
Created by Nic Pizzolatto, True Detective, is an anthology crime drama. In season 1, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star as two detectives who have personal traumas and investigate a murder. But the defining star of the season is the character of Rustin “Rust” Cohle, played by Matthew McConaughey, who is one of the most enigmatic characters in TV history. His philosophical musings, nihilistic worldview, and sharp detective instincts made for some unforgettable moments. Here are 17 such instances.
1. “Time is a flat circle”

Known for his nihilistic outlook, Cohle has many memorable quotes that reflect his point of view. For example, he references Nietzsche’s idea of eternal recurrence when he says, “Someone once told me, time is a flat circle.’ Everything we’ve ever done or will do, we’re gonna do over and over and over again.”
2. That time when he showed his scorn for religious gatherings

During one of the earlier episodes in the series, Rust and Marty head out to investigate the murder and come across a gathering of religious people. Rust is quick to remark to Marty “What do you think is the average IQ of this place.” Showcasing his scorn for religion once again.
3. The long-take shootout

In episode 4 of the series, titled “Who goes there”, there is one of the greatest single-take shots in TV history. And during this shot, Rust goes undercover with a biker gang, and a drug raid turns into a chaotic, tense, and beautifully choreographed escape scene. The scene showcases the enigmatic persona of Cohle.
4. Rust’s philosophical breakdown

In episode 3 of the series, titled, “The Locked Room”, Rust delivers a fatalistic, misanthropic worldview, which is summed up in a chilling monologue. He says, “I think the honorable thing for our species to do is deny our programming. Stop reproducing, walk hand in hand into extinction—one last midnight, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal.”
5. That time when he made a remark about the institution of police

During one of the episodes, Rust goes over to the house of a young woman and engages in conversation. When the woman remarks that he seems dangerous, Rust is quick to remark something philosophical in return, as he always does, and says that he is dangerous as he is the police and can do “terrible things to people with impunity”.
6. His storage locker

Season 1 of the show deals with the murder of Dora Lange and how this murder envelopes the lives of Rust and Marty. The case comes up afresh after 17 years when other murders happen. In one of the scenes, Rust unveils his private storage unit, filled with files, maps, and evidence of the case he could never let go of, revealing how deeply obsessed he’s become.
7. The time when he is interviewed

One of the most defining moments of the season is when Rust is interviewed, showcasing his personality and beliefs. His interviews envelop the plot of the show and are shown in significant places between scenes. Throughout the show, Rust outmaneuvers the detectives interrogating him in 2012, flipping their questions back on them and delivering his views on life.
8. Rust’s dismissal of religion

In one of the episodes, Marty and Rust have a heated exchange and while Marty tries to counter Rust’s arrogance towards people and life, Rust criticizes religious belief, by saying a memorable quote. He says, “If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then, brother, that person is a piece of sh*t.”
9. That time when Marty and Rust have a significant conversation

In one of the scenes, Marty and Rust are driving towards a place and Marty seems to be consumed by guilt as he asks Rust if he ever wonders if he is a bad man. In true Rust fashion, he replies that he doesn’t wonder about that because “The world needs bad men, (because) we keep the other bad men from the door.”
10. When Rust gives a witty quip to Marty

During another scene where Rust and Marty are driving somewhere, Marty is bewildered by Rust’s remarks about life and wants Rust to explain his views to him. Memorably, Rust states that he is a realist and philosophically, a pessimist. When Marty asks the word’s meaning, Rust says, “It means that I am bad at parties.”
11. “The light is winning”

Towards the end of the series, even though Rust is a nihilist and does not believe in the fantastical, he has a brief moment of transcendence, when he tells Marty that he felt his daughter’s presence beyond death. He says, “You know, you’re looking at it wrong. The sky thing. Once there was only dark. If you ask me, the light’s winning.”
12. The time when Cohle delivers a memorable scene about dreams

While being interviewed for his involvement in the case of Dora Lange, Cohle spouts many philosophical comments that are unnerving yet interesting. During one such scene, he says that a person’s love, hate, and pain are the same thing. It is part of a singular dream that every person has inside “a locked room”. This dream is about “being a person”.
13. When Marty was done with Rust’s philosophical ramblings

Even though Rust and Marty are a dynamic duo and share a love-hate relationship, there are times when even Marty is fed up with Rust’s nihilistic outlook towards everything in life. In one such scene, Marty, irritated with Rust’s cryptic ramblings, finally snaps and says, “Could you please just shut the f**k up with that sh*t?” Showcasing Cohle’s overbearing persona.
14. The scene where Rust slaps a police officer

During a scene where Rust, Marty, and other police officers are in the police station, Rust irks the officers by commenting upon their habit of going to bars, one of the officers tells him to do his leg work and insults him. In response, Rust slaps him hard, showcasing that even if he likes to use his words in most scenes, he is not shy from using his physical strength as well.
15. Rust and Marty’s bar scene

While the show is about the investigation of a murder and related crimes taking place over several years, the murder is a device used by the show to reflect on the personal traumas of Rust and Marty. In a simple yet powerful moment, Rust and Marty sit in a bar, drinking in silence, showing their fractured relationship and the influence Rust has had on Marty.
16. Rust’s existential rant in the car

The series is filled with defining moments and most of the time, it is when Cohle delivers a striking remark about life and people. In one of the scenes, he remarks, “We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self. This accretion of sensory experience and feeling, programmed with total assurance that we’re each somebody, when in fact, everybody’s nobody.”
17. The showdown scene

During one of the pivotal scenes in the series, Rust and Marty catch the person they think is the killer, Reggie Ledoux, and the scene turns into a full showdown. While Marty kills Reggie in impulsiveness, Rust calmly handles the aftermath of the execution, which highlights his tact and razor-sharp instincts as a detective.

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