True Detective Season 3 Ending: 4 Biggest Unanswered Questions (& 8 Actually Explained)
7. Answered: What Was The Point Of The True Crime Documentary
True Detective often plays out like a fictionalized version of a true crime documentary, something the writer took to heart. He added the character of Elisa, a young and eager woman who wants to get to the bottom of the Purcell case just as bad as Wayne Hays.
When a fan asked Pizzolatto, “What is the point of a journalist?” He responded, “The point of the journalist was to draw Wayne back into the case and provide impetus for its reemergence while at the same time addressing and discounting conspiracy theories.” Seems to be a direct response to the many fans who would go online and continuously theorize about who the killer was in season 1 (or who do the same thing for real life murders).
It was a clever way to have some exposition, though felt a bit blindsiding to just end it with zero resolve once he felt her time was through. As Pizzolatto previously mentioned, “They’re done with her.”