Form and Void

I finally got a chance to watch those first three eps of True Detective that I had missed back in January. The entire series was just as good the second time around and that last episode was still a nail-biter, even though I already knew the ending. Re-watching that final scene outside the hospital I noticed that, while the focus is on Matthew McConaughey's Rust and his emotional journey, for me it is Marty that truly shines. Woody Harrelson's voice has such a calming cadence to it in that scene. I noticed that he wears the voice of a father. It's a very specific way of speaking that not many men possess. That slow and steady pacing that's used to quiet and comfort a child when they're sick or scared or upset. Some men don't know how to handle seeing other men get emotional and I felt like Marty was one of those fellas. But in that moment, outside the hospital when Rust breaks down, there's a pause. A stop. That's when Marty does the only thing he knows how to do for someone that is distressed like this. He puts on his dad voice and distracts Rust from his thoughts of sorrow and reminds him of a time when he was at peace. He made Rust reach back in to his past and recover those moments when he was so alone that all he could do was look up at the night sky and make up stories to comfort himself.

The dark is a lot more territorial.

That's such a gorgeous line. Like, don't let this darkness overtake you, man. I know everyone admires McConaughey in this scene, and agreed, he was excellent, but for me, Harrelson was so beautifully perfect that it made my chest ache. What a remarkable scene between two exceptional actors. And the writing and directing ain't half bad, neither...

 (photo kidnapped from acrossthemargin)