[jamesA01]

http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2014/03/ten_extra_seconds_would_have_s.html

Everything about that was great except for "if the universe lacks meaning you have to create your own". Euggghhh. All the quasi psychotic seething right wing rage that guy spouts was summed up in that awfully oppressive line. Imagine facing nihilism and deciding you have a duty to create your own meaning in response to it, as if you could redeem your self. Everything I despise about western culture is summed up in that dreadful attitude. It's an actual INABILITY to recognize the unconscious metaphysical defaults that so totally structure your thinking, so you end up genuinely believing the self has to make up for the humiliation of a now dead god.

Although it's hard to work out from that review if he actually watched the episode or not.

Paul Virilio, who is a believing catholic, recently said that the long dead doctrine of Illuminism has in recent years unexpectedly reappeared and become an unwitting replacement religion for some people. I already though he was unto something here and the finale of TD has all but confirmed it in my mind.

[Madness]

Imagine facing nihilism and deciding you have a duty to create your own meaning in response to it, as if you could redeem your self.

Lol - I think that may be the argument of many individuals on SA.

To the show, I think it is very dangerous how they have characterized 1995 Rust...

[Callan S.]

What ending did you want, James?

[jamesA01]

That's a big question.

On the one hand I think the criticisms in the lastpyschiatrist link I posted are valid, and that the show was "meta psychotic" and therefore kept piling up references and symbolism and things that it couldn't do anything with.

On the other hand, if I was directing it, i'd have gone for something that abandoned realism entirely and got progressively weirder. I wouldn't have had any moments of redemption or allowed Rust to be able to finally grieve. I'd have delivered on the nihilist promise of the early episodes and made something that attempted to CONFIRM Rusts pessimism rather than deliver him from it. How far can you push the audiences tolerance for the shows outbursts of negativity? To the point where even the characters that cooly deliver or reject such lines are brought to a state of such terror and suffering they'd rather die than face another moment alive? That's what I think the show should have aimed for.

I'd have liked to see reality confirming Rusts theories, but in such a way that it also confirmed that he was also psychotic.

Of course this is all very easy to say...

[Royce]

How far can you push the audiences tolerance for the shows outbursts of negativity?

This is what I initially thought this show was going to do. Although I am not surprised that it took a more positive turn. I think viewers generally want a ride where there is a balance between negative and positive experiences, because that is what reflects life most realistically in general. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I agree that it would be interesting to see how much one way negativity viewers could handle before giving up, but I think that to secure profits most creators tries to find a balance, because pleasing 2% of the viewers is not profitable.

[Callan S.]

I haven't seen it, but I'm suspecting a trap - the viewers on any male characters redemptions. Did they find the killer of the woman? Did they fix that - as much as it could be fixed given she's still dead?

Granted the author might have gone for oblique feminism rather than thoroughly plumb nihilistic depths.

[Cüréthañ]

The redemption that I perceived was more of the sort that WH's character was a self involved stereotypical male pig at the beginning, but learned to empathize with MM's 'stained paladin' type and eventually put others before himself, regaining the trust of his family.  It is a character arc rather than a theme of the script.

It's kind of interesting the way people seem disappointed by the perceived lack of a ramping up of supernatural weirdness.
The denoument actually reinforces the supernatural hints if Rust's near death experience at the edge of a portal to the infernal plane is taken seriously.

On the one hand we have the show's determination to show actual detective work and mono-maniac determination cracking the case.

Rust's damaged character and nihilistic ennui provides the basis of these traits and contrasts with Marty's willful ignorance (which illustrates the social complicity and conformation that allows the murderous cult to exist within self serving social edifices).  Rust's character insists to the viewer that the supernatural allusions must be disproved, that the case is complex conspiracy and animal cunning.  Marty's character allows room for the existence of supernatural evil in the ignored margins of humanity.

Rust ascribes his 'visions' to neural damage until it becomes personal -  a strange reverse to how a critical mind should evaluate such phenomena.  The viewer is granted a supposedly objective view of his visions, excepting this final one.  The killer displays unnatural strength and mental characteristics (witness the preponderance of well used books around his house).  What was Carcosa originally built as?  Why is a voodoo cult comprised of only white folk (presumably descended from plantation owners) and how did they recruit?  A lot of questions remain.
 
I'm interested to see if/how the second series will connect with the first.

[Callan S.]

Visions and then a sudden denial of POV to the reader remind me of Kellhus. And his going, as the book describes it, mad.

[Phallus Pendulus]

Everything about that was great except for "if the universe lacks meaning you have to create your own". Euggghhh. All the quasi psychotic seething right wing rage that guy spouts was summed up in that awfully oppressive line. Imagine facing nihilism and deciding you have a duty to create your own meaning in response to it, as if you could redeem your self. Everything I despise about western culture is summed up in that dreadful attitude. It's an actual INABILITY to recognize the unconscious metaphysical defaults that so totally structure your thinking, so you end up genuinely believing the self has to make up for the humiliation of a now dead god.

Yes, having to create your own (admittedly subjective and arbitrary) meaning must be terribly oppressive when one is a mentally inadequate and socially stunted manchild as you clearly are.

(LOL at "psychotic right-wing rage", as well.)

[Phallus Pendulus]

I admit, though, the furious reaction of reddit-nerds to True Detective's ending was pretty amusing. "RUST REJECTED PESSIMISM...I FEEL TROLLED...WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO ADMIRE NOW???" 

I personally liked the ending. Taking the "dark and cynical" option is the easiest path to critical praise, which  and it's a credit to Pizzolatto that he defied people's expectations and went with an ending of hard-earned optimism and lots of untied loose ends.

[jamesA01]

Everything about that was great except for "if the universe lacks meaning you have to create your own". Euggghhh. All the quasi psychotic seething right wing rage that guy spouts was summed up in that awfully oppressive line. Imagine facing nihilism and deciding you have a duty to create your own meaning in response to it, as if you could redeem your self. Everything I despise about western culture is summed up in that dreadful attitude. It's an actual INABILITY to recognize the unconscious metaphysical defaults that so totally structure your thinking, so you end up genuinely believing the self has to make up for the humiliation of a now dead god.

Yes, having to create your own (admittedly subjective and arbitrary) meaning must be terribly oppressive when one is a mentally inadequate and socially stunted manchild as you clearly are.

(LOL at "psychotic right-wing rage", as well.)

You forgot to mention my luxurious neckbeard.

If you'll deign to educate me as to how it's even possible I'll gladly listen, that is if you think i'm mentally adequate enough to understand.

[Madness]

You two got flagged (by a member - I actually still don't really understand what's happened here even after getting other thoughts on it). Explain that to me, maybe?

And also, assuming either of you intended some kind of offense (which really is an insult wasted on most members probably as you are both offending over my head at this point) what use do you really think these behaviors are here...?

[jamesA01]

If what I'm saying is causing people to feel the need to troll, then I'm happy not to post here.

[Madness]

That isn't an acceptable solution to me. I've been enlightened by comments both you and Pendulus have made.

Again, I'm not exactly sure what you said that Pendulus reacted to or why Pendulus thought it necessary to respond as done, etc, etc... I'm simply saying a member brought it to the attention of Wilshire and I (as mods) and I'm trying to understand what's up?

[Callan S.]

You two got flagged (by a member

I only flagged one, and it was Phallus. Treating it as if James has to account for anything here is not something I wanted or want.

James, if anyone felt your post was wrong they should have just reported it, not aimed personal attacks at you. Otherwise you're right, it ends in forum vigilantism/trolling and that's no good.