Summary
- Episode 1 of True Detective: Night Country set the fan discussion abuzz with speculation.
- Many theorized that the dancing spirit coming to Rose was actually the father of Rust Cohle from Season 1.
- When this theory was confirmed in Episode 2, fans took it to the next level with even more wild speculation.
Ever since the dancing ghost named Travis appeared in the pilot of True Detective’s new season to show Rose Aguineau where the bodies of the missing scientists from the Tsalal Arctic Research Station are buried, fan discussions have been abuzz with speculation.
Huge Easter Egg
The thing is, the new installment, titled Night Country, has plenty of nods to its most popular predecessor, the Season 1 story of Rust Cohle and Marty Hart's occult investigation.
And eagle-eyed viewers have noted that the ghost character may have been named Travis for a reason. We know from Season 1 that Rust Cohle and his father, Travis, moved to Alaska after his mother left them. While Rust moved to Louisiana, his father stayed in Alaska, and his further fate has never been established.
Of course, two Travises in one place led fans to believe that Rose was talking to the ghost of Rust's father. And Episode 2 confirmed that theory. When asked about seeing dead people, Rose calls Travis by his full name - Travis Cohle - and tells protagonist Evangeline Navarro his story.
It turns out that Travis and Rose used to be a thing back in the day. Then he got sick with leukemia and instead of succumbing to the disease, he went out on the ice to let the cold take his life. Before that, he and Rose shared their last night together. And now he visits her from time to time.
Further Speculation
By confirming one of the wildest theories of Episode 1 and tying the new story to the original one, Night Country has opened the door to an even bigger wave of discussion.
For one thing, some fans think that Rust himself might show up later in the season to investigate the mystery of the spirals. After all, they were a big part of the original investigation, and it was mentioned that Tsalal is funded by the NGO 'Tuttle United,' which is also the name of the infamous family cult from Season 1.
Another, even more far-fetched theory is that Rose is actually Rust's mother. Her affair with his father and very Rust Cohle-esque mannerisms have fans wondering if she followed Travis to Alaska to reunite with him.
But that's pure speculation, of course. We don't know if Night Country will lean on the Season 1 connections any more than it already has. It could just be an innocent homage to the True Detective legacy. Future episodes will tell.
True Detective Season 4, Episode 3 airs Sunday, January 28th at 9:00 pm ET on HBO, with subsequent streaming availability on Max.