‘True Detective’ Theories: Episode 6 'Haunted House' Recap; Plus Who is ‘The Yellow King'?

Despite thoroughly enjoying “True Detective, ”admittedly I was left a bit disappointed by episode 6 “Haunted Houses,” being that the incredibly short 8 episode season is coming to close I was simply expecting more. In addition, the main action of the episode seemed predictable and somewhat of a cop out, the audience was finally able to see Maggie in 2012 however, she is still not central to the story, continually a pawn in her ex-husband’s cat and mouse game even a decade later. The only growth in Maggie seems bitter and resentful, peppered with a touch of Cohle’s outlook immediately telling the two male detectives, “In a former life, I used to exhaust myself navigating crude men who thought they were clever. So ask your questions, or I’m leaving.” The thing that’s disappointing about this supposed revelation is its lack of sincerity, Maggie had sex with Rust for a very specific purpose, not because she was in love with him, not because he was the only man to show her affection, but because her infidelity with Rust would hurt Marty the most. I knew this was going to happen from the very moment that Marty scolded Rust in “The Locked Room,” bellowing “you don’t mow another man’s lawn.” I actually would have preferred for Maggie to have slept with the guy she met at the bar, she introduced herself as “Margaret” and for a spilt second in the world of “True Detective” she was rid of both Marty and Rust, however she later reveals to Rust that she couldn’t go through with it. So in an attempt to assert her independence, Maggie took a cowards way out and seduced her husband’s partner in the middle of the night, amongst pictures of dead women while he was in a drunken stupor.

Maggie wasn’t the only disappointing female character in “Haunted Houses,” the audience revisited Beth who was originally seen on the bunny ranch, Marty gave her some money and instructed her to “find something better.” At first glance it seems like she did, she now maintains a steady job but she is still damaged, not many people order martinis on their lunch break. After first seeing him in the store, Beth quickly begins her infatuation with Marty, referencing both the money he gave her way back when and also his fame from the local press. Marty immediately takes the bait and begins cheating on Maggie again. The marriage is broken once again, Maggie waits resentfully feeding Marty dinner after checking his cell phone and seeing the nude pictures form his girlfriend. All Beth’s role is to instigate the pre-existing issue, continually touching her body while sporting lingerie while on the phone with Marty. The female roles are too foreseeable, the wife bidding her time for the perfect moment to vengefully strike back her husband, and the mistress whose breathy voice is too tempting for any man to handle. Been there, done that.

But while “Haunted Houses” was not a success on its own, the end of the inaugural season for “True Detective” is setting up to be killer. The plot is certainly moving towards Tuttle, and even hints at the possibility of a police cover up. Yes, Rust was warned by his commanding officer to stop digging into to old cases but why? Why would you demand that your star detective stop working, why wouldn’t you want cases solved while you are his boss? Good for business right? Well apparently not as soon as Rust spoke to Tuttle he was severely reprimanded -- suspended for a month with no pay. This punishment was so harsh, that even Hart, who has not defended his partner for since the Dora Lange case, speaks up on his behalf. Now of course, there could be a number of logic explanations for the suspension, one of them being the fact that Rust is on to something and Tuttle doesn’t like, and neither does the police officials covering up the growing number of dead women and children. Series creator Nic Pizzolatto has made it clear that both in the world of “True Detective” the Yellow King is central to the murder plot, and the character is central to his script. The play “The King in Yellow” is continually referenced throughout the show, the drama chronicles the lives of the readers of the work, who have now subsequently all been riven to insanity. “Haunted Houses” had two large symbolic references to the work and also to Tuttle being the Yellow King. Obviously Rust has gone a bit more off the deep end in 2012, has he been driven to insanity in his attempt to crack the Yellow King case? Seems most likely, the detective never seemed completely sane, and now after 17 years of attempting to wrangle what seems like Louisiana’s most prolific murderer Rust is more determined than ever. A psychical clue in this episode also came when Tuttle took a sip from the cup on his desk, it was a Jon Deere mug. The brand is not important but the logo is a bright yellow buck with large antlers, similar to the pair that have been the centerpiece to Cohle’s sparse apartment since he started his digging.

After Rust’s suspension, their partnership is in full dissolution. Marty knows about Maggie’s infidelity with Rust, the two beat each other to a bloody pulp and Rust quits the police force. But, don’t be fooled these two have unfished business, which is alluded to by the final scene with Rust beeping for Marty to pull over. Marty relents and pulls his spiffy Cadillac to the side of the road, the pair talk quick before agreeing to meet, as Rust pulls away his tail light on his truck is still broken. It was smashed when he threw Marty into it almost a decade earlier. While we don’t know what’s left to reveal in the past, we do know that the present plot will progress past the interviews with the current detectives. Remember back in the first minute of the premiere episode when two men are feeling after setting fire to oddly arranged kindling? Well I think that mysterious pair is Rust and Marty in 2012, finally solving and finishing the case that has disintegrated both of their lives.