re: True Detective Season One E3: "Locked Room"

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This is just to note my thoughts so far about how the show is going to pan out, using the clues that we have been given so far, and to dispute some of the other theories floating around this forum. Feel free to correct me if I've missed something.

Rust Cohle's Life Prior to Murder Investigation
* Rust lost his daughter (Sophia), who was killed in the road outside his house
* He was transferred from Robbery to Narco, and started working 24/7
* His wife, Clare, left him
* He "emptied his gun" into a drug abuser, who was injecting his infant daughter with Meth, saying he was "trying to purify her"
* State Attorney got the charges against Rust dropped, but forced him to work undercover as a junkie, for any agency that needed a Narco. There was no end date for this post
* After four years (in Feb 1993), Rust killed 3 cartel men but was hit by 3 bullets
* Rust institutionalised at Northshore Psychiatric Hospital, Texas
* After this, Rust refused psychiatric pension and instead requested transfer to Homicide, which is how he ended up in Louisiana's Criminal Investigation Division

Murder Investigation (1995)
* Marty and Rust were assigned the murder case of Dora Lange in the first 3 months of working together
* The symbol of a spiral on Dora's back represents either the cycle of life-death-rebirth, the seasons or the passing of time in Pagan culture. In Chinese art, it represents the Sun
* They suspected that the disappearance of a girl, Marie Fontenot, a few years before was connected. Although the police report stated that she left with her father, Len Shroges, her Aunt (also named Marie) doubted this as the story came from Marie's mother, Debbie. Debbie remarried and moved to Vegas.
* Neither Marty or Rust are the killer
* Marty's father-in-law is not the killer
* Marty's girls were NOT re-enacting a rape scene with their dolls (for instance, none of the male dolls were naked, despite what others in this forum have said). They were talking about children who had lost their parents in a car accident. It has not been revealed what this refers to
* Due to Rust's lack of sleep, psychiatric problems and drugs provided by his informant/prostitute, he would frequently experience hallucinations. These stopped a few years after the investigation, once he was "clean"
* There was pressure on Marty and Rust's boss to make progress in the case. This may have lead to a hasty conviction
* Lisa, Marty's mistress, worked in some capacity at the court house, and had access to his department (she brings him legal papers in episode 1)
* Marty's wife, Maggie, introduced Rust to a woman called Lori who he nearly married
* the sheriff local, Sheriff Belson, was complicit in the trailer-brothel's activities, and possibly had contact with Dora Lange. Thus, he may become a suspect
* Dora Lange arrived at the brothel because of a bad relationship or abuse from her Uncle. Possibly coincidentally, Danny Fontenot, the disabled man (stroke victim), was Marie Fontenot's Uncle, and a Bird Trap/Devil Net was found on his property. Thus, he may become a suspect
* Dora Lange spent a lot of time at a church before her death. Marty and Rust interviewed a Minister, played by Clarke Peters, in the first episode. I'd be VERY surprised if an actor of Peters' calibre is not significant to the story. Thus, he may become a suspect
* in the burnt out church at the end of ep2, there is an owl in the rafters for the whole scene [thanks llienomit for pointing this nice detail out!]
* Marty and Rust fell out around 2002 and have not spoken since

Interviews (2012)
* Marty and Rust are being interviewed because their investigation lead to someone being convicted of the murder, but a murder with the same MO has happened recently (while the man is still in prison)
* Rust asks the detectives conducting the interviews whether they want to hear about "the hero shot - the place where we carried the kids out". The investigation may culminate to this event, where children were in danger from the killer
* The detectives are gathering evidence to discover the real (or copy-cat) killer
* The detectives MAY be gathering evidence in order to hold either Marty or Rust accountable for the wrongful conviction, for legal or political (media) reasons. It currently appears that Rust is most likely to take the fall if this is the case
* The detectives MAY suspect Rust of the recent murder, because some of the MO was not public knowledge, and because he has been "off the grid for 8 years"

Personal Thoughts / Summary
My main suspects for the killing are, first, the Minister (Clarke Peters), or, second, the disabled Uncle
They seem to be trying to pin the wrongful conviction on Rust. I am hoping that the interviews prove that Rust has superior insight into the case, and both Marty and Rust are re-assigned to the present-day case.


Of course, all this could be totally wrong! Any opinions or ideas are welcome. :)


Edits:

Today I found some very insightful articles in the "TV Recap" section of the Wall Street Journal blog at https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/tag/true-detective/, by @MarshallCrook. The following points are of particular interest:

* As the blogger and people in this forum point out - the writer may have no interest in who-done-it stories, so the supposed killer could easily be someone we do not meet until the final episodes
* Rust's "this town is like someone's memory of a town, and the memory's fading" observation is profound because all the flashbacks are Marty or Rust's recollections (we don't necessarily know which, at any given point) in the 2012 interviews. Thus, these accounts may well contain errors
* "'The King in Yellow' is a horror anthology written by Robert W. Chambers and published in 1895. The supernatural stories, and the characters within, are linked by a mysterious play, 'The King in Yellow'. Chambers only hints at the content of the play but when a character reads it he or she is driven insane with visions of a King in Yellow"

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* Dora Lange arrived at the brothel because of a bad relationship or abuse from her Uncle. Possibly coincidentally, Danny Fontenot, the disabled man (stroke victim), was Marie Fontenot's Uncle, and a Bird Trap/Devil Net was found on his property. Thus, he may become a suspect

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He also played for LSU didn't he?

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I hope they don't have any gratuitous nude scenes.

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Gifs of tonights episode have already been uploaded. Goodness we are in for treat.

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Where?

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