True Southern Gothic

There's a lot of plot material to work through in the last two episodes of season one of True Detective, and to be honest the plot itself is pretty ridiculous and so far beyond the probable as to be almost ludicrous at times; reminded me in a way of Girl w/ Dragon Tattoo - all these disappearances and dismemberments and nobody makes the connection until Rust becomes obsessed a decade later - and then things fall into place with amazing ease (just happen to find a woman in a nursing home who just happens to remember who painted her house 20 years ago and what he looked like ... and so forth). That said, particularly in the last episode, we get plenty of the material that draws us to this odd series: the long bizarre introspective philosophical rants from Rust, set off by the blunt incredulity of Marty; their tense but deep bond of affection and grudging respect; the excellent cinematography; and the extreme Southern gothic, with grotesque characters, weed-choked ruined buildings, remote and insular communities. That's been enough to keep me watching, even though I don't believe it for a minute, and I'll probably return for season 2.