This crime drama is centred on two Louisiana detectives, Marty Hart and Rust Cohle and their investigation of a particularly disturbing murder. A woman's naked body was found at a remote location; posed with a stag's antlers on her head and with strange 'stick sculptures' nearby. This crime took place in 1995 and we are shown it in flashback as other officers interview them about the case in 2012. Inevitably as the season progresses the plot deepens, more potential victims emerge along with various suspects.
If you like your crime drama to be fast paced and action packed then this might not be for you; it moves at a fairly slow pace. This doesn't mean it is boring though; quite the opposite. I was gripped from start to finish. While there isn't a lot of action there is some and occasionally there are sudden moments of shocking violence. As much as the story is about solving a crime it is about its effects on our two protagonists; Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey really impress in these roles. The latter is particularly good as Cohle is so different in 1995 and 2012. The series has a great look with the Louisiana scenery almost being another character... it looks as if nature is just waiting to take over. As the story approaches its conclusion it employs tropes one might expect in a horror film leading me to wonder about the safety of Marty and Rust. Overall I'd definitely recommend watching this; this season has a proper conclusion so it can be enjoyed on its own; on the strength of this I'll watch further seasons given the chance.
If you like your crime drama to be fast paced and action packed then this might not be for you; it moves at a fairly slow pace. This doesn't mean it is boring though; quite the opposite. I was gripped from start to finish. While there isn't a lot of action there is some and occasionally there are sudden moments of shocking violence. As much as the story is about solving a crime it is about its effects on our two protagonists; Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey really impress in these roles. The latter is particularly good as Cohle is so different in 1995 and 2012. The series has a great look with the Louisiana scenery almost being another character... it looks as if nature is just waiting to take over. As the story approaches its conclusion it employs tropes one might expect in a horror film leading me to wonder about the safety of Marty and Rust. Overall I'd definitely recommend watching this; this season has a proper conclusion so it can be enjoyed on its own; on the strength of this I'll watch further seasons given the chance.