True Detective Season 3: What Does The Ending Really Mean?

8. The Purpose Of The Season 1 References

True Detective Season 3 Season 1
HBO

Despite Elisa drawing the link to Season 1 of True Detective, there was to be no follow-up on that connection. The disappearance of Julie Purcell didn't suddenly lead to the discovery of a wider conspiracy. There wasn't a mention of the Yellow King. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson didn't make cameos.

So was it a red herring? With regards to anyone expecting any of the above, yes, but that wasn't the point. Instead, using Season 1 as a connective tissue was Nic Pizzolatto's way of giving viewers a clue as to how this story was going to end.

While the cases are different, there are parallels in the setup of both seasons. Season 1, like Season 3, pointed to something much grander in scope, with Reddit going crazy over the Yellow King and Carcosa. The finale, to the disappointment of some fans and critics at the time, instead largely focused on giving a more personal ending for Rust Cohle and Marty Hart. Now Am Found follows the same path: the case is closed in a relatively straightforward fashion, before we get a more intimate conclusion for Hays and West. The signs were there all along.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.