Mr. Ali's portrayal of Det. Hays provides a master class into the psyche of a lone Black official charged with small town Arkansas
law enforcement and investigation in the late 1900s, struggling to maintain his balance on a suspended wire which is at times taut, other times slack and at all times gripped by unreliable "brothers in sport coats." Yes, Hays' smiles are parsed out selectively, there is too much at stake, and I am enjoying the authenticity of the cautious relationship between the two partners.
As for the Walmart incident in which Hays lost track of his little daughter Rebecca, I believe the Atlanta Child Murders was a national crisis at around that time instilling fear, paranoia and hyper vigilance among Black parents.
Season Three has the potential to meet the perfection of True Detective One. I am all in.
4
I can't be the only one that noticed the crayon drawing of The Yellow King (Season 1) that Det. Hays saw while examining sketchbooks in the missing girl's room. It was on the screen for a split second, I swear, and it looked like she drew it.
I would watch Mr Ali read the phone book, so I love this season. Having lost a toddler in a giant mall after looking at a storefront for 20 seconds, I found his anguish and subsequent barking at his wife very realistic.
5
I am enjoying the new season. I love the dialogue and the slow roll out of the answers to the puzzle of who abducted the two children and why. The partnership between the detectives is, as in the last season, the real reason to watch. Nothing will ever come close to Season 1, but this will do just fine.
7
SO looking forward to the new season of True Detective - I am a huge Mahershala Ali fan - hoping so much to see excellence of Season 1 with Woody Harrelson and Matthew Mcconaughey. Such a huge disappointment! Where is the humor, chemistry between Hays and his partner West? Plot is boring; don't care about the outcome anymore. Sorry, Pizzolatto, I won't be watching for a Season 4.
2
One thought struck me when watching this episode was who took the photo of the little boy with his hands folded in prayer that the police found in the photo album? Was it the parents or a professional photographer with ties to the church the family attended? Another excellent episode.
2
I wondered if it was the wife’s brother who took the photograph. The one who had lived with them and had the peep hole into the child’s room.
True Detective is crime noir at its finest. Pizzolatto has mined this genre from a distinctly American perspective. There is always a focus on the relationship between the partners, and this series doesn't disappoint. Hays berates West when he doesn't push back on his superiors in a meeting, saying that they are "his tribe". The racial differences are brought up but never over-played. Hays apologizes to West for his "affirmative action" comment and then walks off to partner with him again on the case. Both actors are excellent, though Ali's emotions seem suck between sad and angry. Wish this handsome actor would smile!
13