True Detective

[OregonDucks]

in my theory West doesn't know the truth... The wife made wayne keep the secret even from his partner... and that could have been what drove everyone away from eachother...

Hmmm its an interesting theory for sure. But I'd like to think Hayes would tell his partner, given all they did together in adding some major skeletons into their closets. If that is the case, Hayes never told him and we don't know if he ever does tell him, West not knowing the outcome of the case, a case that seems to have ruined his life would be pretty sad.

 

[Clayton]

Hear out this theory, and it kind of explains your comment Hockey...

what if the whole season was being told by the 2015 version of Detective Hayes... he is/was losing his memories... and all the flashbacks were his memories... which explains why the whole season was jumbled...

what if, the wife discovered ALL the secrets already, and told her husband... this explains the dream like reveal... and even perhaps why the son looks at the address at the end the way he did... and the wife told him to forget it, to protect them... Maybe that is what drove them apart finally...

other things that may confirm my theory

1. Why the wife's story just disappears
2. The coincidence of Detective hayes just forgetting what he was doing once he got to the house
3. the constant feeling that Hayes knows too much...
4. the final scene of the season, where Hayes goes into the woods, was that inferring that his memories are know all done.
5. the incomplete stories of EVERY character besides Hayes
6. Why Hayes was in EVERY scene of the series...

I would say the main thing here that suggests that your theory isnt true is that Hayes never trusted his wife. Almost all of his memories of his wife are confrontational. Its much more consistent with the theme of the season that Wayne's issues kept him from solving the case instead of Wayne solving the case then forgetting about it.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Hmmm its an interesting theory for sure. But I'd like to think Hayes would tell his partner, given all they did together in adding some major skeletons into their closets. If that is the case, Hayes never told him and we don't know if he ever does tell him, West not knowing the outcome of the case, a case that seems to have ruined his life would be pretty sad.

maybe not made him... help me remember things so I don't have to rewatch parts...

remember when the wife broke into the hospital and claimed to be divorced... what if the files she took showed that she was alive, and she helped the couple get away... What if the wife was responsible like I always thought, but instead of being part of the crime, she being part of the PROTECTION PLAN...

that would be enough reason to keep things secret, wouldn't it??

 

[MilkSpiller22]

I would say the main thing here that suggests that your theory isnt true is that Hayes never trusted his wife. Almost all of his memories of his wife are confrontational. Its much more consistent with the theme of the season that Wayne's issues kept him from solving the case instead of Wayne solving the case then forgetting about it.

another way to look at those scenes was that the wife did what she wanted, and didn't care about the relationship... He tried to protect her at every step...

 

[OregonDucks]

maybe not made him... help me remember things so I don't have to rewatch parts...

remember when the wife broke into the hospital and claimed to be divorced... what if the files she took showed that she was alive, and she helped the couple get away... What if the wife was responsible like I always thought, but instead of being part of the crime, she being part of the PROTECTION PLAN...

that would be enough reason to keep things secret, wouldn't it??

I am a bit lost on this hospital scene? I remember her going to some police department and pretending to be married, but don't remember her being at a hospital?

I guess to go with your theory as well is the wife being a teacher at the school the kids attended and that one kid, Mike, who later married Julie, maybe knew her secrets of who she played with in the woods? Told Amelia that because of the trust and Amelia knew?

But I guess I ruin my own theory with my question that follows is why Amelia would continue to investigate and try to talk to Lucy about what happened if she knew where Julie was.

 

[Clayton]

another way to look at those scenes was that the wife did what she wanted, and didn't care about the relationship... He tried to protect her at every step...

They did make everything open ended just due to the unreliable nature of Wayne.

You could totally have another season of True Detective looping the original story with the younger generation. The show ends with two girls riding away on bikes. Waynes son is a cop. The whole thing could go on repeat.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

They did make everything open ended just due to the unreliable nature of Wayne.

You could totally have another season of True Detective looping the original story with the younger generation. The show ends with two girls riding away on bikes. Waynes son is a cop. The whole thing could go on repeat.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think my theory is correct. I am just hoping it is. Otherwise it’s a pretty disappointing conclusion and season. Imo.

 

[BigFin]

Just finished it. Loved it. So at the end..spoiler...was his wife pontificating on what happened to Julie, or is it as I thought, she figured it out, but Wayne never did because he never read all of her book. And if her book was published, then wouldn't others have an inkling, esp. their cop son?

Really good, though. If Season 1 was a 100, then 3 is a 97 maybe.

 

[flyerhawk]

maybe not made him... help me remember things so I don't have to rewatch parts...

remember when the wife broke into the hospital and claimed to be divorced... what if the files she took showed that she was alive, and she helped the couple get away... What if the wife was responsible like I always thought, but instead of being part of the crime, she being part of the PROTECTION PLAN...

that would be enough reason to keep things secret, wouldn't it??

Interesting theory.

To me the whole season was about Hays and how this case affected his life, for good and mostly bad.

Throughout the season I was constantly asking myself how they could achieve some level of justice given the timelines of the show. Furthermore it wouldn't have made a lot of sense to have 70 year old West and Hays engaged in some high tension climax. So the ending actually makes sense to me.

I am still trying to figure out what the final flash back scene to Vietnam was supposed to represent.

 

[WindyCityCoug]

Yeah, she nailed it when she said he limited himself. And she was the best detective in season 3.

THIS
Amelia the wife (as annoying as she was, and the suspect team of writers did not help her at all) came out at the end as - THE TRUE DETECTIVE

Amelia was The True Detective.

 

[Clayton]

I am still trying to figure out what the final flash back scene to Vietnam was supposed to represent.

Im guessing it represents Wayne's spiritual core.

Everyone else who was involved with violence had a really difficult time adjusting to it. Lots of characters throughout the season had difficulty with this affliction. Wayne's malfunction was that he didn't know how to adjust to normal society and/or failure. He drinks for different reasons than everyone else is drinking.

He can't be a normal family guy on the porch. Thats not who he is.

 

[WindyCityCoug]

Interesting theory.

To me the whole season was about Hays and how this case affected his life, for good and mostly bad.

Throughout the season I was constantly asking myself how they could achieve some level of justice given the timelines of the show. Furthermore it wouldn't have made a lot of sense to have 70 year old West and Hays engaged in some high tension climax. So the ending actually makes sense to me.

I am still trying to figure out what the final flash back scene to Vietnam was supposed to represent.

as for final Vietnam scene, ..... many think it represents Purple's final moments as his dementia kicks in to overdrive, and he finally moves into a realm and dimension where there is no coming back.
Supposedly, soon after the other final scenes where he is happy with fam, and he learned the truth about Julie.

recall, the final scene Purple and Amelia had in the bar, when they walked out together, happily for once, as they exited the door, the bright light as they exited, a very heavenly scene.
That scene shows us that he has found some peace with himself and his wife and marriage, and the other scene a few moments later with Vietnam shows us his final moments of existence as the dementia takes over for good (or he passes on altogether) .... all of that is left for interpretation.

 

[WindyCityCoug]

Just finished it. Loved it. So at the end..spoiler...was his wife pontificating on what happened to Julie, or is it as I thought, she figured it out, but Wayne never did because he never read all of her book. And if her book was published, then wouldn't others have an inkling, esp. their cop son?

Really good, though. If Season 1 was a 100, then 3 is a 97 maybe.

yes, so The wife Amelia figured it all out way ahead of Roland and Purple, recall she visited the nuns way before Roland and Hays did, when they showed the Mike Aucoin guy and his maintenance truck from the window,
she was ahead of them, for sure, The True Detective

If not for him dropping the book in a mystical fashion toward the end, and her ghost appearance and all, he never finds out the truth. Amelia knew.....and she steered Purple to the truth so he knew before he passed on/lost his fight with dementia.

 

[OregonDucks]

I like the idea that she found out the truth and Hayes never knew because he didn't take the time to read her book, which sort of describes their unloving relationship. Your wife writes a book and you don't read it. But I guess as mentioned above, IF she writes the findings in her book wouldn't hundreds of other people, including her son know the ending?

With that theory, I think it is more likely that Amelia obviously knew a lot about the case and had some of the puzzle pieces, and Hayes himself had a lot of the puzzle pieces and it wasn't until the end there when he reads her book and gets a puzzle piece that he completes the puzzle finally.

So sort of the moral of the story is had their relationship been open and they communicated, Amelia and Hayes probably could have solved this case back in 1990. But due to him shutting her out of the case, and not wanting to hear anything about the case from her, they were both left to investigate this case on their own collecting multiple puzzle pieces, but never fully able to complete the puzzle until they put both their pieces together.

 

[Clayton]

So sort of the moral of the story is had their relationship been open and they communicated, Amelia and Hayes probably could have solved this case back in 1990. But due to him shutting her out of the case, and not wanting to hear anything about the case from her, they were both left to investigate this case on their own collecting multiple puzzle pieces, but never fully able to complete the puzzle until they put both their pieces together.

My takeaway is that sometimes shit happens in life and once a case goes cold then it goes unsolved for many reasons. I think the main intent is to subvert the normal expectations of a true crime story or a Noir.

The wife knew the little boy had a crush but it took enough time for the little boy to grow up and unexpectedly meet the girl at the church for everything to come into place. If Wayne investigates in the 90s then the church probably hides the girl and Wayne would think its a dead end. The only reason the case is solved is because enough time has passed that no one really cares anymore expect Wayne and his partner.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

I like the idea that she found out the truth and Hayes never knew because he didn't take the time to read her book, which sort of describes their unloving relationship. Your wife writes a book and you don't read it. But I guess as mentioned above, IF she writes the findings in her book wouldn't hundreds of other people, including her son know the ending?

With that theory, I think it is more likely that Amelia obviously knew a lot about the case and had some of the puzzle pieces, and Hayes himself had a lot of the puzzle pieces and it wasn't until the end there when he reads her book and gets a puzzle piece that he completes the puzzle finally.

So sort of the moral of the story is had their relationship been open and they communicated, Amelia and Hayes probably could have solved this case back in 1990. But due to him shutting her out of the case, and not wanting to hear anything about the case from her, they were both left to investigate this case on their own collecting multiple puzzle pieces, but never fully able to complete the puzzle until they put both their pieces together.

that's why I would like to believe that the wife was part of the cover up to help SAVE the girl... because then you can see why the case was never solved, and how the secrets hurt everybody...

 

[OregonDucks]

I guess too why there seems like a lack of payoff at the end is that there was no justice in the whole thing. I get that is very realistic in a lot of cold cases and when a lot of time passes, but lots of people died and also died with a bad name (the native American and the Father).

 

[MilkSpiller22]

I guess too why there seems like a lack of payoff at the end is that there was no justice in the whole thing. I get that is very realistic in a lot of cold cases and when a lot of time passes, but lots of people died and also died with a bad name (the native American and the Father).

doesn't help that the one eyed black guy seemed very resentful to his crimes... followed the case and WAITED to be caught... if he was so upset, why did he not do something about it?? like turn himself in when the girl ran away...

 

[OregonDucks]

doesn't help that the one eyed black guy seemed very resentful to his crimes... followed the case and WAITED to be caught... if he was so upset, why did he not do something about it?? like turn himself in when the girl ran away...

LOL! So true! I guess they sort of cover that hole by him saying he parked in front of Hayes' house trying to muster up the courage to confront him and tell him. But yes, and if he was worried and didn't have the courage a simple letter informing people where she was would help.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

LOL! So true! I guess they sort of cover that hole by him saying he parked in front of Hayes' house trying to muster up the courage to confront him and tell him. But yes, and if he was worried and didn't have the courage a simple letter informing people where she was would help.

I mean, I get cowardice... its a normal human trait... but it seemed liked they forced it too much... I mean, if someone was asking about a girl for so long, then why did the cops never pick him up... that's weird to itself...