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So Mule, do you have a female's perspective of the complete lack of depth of the female characters in True Detective? Does it really matter, does it bother you, etc?</p>
I would think that Hart's wife could've been developed much better and it would've made the story a little deeper.</p>
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I do think that Michelle Moynihan's character does have some depth, as does the daughter, but they are so far in the background for most of the series. I actually really liked the most recent episode because we got to see her take some action, dictate how her life would go. Her dialogue was excellent and her performance on the show, even when small, is always captivating and exciting. She doesn't have a showy role, but it's real and honest and steely and she does a great job. </p>
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However, the problem is that women are viewed as sex objects and plot movers and not real characters with depth. Murdered prostitutes and a young girl who's suffered abuse and traumatized and a long-suffering wife? THAT'S NEW! I think there is a level of laziness. Those are obvious plot devices. And a plot device is not a character. </p>
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I think the daughter and her attempts to own her sexuality in whatever way she understands is interesting, but not explored enough. That might change in the final two episodes. What the show does well is show the way Marty, a seemingly "good guy" and family man actually does and thinks and how clueless he is about his contradictions. He cheats on his wife and acts like women are for fucking and serving him, but when his daughter has sex for fun he flips out on her. Gross! And also how Cohle has empathy for women and does try to talk to them (Marty's wife for one) on the level, but still doesn't have a complete understanding of them. </p>
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In conclusion, there are elements (use of women as plot devices, women as violent crime victims, women as objects) that are not great and those things do bother me. But I think that mostly the way that it's explored really illuminates the ways those women are viewed and it's is well done. It's a complicated show and there is a level of knowingness about the treatment of women and their position in the show. It's not perfect by any means.</p>
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Overall though, this show is excellent. I think the writing and plotting get high marks. It does matter that these female characters have less depth than the male characters, but it doesn't make the show terrible. </p>
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My hope is that the second season will flip the narrative and that the detectives will be women. That would be ideal.</p>
