True Detective Review: The Great War and Modern Memory (Season 3 Episode 1)
Memory plays a major role on True Detective Season 3 Episode 1, “The Great War and Modern Memory,” as the mysterious Purcell case brings before detectives Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) and Roland West (Stephen Dorff) unimaginable tragedy and baffling aftermath.
A lazy town in Arkansas leads off the mystery, where normal life is only as normal as the cracks under the surface will allow. The cracks are growing, just like those in Wayne Hays’ memories. The Purcell children, Will and Julie, ride their bikes across town toward an unknown fate to lead off the beginning of a decades-long story.
The story is three layers deep: with the disappearance and investigation of the children in 1980, to the follow-up in 1990, to the true crime television interview in 2015; it’s a large canvas similar to the first season, and finds Wayne on a journey through his own mind as he puts together the pieces of what happened all those years before.
“I think I’m done for today.” – Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali)
Wayne Hays is a fascinating character for Mahershala Ali, three different stages of life all rounding into a portrait of a man lost to time and his every action under scrutiny. In 1980, the faint hints of racist undertones paint his every move of authority, where other cops are slow to accept his requests and even a friendly hand on the shoulder is taken with some offense.
In 1990, in the heat of a deposition, his every move and action is under scrutiny. In 2015, with time stretching the truth away from him, Wayne struggles to remind himself of what really happened, recording audio of himself as a way of remembrance. It’s a pained performance, and one Ali handles with brilliance.
The disappearance of Will and Julie Purcell is the catalyst of the series. Their travels by bike leave many clues, be it the teens in the purple Volkswagen, the go-kart man who collects trash, or even the unassuming neighbor who waves gleefully as they pass by. When nightfall arrives, Wayne and his partner Roland begin by working from the inside out.
Their search of the Purcell home is methodical, and the little details uncovered are hints at a fractured and perhaps disturbing home. There’s cousin Dan, who stayed for some time in Will’s room, a room with Playboys under the mattress and a peephole into his sister Julie’s room.
There’s the imploding marriage of the parents, Lucy (Mamie Gummer) and Tom (Scoot McNairy), whose venomous fighting must have had some bearing on the children.
The episode uses its facts sparingly and realistically, where some are reluctant to provide a full picture in order to protect themselves. Everyone has their secrets, and the show uses this expertly to make us question every motive. Wayne and Roland question the teens in the Volkswagen, where one coughs up having seen Will and Julie pass by them, while another says the kids were at the nearby park.
The partnership between Wayne and Roland is refreshing, where there is no animosity or question of what each brings to the table; they are a co-equal complement to each other and play to each other’s strengths.
Stephen Dorff plays Roland almost as though he is on defense to Wayne’s offensive, allowing him to take the steps forward while covering from behind. It’s a great dynamic which really helps sell their friendship and camaraderie.
The kernels of Wayne’s friendship with Amelia (Carmen Ejogo), a teacher at Will’s school, also promises a bedrock relationship for Wayne. She becomes his wife, we find out, but seeing the beginning of that relationship and how Wayne is interested in everything she has to say is excellent grounded work for Ali to play to break away from the darker narrative running through most of the episode.
“Roland? I found the boy.” – Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali)
The pathfinder skills Wayne possesses (both from Vietnam and hunting) leads down to a ravine, where Will’s bike is found. Strange dolls leads him to a cave enclosure in Devil’s Den, where he discovers the body of Will in prayer. It’s a haunting image, and leaves open so many questions, with the largest looming strong: Where is Julie?
In 1990, our answer is provided: Julie’s fingerprints were picked up at a burglary, now likely in her late teens. It’s an enigmatic idea, for a girl to disappear at such a young age, never to return home, but to reappear in a life of crime. It will be fascinating to piece together with several timelines leaving so many clues.
But it’s in the memory of all these events the episode takes greater shape. We are seeing pieces of the story, but it can be hard to tell if we’re seeing the full picture.
There are moments where Wayne’s voiceover causes his past self to look up, as though he hears himself, or a shot of the moon becomes the lighting in the true crime interview. Are we seeing everything, or only the fragments Wayne can remember?
It’s a great start to the season, providing Ali a wonderful character in Wayne Hays, and creator Nic Pizzolatto and crew have crafted a mesmerizing beginning about the power of the past as someone loses grip of it.
Some stray thoughts:
- The theme song during the credits for the season is “Death Letter” by Cassandra Wilson.
- Jeremy Saulnier’s direction is fantastic, with some incredible shots and beautiful use of lighting.
- The Black Sabbath being satanical on the kids’ shirt was a fun little back and forth.
- Wayne stopping the fox from being shot in the junkyard is an intriguing metaphor, his first reaction being to stop a predator from being killed. But is it because he is the predator in the story, with hunting skills to back it up, or he will allow the hunter to roam free?
What did you think of this episode of True Detective? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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True Detective airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.