True Detective Season 3: 10 Craziest Fan Theories
7. Hays' Desire To Protect Julie Caused His Divorce
Once he’s agreed to keep Julie’s secret (whatever it is), friction builds between Hays and Amelia. Through her book, she’s heavily invested in the case too. Either she wants to bring the perpetrators to justice or senses a juicy opportunity for a sequel.
When Hays insists on keeping his word to Julie, their arguments get bigger until divorce becomes inevitable. We’ve already seen both of them fighting and drinking so far. If that gets worse it isn’t going to end well, especially around two kids.
After that set up, a divorce would not be hugely surprising. However, if that divorce has connections to the case, that would certainly make for an interesting reveal, and highlight how personal this case became.
A secondary part of this theory links to a passing comment Hays makes to his son. He threatens to kill himself before being put in a retirement home. The tone of the scene reads as sour, stubborn sarcasm, but that’s not to say there isn’t a kernel of truth to the words. He’s kept Julie’s secret all these years; he might rather take it to his grave than risk spilling it in an old folks home.