Warning: Potential spoilers ahead.
Like many, we've been hooked on HBO's new crime thriller "True Detective."
It has many of the elements of a great show — fantastic acting by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, an intriguing mystery, and singular stand-alone moments like the six-minute long take at episode four's end.
This Sunday is the series finale. Ahead of the show's conclusion, there have been a lot of bizarre theories going around on the identity of the killer.
Essentially, many believe the show will do a total 180 and reveal Marty or Rust to ultimately be the criminal.
Toss those theories aside.
In a recent interview with Buzzfeed, show creator Nic Pizzolatto made it very clear that’s not happening.
While Pizzolatto loves your enthusiasm, he points out the grave mistake many are making — including my colleague Nick.
“Buzzfeed: Let’s begin with the ending of Episode 7, when we see Errol, who is, or had better be, the Spaghetti Monster. How did you build to that moment, and why did you decide to end the episode on that note?
Pizzolatto: Going into the final episode, I wanted to end any audience theorizing that Cohle or Hart was the killer, and also provide a concrete face to the abstract evil they’re chasing. So, wild speculations aside, we showed the killer’s face in Episode 1.”
In case you’re still not convinced, Pizzolatto outlines why he would never make either Cohle or Hart the villain — it’s just plain old bad writing.
“The possibility is built into the story, as it has to be credible that the 2012 PD suspect Cohle. I just thought that such a revelation would be terrible, obvious writing. For me, the worst writing generally just 'flips' things: this person’s really a traitor; it was all a dream; etc. Nothing is so ruinous as a forced 'twist,' I think.”
So if the killer isn’t one of the two lead actors, it has to be Errol, the creepy lawnmower man at the end of episode 7, right? We've seen him previously in episode 3.
Pizzolatto even says, they showed "provide a concrete face to the abstract evil they’re chasing" in episode 7.
Seeems like it, but not so fast.
Look, the lawnmower man theory is good. It’s really good. I’ve seen and heard some pretty reasonable speculation from my colleague Nick on this. At this point, I'm certain he's in on it, but I’m positive we still haven’t seen the actual “Spaghetti Monster” yet, and I’m sticking to it.
There are three reasons I believe this.
Reason 1: Pizzolatto says they showed the killer's face in episode 1.
Of course, Pizzolatto could be figuratively speaking about a drawing, but Errol didn't show up until episode 3.
Reason 2: The scars just don’t add up.
We know the “Yellow King” has some wicked scars on his face. Well, Errol has some scars on his face.
Great. However, the three people who have identified the “Yellow King” have all looked absolutely mortified when speaking about him. Their eyes enlarge as if they’re remembering what he looks like and it’s absolutely terrifying. This isn’t a man who goes unnoticed in public like Errol the lawnmower man, right. This is someone with scars not only on the side of his face, but who should have them all along his chin. Maybe Errol received scars by the same man as the "Spaghetti Monster."
Reason 3. Look at the casting for the final episode.
DON’T READ AHEAD IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE ANY POTENTIAL SPOILERS.
A simple look at the actors who will appear on Sunday’s episode, “Form and Void,” show we’ll be introduced to a few people we’ve never seen before. While most of them have listed roles, there’s one that has no name.
Joshua Braud (Stash House Guy)
Bruce Elliott (Trustee-Levi)
Priscella Ford (News Reporter)
Randal Gonzalez (Detective)
Lyle R. Guidroz (VooDoo character/Mechanic/John)
Kurt Krause (Chad)
David Stephen Mitchell (Promise Keeper)
Jason Musco (State Trooper)
Eric Price (Detective Shinn)
John L. Armijo (Undercover Cop)
Joseph Fischer (n/a)
Take off the police officers and females and here's who you're left with:
Joshua Braud (Stash House Guy)
Bruce Elliott (Trustee-Levi)
Lyle R. Guidroz (VooDoo character/Mechanic/John)
David Stephen Mitchell (Promise Keeper)
Kurt Krause (Chad)
Joseph Fischer (n/a)
The first four sound like characters to get closer to the killer. While actor Glenn Fleshler makes another appearance as lawnmower man Eroll, I'm betting the guy Marty and Rust are after is either Chad or this nameless fellow.
SEE ALSO: If you have trouble understanding what they're saying on "True Detective" you need to watch this