‘True Detective’ Recap: ‘The Great War and Modern Memory’ & ‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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It’s been quite some time since we’ve sat down to discuss HBO’s True Detective, roughly four years in fact, simply because the second season of this show, one that offered up a twisted and nightmarish noir, involving a grand conspiracy and the secrets we hide, was supremely ill received by fans of this series. They simply longed for the days of season one, where two damaged detectives in the bayou reflected upon a disturbing case involving a serial killer, one who showed signs of resurgence years after lying dormant and this divide amongst the fanbase and critics, more or less sent the show into hiding and that’s a shame if you ask me.
 
For I am one of the few who actually enjoyed season two through and through simply because it is clear that the powers that be truly want each season to stand on their own and I applaud any T.V. series that tries to push the storytelling envelope. However, I also fully understand that sometimes audiences aren’t quite ready for that kind of paradigm shift and prefer that the show sticks with what works and really what matters the most here is that HBO heard the criticism and allowed for the show’s creator, Nic Pizzolatto, to take the time to tinker with the show’s formula so that fans everywhere can enjoy every aspect of this series once again, and now, years later, the rejigging in question has come to its end, and a new season of this series is upon us, which begs a million dollar question; were HBO and Nic successful in revitalizing the magic this saga brought forth all those years ago?
 
The answer to that question, is a resounding yes. Because the two-hour season three premiere of the series, ‘The Great War and Modern Memory’ and ‘Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye’ provided us with every single element that helped us fall in love with the show in the first place. In fact, it would seem that blending together the best parts of season one and two is going to be a focus for season three, and for proof, look no further than how the time jump, has made a triumphant return. For if you recall, in season one, the story jumped between 1995 and 2012 consistently, with a little 2002 thrown in for good measure. And here, the story takes us on a journey with Detective Wayne Hart through three periods in time; 1980, 1990 and 2015, and while it seems as though that many jumps would be confusing, the story handles these transitions in the smoothest of fashion and subtle and great changes to the character help us to identify where we are in the timeline. 

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But I made mention of how elements from season two find their way into this tale as well, and that’s accomplished by way of resurrecting the bleak and hopeless vibe that permeated last season from beginning to end and a case involving a pair of missing children, one of whom turns up dead, is what provides us with some incredible darkness in this tale. After all, we are privy to seeing how the parents and the people of this Ozark community react to something as heinous as this, and there is some genuine hopelessness that comes forth from seeing those reactions and what truly impressed me was how quickly these two episodes established the feeling that something incredibly sinister is happening in this town, and how it’s going to take a lot of digging to uncover who would be twisted enough to harm a child, and whatever Hays and his and his partner Roland West find, is going to shatter this community like never before.
 
However, we have talked a lot about how past seasons have snuck their way into this season, which begs another question, does season three have anything original to offer, and it most certainly does. For this season, thus far anyway, is quite the intimate affair, unlike the prior two chapters in this story which were quite grandiose in scope. Because this tale focuses heavily on Detective Hays and how this case has impacted so much of his life, and by making Hays the centerpiece of the story, we are privy to his hopes and fears and demons when it comes to this case and that allows for the investigation to progress at a different pace since we bear witness to how every revelation and discovery impacts Hays emotionally and that’s just a phenomenal twist to add to the series. And it is greatly enhanced by the performance of actor Mahershala Ali, who plays Detective Hays, because he outright puts on an acting clinic in this story, since he gives Hays unique depth in every single timeline.
 
Yet, while this reconstruction/revamp of this series is downright fascinating in its own right, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, that we haven’t talked much about the case and there’s good reason for that. Because it’s inherently evident that these two episodes serve as the grand setup for the mystery that will hang heavy over this season and it would be silly to speculate on the investigation since we know so little at this point. If anything, I appreciate the slow burn approach to Will and Julie’s respective murder and kidnapping since it allows for a classic detective story to unfold and really when all is said and done, I absolutely loved this premiere. The series is quite frankly, better than ever, and I’m utterly hooked by what’s unfolding and I am definitely ready to learn more about this heinous crime and whether or not Detective Hays can find peace and resolution when it comes to a case that has haunted his soul for thirty-five years. Until next time.  

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