Walk THE PATH

Article first published as THE PATH Review on Seat42F.

This week, Hulu presents THE PATH. The producers insist it does not depict scientology, but what it does show is a new-ish belief system that brings people in through a cult-like manner and encourages them to climb the rungs of a ladder for salvation. So yeah, at least, superficially, it does present another take on scientology.

It has become popular to dis on scientology lately, but really, what THE PATH shows could apply to basically all religions, at least when they first start, before they are changed by millions of people getting little bits of power and influence over time. It’s fresh and exciting, and the early adopters buy in whole-heartedly. There are skeptics, of course, and even for those within the faith, there are varying levels of faith.

The protagonist to root for in THE PATH is Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad). After a retreat, Eddie’s eyes are opened, or so he thinks, and he starts to doubt the legitimacy of THE PATH. He doesn’t know what to do about it, though. His wife, Sarah Lane (Michelle Monaghan, True Detective), was born into the group and embraces their doxology fully, so he can’t talk to her about it. And because of Sarah’s closeness to Cal Robertson (Hugh Dancy, Hannibal), the face of the leadership, Eddie’s place becomes tenuous. Eddie wants to question things, but can he without losing his family, whom he cares about, and the life that they have?

The question is, how dangerous is THE PATH? Were it a harmless group whose members could join or leave at will, then Eddie’s lack of faith wouldn’t matter. This applies mainly to old religions, though, that have been around for centuries or millennia (with some exception). Instead, Eddie even wavering presents a threat to the group that must be stopped, lest the fragile, fledging structure fall apart, hence where the drama picks up. Eddie senses this, and while he does deny infidelity when the notion is raised, he doesn’t exactly come clean, either, which tells us something.

It’s hard to tell what kind of leader Cal is. He doesn’t set forth the rules, but he enforces them. There is a moment in the pilot where Cal’s morality is tested, and he must choose between the high ground and betraying his stance, which he sort of does correctly. Even within the hour, though, there is some question as to whether he is as pious as he claims to be. And his actions in this situation, while different than Eddie’s, are probably the best indicator of how he will treat the wandering member of the flock.

Plus, Cal has a thing for Eddie’s wife, who chose Eddie over Cal, so that will surely play into how Cal handles the situation.

THE PATH is inherently creepy, but again, I’d say that most looks at newer religions are. It takes a certain type of personality to believe that someone in our lifetime has figured out the secrets of life, and to follow them. Religion needs followers to grow, and so it must protect itself fiercely when it hasn’t yet achieved the reach and viability to survive past the first couple of generations. The older religions have really bizarre beliefs, too, but over time, we’re grown immune to the oddities. Not so with the new.

Despite the themes being old, it makes for compelling television to look at it from a modern perspective, which most people don’t do unless it’s pointed out to them explicitly, as has been done in a handful or shows and movies recently. This series accomplishes that, and with some really terrific lead actors, I look forward to seeing if this is just an action show that tells a story, which would be fine, or if it asks the audience to hold a mirror up to their own beliefs, which would be better.

THE PATH premieres tomorrow on Hulu.

TRUE DETECTIVE Ends In Good "Form"

Article first published as TRUE DETECTIVE Ends In Good "Form" on TheTVKing.

HBO's True Detective, essentially an eight episode mini-series since a second season would have a different cast and plot, closes out the initial run this week with "Form and Void." We're now fully in the present part of the story as Rust (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty (Woody Harrelson) finally track down the serial killer that has remained free for the past couple of decades. It's a wonderful, moving conclusion to the dark, engrossing tale.

"Form and Void" serves both those watching the show for the crime plot and those that tune in for character development. Fans of the genre, and television in general, tend to fall generally into one of those two categories. It's always been a struggle for an hour long drama to serve both segments, especially in a series finale, which is typically tight for time, tying up every bit that remains lingering. True Detective strikes this balance better than most.

Some have taken to the internet to complain about how pedestrian this final episode is, and that just goes to show that you can't make everyone happy. True Detective has never been flashy, and the big climax in "Form and Void" is more intense than pretty much anything else in the year, making complaints about it not being huge enough seem ignorant. It's a program that dwells on the characters, and while I think it satisfies those looking for action, that's not been the sole purpose at any time. Nor has the mystery extended into anything beyond the scope shown, much as some might wish for something more complex, with a murderer hiding in plain sight, driven by ritual and insanity, is exactly the guy the detectives find. In my opinion, the last episode matches the others in style and substance in a very satisfying way. 

The meat of the episode is the suspenseful scene in which Rust and Marty track down the villain, Errol (Glenn Fleshler, Boardwalk Empire). Fleshler is a masterful of creepiness, fully developing the role in basically a single hour, and his cat-and-mouse game with our heroes is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the sequence. The setting is beautifully detailed in its grimness and griminess, and the score hits just the right notes at the right time. The production in this part of the installment is extremely impressive, no element left ignored.

It all culminates in a bloody battle that leaves none of the three whole. It's a scary show down, made even more terrifying by the remoteness of the locale and the lack of knowledge that help is on the way. Knowing we're at the end, there are plaguing fears that one or both protagonists could die, and it really builds some high stakes in an already stressful scene.

In the end, the killer is caught, Rust and Marty and vindicated, and bad guy is dead. Everyone goes home happy. Sort of.

Rust and Marty's friendship has drastically and irrevocably changed. This whole time, in the various time periods, they've never really clicked. In fact, at times they've been on opposite sides of a firm line. But this one unsolved case brings them back together with purpose, and finally fully focused on a common cause, they find a strong bond. This is forged even deeper after the traumatic tragedy they endure. Nothing less than what happens in "Form and Void" could cement the two men together, given their past, but now they have been, and True Detective stretches out the ending just a bit to luxuriate in this new dynamic.

What hits home after the dust is settled, as we watch the quiet scenes with Rust and Marty, is just how great these two actors are. Harrelson is known to be fantastic, and always brings the layers and the depth the role requires. McConaughey's talent is more surprising. He exhibits chameleon-like skills as Rust, the actor lost in the part, and he manages to make a couple of distinctly different versions of the man with important, connecting threads. The performances in True Detective are absolutely stellar.

The one sad thing is that Marty doesn't resolve things with his family. Marty doesn't deserve his ex-wife, Maggie (Michelle Monaghan), and though he loves her, his actions have driven her away. I like that Maggie shows up in the hospital to visit, their two daughters in tow. But I also like that Marty and Rust are going home together at the end, sans women, as Marty reconciling with the family he is estranged from so quickly so late in the game would not be realistic. The tie up here is fitting and with a hint of hope, but not the overly neat close that some might wish, and that's a good thing.

I don't know what season two will have in store for the next True Detective, but if it's half as good as season one, count me in.

TRUE DETECTIVE Truly Great

Article first published as TRUE DETECTIVE Review on Seat42F.

By the time you read this, you’ve likely already heard of HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE, premiering this weekend. And while hearing of it, you’ve probably noticed words like “magnificent,” ”intoxicating,” and “exceptional” tossed around. Yes, no show or movie releases quotes about itself without presenting their work in the best possible light. But in this case, if anything, those words do not do TRUE DETECTIVE enough justice.

TRUE DETECTIVE may be a crime show, it’s true, but it’s on a much higher plane that most of its genre, with a focus on characters and mythology spanning seventeen years, from 1995 to 2012, rather than on a case of the week. In this way, it’s like Broadchurch or The Killing, but I would argue it’s even a step smarter than those in the writing and acting. It’s a phenomenal, memorable program, everything a drama should be.

The biggest pitfall a new series faces when being lauded with such praise is how it will continue to maintain such high standards over time. TRUE DETECTIVE solves this by being an anthology series. Each season will be self-contained, with its own cast and characters. Even if the show does not get a second outing (though it has not aired, a renewal seems a given at this point), everything will be wrapped up at the conclusion of these eight episodes, which should leave viewers very satisfied, indeed.

This tale begins with “The Long Bright Dark.” A young woman is found murdered and posed in a grotesque, artistic fashion, a la NBC’s Hannibal, and Detectives Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club, Magic Mike) and Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson, No Country For Old Men, Cheers) are assigned the case. Naturally, they immediately face difficulties due to a lack of clues.

As they figure things out, older crimes begin to come into play. A local mystery of a missing girl may very well be tied into this most recent act, and the men are smart enough to see this, following any lead they get. They don’t make it too far in the first hour, but there is definitely lots of depth to plumb over the rest of the run.

In 2012, two other detectives are grilling our heroes, who haven’t seen one another in a decade, on this case. But they questioners actually seem at least as interested in the dynamic of the partnership than the dead girl, which begs the question, why? And what went wrong that split them up?

Not that Hart and Cohle were ever good friends. At the beginning of “The Long, Bright Dark,” they have been working together for three months. However, they’ve yet to have a personal conversation. Perhaps spurred on by the case, or finally accepting Hart’s wife’s (Michelle Monaghan, Gone Baby Gone) dinner invitation, Cohle comes out of his shell. Hart immediately wants to push him back into it.

The performances by Harrelson and McConaughey are nothing short of amazing. McConaughey has been trying to break the “shirtless guy” mold he developed early in his film career, and TRUE DETECTIVE definitely proves his chops as a traumatized alcoholic obsessed with death. Harrelson, meanwhile, has long been respected, and this will be icing on his cake resume, playing the intelligent family man, fair-minded enough to appreciate Cohle’s contributions, even as he despises the guy.

Both men are very different in the past and the present, both in physical appearance and in attitude. All of this comes together in a very visceral, moving way. The makeup and hair choices are flawless, hard to believe the guys could look so different, and the actors in the 2012 stuff draw us in with how their characters have changed, and we wonder what their lives are like now and how they got that way.

The two leads are the reason to tune in, pure and simple. As I said, the story if phenomenal, brilliantly crafted and well executed with a beautiful production, but it’ll be hard to focus on anything other than McConaughey and Harrelson because they have such presence. These are definitely defining roles for them, even though they’ve already had plenty of good parts before.

TRUE DETECTIVE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.