Daniel Sackheim (“The Leftovers,” “Ozark”) stepped in and did a remarkable job under pressure - well, he did a remarkable job period, but the episode looks even better when you imagine his limited prep time and tight shooting schedule. It’s worth noting Episode 3, “The Big Never,” was supposed to be Jeremey Saulnier’s third episode, before “scheduling issues” prevented him from completing his original commitment. What happens with the case each week can be intriguing, and yes, all these developments and more should generate some pretty far out theories - who’s thinking Amelia (Carmen Ejogo) died before certain scenes in the middle timeline starts? - but what made Season 1 so addictive was the atmosphere and partnerships two aspects of a cop drama no one had seen before, not like this, and two attributes Nic Pizzolatto has proven himself to be very, very good at developing.Īs far as the ambiance goes, there’s plenty of evocative moments to choose from: the glowing red Walgreens light that casts an intensity - maybe even a romantic intensity? - over Wayne and Amelia’s stakeout the overstocked shelves of a busy Wal-Mart contrasting with Wayne’s panicked, tightly-framed search for his missing daughter the blurry image of Amelia sitting behind Wayne in the present, as he imagines what his wife might say to him now, if she could.īut let’s look at a relatively simple set-up instead. Plus, now there’s a mysterious black man with a scar and a suit who’s hanging around Devil’s Den? Who’s that? Why didn’t Wayne know about him? What does it all mean?! Hoo boy, a whole lot happened in “True Detective” this week! Turns out the Purcell kids didn’t go over to Ronnie’s house as many times as they say they did - so who were they seeing? The evidence in William’s recovered backpack points to an adult - who else would buy all those toys for him? How does the communion photo figure into all this, given Will’s body was left in a similar, praying pose after his death? And what about the dice, the bloody rocks, and the house near the suspected murder site? Speaking of the woods, what did Wayne ( Mahershala Ali) leave in the woods? Amelia’s ghost seems to think he’s covering something up, so it’s not just the aging detective’s deteriorating memory that’s holding up the investigation.