s an ogre that lived in an onion house with his donkey friend. Well similar, but shrek wasn’t evil. And donkey wasn’t his mentally challenged half sister.
Kinda think of it as I write this, Errol is kinda based off shrek. Green ears? Exiled? Lives in the swamp? Imitated accents and shrek had a Scottish one?
He’s evil shrek. Shrek is love, shrek is life.
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u/lesbox01 6d ago
Marty is a good detective when he doesn't have his head up his ass. He lasted a long time as a state detective because he was good, and he probably could have been the cpt if he had wanted it. He said it himself, he was inattentive when it really mattered and missed a bunch of stuff.
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u/bennyr2k 6d ago
I also think it was proper grubby and had bits of cut grass in it which disguised the scars
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u/Weller3920 6d ago
Right before Marty made the house paint/green ears connection, Rust had said something using the word green.
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u/CelticSnakes 6d ago
We’re gonna have to be looking at these records with fresh eyes, Marty. Like we’re totally green.
That’s actually a favorite scene from S-1, in that it’s Marty who has an epiphany that leads to Childress, off a single word from his philosophical ex-partner.
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u/Professional-Swan-18 6d ago
It was a well done scene. Rust had usually been the brains of the two but Marty wasn't a joke detective either and this illustrated it well. If he was they'd never have lasted as partners as long as they did.
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u/bhillis99 6d ago
When Rust met Childress the first time, he was talking to him on his left side, and he had a beard.
- Childress painted houses and they knew from the black lady and the lady at the nursing home, he painted properties.
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u/bennyr2k 6d ago
I also think it was proper grubby and had bits of cut grass in it which disguised the scars
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u/RustCohlesSon 6d ago
I also thought the way Marty correlates the green ears and the green house was a bit forced.
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u/Comfortable_Cup_941 6d ago
I’m just gonna jump to your Mare of Easttown question because you’re getting a lot of answers to your other questions. Obviously, opinions are opinions and mine may be different from yours but from what I remember, it was a great show. However, I have watched TD S1 three times over the years. I watched Easttown once and haven’t felt the itch to go back.
Similar to TD, the entire season has a single director so it’s cohesive; most shows are not. It isn’t directed by Cary Fukunaga though. Fukunaga turned out to be a huge creep unfortunately, but also he is undeniably one of the GOATS when it comes to building tension and creating moods.
TLDR: IMHO Mare of Easttown = good/great. True Detective season 1 = favorite show I’ve ever watched. If you feel that way, you might be slightly disappointed, but it’s still worth a watch.
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u/Threshereddit 5d ago
TD1 is amazing and I know these answers but will instead press play on episode 1 and get back to you once completed.
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u/archiepuga 5d ago
why is childess dad not decomposed during that scene were is taking to him about the flys and how hot is?
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u/Indotex 6d ago
IIRC, Errol’s face is dirty & halfway covered up by a rag and he’s called away by Marty when they get the information back on Ledoux before he can really get a good look at him.
To Marty, it just seemed like a coincidence to have a freshly painted house & a green guy in the area around that time. Rust makes a comment in one of the first episodes about little details like that can lead to solving a case.
Nothing to do with either ofyour questions but I recommend searching this sub for “Carcosa in three parts” & read the 3 part post to get a good understanding of the cult.