TV - True Detective Season 1, Episode 5

It's getting dark and strange now. Steve Taylor-Bryant with his thoughts of The Secret Fate of all Life...

This is not a show for the shallow of mind and is certainly not for those with a weak disposition as this episode brings pure evil and darkness crashing into your life. On the search for a killer you expect a certain level of horror, whether it be visual or psychological but done in relation to the case, not a man's family and, amongst the clouded story of Reggie Ledoux's shooting, it's Hart's family issues that bore down on my soul. Having an eight year old daughter probably didn't help as I watched Hart struggle to control his teenage daughter, who not only acted out through clothing and make up but was caught in a state of undress with two men and brought home by the police. This is any father's worst nightmare, the loss of innocence, older men tainting the mind of youth. I don't know how I'd handle the situation and that scared me almost as much as watching Hart fill with rage.

Whilst following a lead, the two detectives stumble upon a booby trapped meth lab. Adamant they must get the man who slayed Dora Lange, Cohle sets about tracking the detectives' path through trip wires, grenades and home made mines. Once in the den they find Reggie Ledoux, take him outside and hand cuff him. Cohle stands watch whilst Hart explores the squalor, finding two children locked away. One is high on meth and the other is dead. Hart then proceeds outside and shoots Ledoux from close range. Whilst trying to take down De Wall, the two men witness him explode on one of his own homemade mines. Acting quickly, Cohle devises a plot to rescue his partner from an obvious investigation, fires the criminal's AK-47 wildly into the undergrowth and the men concoct a tale of bravery in the face of enemy fire.

After the back slapping and awards, Cohle becomes a closer, the man you bring in when you need an admission of guilt. During one such admission a prisoner, Guy Leonard Francis, starts talking about The Yellow King and the Dora Lange case. This infuriates Cohle, who assaults the prisoner. Did Hart and Cohle get the wrong man? Is Lange's killer still out there somewhere? Are the ritual deaths that brought Hart and Cohle to be questioned by Gilborough and Papiana linked to the same killer?

It appears so and it also appears that Cohle is a prime suspect after coming from an eight year sabbatical, where no one knew where he was, to arriving at crime scenes multiple times.

Whilst it was plainly obvious from the start that one of the two detectives was going to be accused eventually, the build up was emotional. I think Cohle as the perpetrator is too obvious for such a well made show but, with only three episodes left, the twists are sure to keep coming.

If you can stomach watching it then this is an incredible journey.

Image - IMDb.