For our review of the last episode of True Detective, click here.
Synopsis: Hays recalls his early romance with Amelia, as well as cracks in their relationship that surfaced after they married and had children. Ten years after the Purcell crimes, new evidence emerges, giving him a second chance to vindicate himself and the investigation. (HBO)
Writer: Nic Pizzolatto
Director: Daniel Sackheim
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 55mins
Airs: Sundays at 9pm on HBO Canada (Canada)/HBO (United States)
In the best episode of the season so far, we finally get to see more characters beyond the original 80s timeline as more gaps are being filled, connecting the three timelines.
West is still around in the 90s as he was also deposed and picks up the original case where we left off with the note that the Purcells received. The focus of the 80s investigation shifted back to the kids and what they were doing the day they went missing. We know they lied to their father about what they were doing as they were really spending a lot of time in the woods playing some sort of game that was only known to them. Meanwhile, the 80s timeline saw Hays and Amelia getting even closer.
A search of the woods led Hays to the Purcells’ played area which was also where Will Purcell died. An unidentified set of fingerprints implied that someone else was there. Tom and Lucy may not have been able to identify the toys that were found in the kids’ play area in the woods but even more damning evidence was found, implying that the suspect may be very close to the family. The owner of the land was uncooperative but he did provide some new evidence of a black man and a woman in a strange brown sedan that was seen in the area. Another lead took them to Lucy Purcell’s former employer. Meanwhile, Woodard got beat up by a group of men who were still suspicious of him (though the bag he was carrying later on looked suspicious).
With the news that Julie Purcell was alive, 90s Hays and Amelia continued to work the case themselves. This was a cause of major friction in their marriage as they began to drift apart. Amelia did not want to let go, leaving Hays to try and hold everything together. Meanwhile, West was now a lieutenant with major crimes and paid a visit to Tom Purcell who was now a widower and in a better place thanks to West.
2015 Hays was coming to terms with the fact that he appeared to be suffering from dementia. However, he wasn’t willing to give up without a fight. The brown sedan was brought up again during an interview as Hays was confronted with new information about the Purcell case that put his original investigation into question. It seemed that some people who were never interviewed talked about seeing the brown sedan. Doubt grew within Hays as he was succumbing to dementia. In a very emotional sequence, he would hallucinate Amelia who would challenge him to finish the case.
The episode ended in the 90s timeline with a reunion between Hays and West who had drifted apart after their original investigation. There were no hard feelings between the two and when they met, it was like no time had passed at all. The respect was still there. The Purcell case was being reopened and West was put in charge. He wanted Hays to come back on the case. Hays agreed to come back on.
Overall, The Big Never was another excellent episode of True Detective that got us even closer to the end while catching up with the other characters. Knowing what we know about the show, we’ve surely only scratched the surface. However, it’s been an engaging ride so far. While the real answers surely lie in the 2015 timeline but it will be exciting to see how it all works together. This episode started to connect the timelines as details from the first investigation appeared in the later timeline. The story has been compelling to watch so far thanks to its characters. This episode was full of strong character moments led by the excellent performances of Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff. What Ali does with Hays within the various timelines has been masterful. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see where it all goes moving forward.
Score: 9.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.