Following a number of thrilling action scenes in previous episodes, the next hour of True Detective focuses on the lives of both Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson) and Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) several years after their major case. During the interviews in the present day, we’ve been told on many occasions about the two falling out and not seeing each other for years, but the latest airing gives us the full reasoning of their feud and how a number of personal experiences play a huge part in the matter, even on top of problems on the job alone.
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As always, the episode moves straight into a striking scene, as Hart visits the cell of the two men who were caught having sex with his daughter in a vehicle, and expectedly chooses to kick the shit out of them, for lack of better words. Though he seems pretty confident at the time of the incident, it’s clear the moment gets to him after puking outside the station once stepping into his car. Meanwhile, Cohle chooses to continue his mischievous ways by visiting families of missing children without approval. The two interviewers in the present day then bring Maggie in for questioning, and reiterate that Cohle is the person they are looking into, but understand that she may hold information due to him being Hart’s close partner, despite herself and her husband splitting up. They mention that information is required on Cohle during 2002, regarding why he moved away and what he’s been doing over the years, but Maggie assures that she hasn’t been in contact with him, and only knew him to be a good man. The cops are suspicious that he was involved in a terrible incident, and mention something went wrong with him and based on their studies, things don’t look good.
Later on, Hart decides to purchase a new phone from an attractive employee named Beth in a store, and not by coincidence, manages to bump into her in the one of the nearby bars. The pair get talking and she brings up her awareness that he’s in the police force due to him asking around about a case in the past, and they eventually end up sleeping together. Cohle’s constant questioning of suspects is sustained later in the episode, after revisiting a number of reverends, including the man in charge of the revival, who decided to quit after finding a book containing images of naked children. Cohle is then shown back at the station interviewing a woman in a charming manner, but uses quick wit to bribe the girl into revealing information. The battle between the partners begins here after being frustrated in the interview room, not long before Cohle orders Hart to type out the report after assuming he has nowhere to be. Hart then confronts Cohle about his recent attitude surrounding the breakup, and Rust suggests he is the main man out of the two.
Cohle then visits the care home of a girl named Kelly and requests information on men who hurt her in the past, who claims the man with facial scars was the worst, and made her want what he supposedly did to someone named Billy, but immediately screams in distress due to her regressive catatonia. Cohle is ordered to stop looking into cases that aren’t of his concern, but later chooses to keep following up his own reports and is consequently suspended for one month without pay.
Maggie finds images of the girl Hart has been seeing on his phone, and later heads over to Cohle’s place in fear, but politely brings along a bottle of wine. Reluctantly as ever, she chooses to move onto Cohle and they immediately have sex, after claiming they are alike in having no choice but to see themselves in each other, no matter how hard they try to stop. Maggie later tells Hart about finding the images, and declares that herself and Cohle had sex. Shortly after that, Cohle turns up to work despite the fact he isn’t supposed to be there, which gives Hart the opportunity to head outside and spark a fight in the parking lot, causing Cohle to quit his job moments later. The problem with the entire situation is that the pair decide not to reveal that the situation was to do with Maggie, and she too chooses not to mention the experience in the present day.
Following both of the former partners’ interviews, Cohle catches up with Hart down a quiet road and informs him to pull over. The two have a quick chat and decide to head to a bar for a drink, and just before they pull away, Hart loads a gun in preparation for meeting.