Anonymous wrote:17:58, great explanation of the tattoos. Thanks. We thought one of them was of Emily Dickinson. Care to explain?

17:58 back. I got a still photograph so have some observations to add

The portrait you refer to is probably Lucifer, who was an angel, so is praying. Or it came from Reggie's memory of the statue of the praying angel/Mary (but different position of praying hands) which Cohle finds while checking out the abandoned Tuttle school.

The AB next to the Lucifer stands for Aryan Brotherhood or Ambrose Bierce, an author and follower of Chambers and Chambers' notion of the King of Yellow and Carbosa.

The SWP stands for Supreme White Power

Reggie has a spider web on his right elbow - I haven't figured that out. Guess he just thought it cool.

The hangman's nose ("Satan's noose") is a racist message and also indicates that Reggie is the executioner of his gang. Remember I had guessed that the story line might tie in to the separation of the American Neo Nazi party over racism in 1995? - same year the first case appears.

I can't completely make out the large tattoo on his lower left arm. It appears to be a spiral or worm or tenticles coiled like a serpant. . Adult Daughter votes for Levian, Thon or a Rotting Ram's head with the swastika coming out of its mouth.

I was wrong about the swastika with legs - it actually is an octopus with 8 legs, representing the sign of the Yellow King.

Like all other followers of the King of Yellow, Reggie also has the spiral tattoo on his back but in his case it is a brand in the center of his back ABOVE the pentagram. You have to look closely (below) to see it. Thie is the sign of the King of Yellow (guessing here).

The triskelion spiral on his upper right chest could be what I thought it was or could be a 666.

On his lower right side is the National Coat of the Arms of Germany.

There is a large dark palm print on Reggie's left arm. Daughter guesses Supernatural.

On his right arm there is a 8 stave Icelandic (my theory Celtic) tattoo with all staves all pointed outward = a symbol of chaos

My daughter beieves there is a rose on his right arm. I can't tell.

Here's an article on some of the symbology my daughter found:
http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2014/02/guide-reggie-ledouxs-tattoos-true-detective/

Ok, so I no longer think Marty is involved. I think the previews for next week depict him watching the abuse of Audrey on Cohle's TV, which he probably obtained when he burglarized Tuttle's place.

Not sure really who or what the Yellow King is now.
Sucks to have to wait an entire week for the next episode.

Anonymous wrote:^interesting, PP. have you read any other theories on this?

I have not, but my husband is really into the show and this is one of his working theories. It's the one I find most plausible.

Well I take it back. I guess Reggie did take a look at Marty. As my DH points out- well maybe he shot him to make sure he didn't say anything during questioning.

^interesting, PP. have you read any other theories on this?

I feel like Marty has something to do with the yellow king stuff.
The drawings with Audrey when she was a kid.
Missing for "a couple" days at a time, and right around the time of Dora Lang's murder. This was noted by his wife.
Going into the meth lab, he tells Rust that he has been hunting and got a 10 point buck (antlers).
He shot Reggie before he could get a look at him.
The language he uses with Audrey when she gets caught in the car before he slaps her.

Not sure about the whole beating up the boyfriend of his mistress thing- seems kinda violent but that may be unrelated.

Keeping an eye on Marty.

17:58, great explanation of the tattoos. Thanks. We thought one of them was of Emily Dickinson. Care to explain?

Nietzsche’s interpretation and conceptualization of becoming has already generated a lot of discussion, but less attention has been paid to his treatment of the specifically temporal aspects of the process of becoming. And to the extent that Nietzsche’s approach to time and temporality has been discussed, the issue tends to be reduced to his thought of eternal recurrence. In his new study, Robin Small argues that there is much more to say about Nietzsche’s conception of temporality: about “his approach to questions about the nature of becoming, and about past, present and future,” about the specifically human experience of temporality, and about the interconnected notions of memory, guilt, and responsibility

http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/jns/reviews/robin-small-time-and-becoming-in-nietzsche2019s-thought

Anonymous wrote:So, who is the King in Yellow? What is in Carcosa? Why does Reggie tell Cohle "It's time, isn't it?" "The black stars rise. I know what happens next. I saw you in a dream. You're in Carcosa now with me. He sees you. You'll do this again. Time is a flat circle."

And why is Cohle repeating all this in his interviews with the two black detectives? What has he found in the old school? I was riveted to my couch. This show is awesome! The mystery deepens.

Here's my guess, or rather, guesses. I have no inside knowledge. "King of Yellow" is a weird horror short story written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers. There is a poem in it in which "black stars rising in Carcosa" is mentioned. Carcosa is an other worldly place mentioned in King of Yellow, perhaps on the river Hades. The King of Yellow (also other-worldly) controls and marks his victim with the "Yellow Sign", which I am guessing is the spiral on the backs which keep popping up on victims. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow.

When the detectives first meet up with the ex-husband of the first victim (in prison), he makes reference to the "Yellow King" and also that Satanism is practiced "down south" in a place called "Carcosa". His wife's (the first body found in 1995) diary also makes mention of the "King of Yellow" and "Carcosa".

However, Reggie has several other interesting tattoos on his body, which you can catch before his head is blown off. On his back is an upside-down pentagram, which is the mark of the Temple of Set (Satanism). He also has a Triskelion (three spirals) on his upper left chest -- something that is mentioned in "King of Yellow" or may be the Yellow Sign. It's also the symbol of Celtic NeoPaganism. Those who practice current day Celtic paganism believe in human sacrifice (e.g., "The Wickerman"). He also has a right turning Swastika with legs near the Triskelion. Often the Triskelion is formed with legs. in other words, I think the producers are throwing everything at you to throw you off.

Some of these signs indicate current day Celtic or Germanic pre-Christian religions. Some represent philosophies (Temple of Set) in which the human is never set free from himself - he repeats life over and over (something Cohle keeps saying) and that time is a circle because through rebirth man just keeps repeating the same life/hell over and over. Some of these religions worship trees (the first body was found in 1995 in a position that might suggest worship of trees); others human sacrifice; others animism. Coincidentally a division in American NeoNazism took place in 1995 (the year the detectives find the first body) between the racists and the non-racists but I have no idea if that will play into the story.

I think Cohle is getting wise to what is going on when he sees the tattoos on Reggie and realizes they are Celtic NeoPagans, so understands human sacrifice to a tree, and the pyramids, but is confused about the antlers because he says to Reggie, "Why the antlers?" which is a weird question out of the blue while he is holding a gun on him. I suspect the antlers is an animism overlay to a Celtic human sacrifice. But I really have no idea.

The Celtic triskelion is then also played out in all those pyramid structures we keep seeing.

BTW, that school is the "Way of the Light" School mentioned by the grandfather of the second, younger (unsolved) victim found by Cohle - it's not or was not a public school before the hurricane. And it is filled with those pyramids, trees, etc. The twist is that the school was run by Tuttle, who is the same guy arguing that the investigation be taken away from the two detectives so an "anti-Christian" task force can take over. If Tuttle is running an Pagan Celtic religion out of that school, why would he be urging that an "anti-christian" task force take over (unless he has control of the task force or the members of the task force are all marked by the King of Yellow).

That's my best guess.

Yes, Gilbough and Papania suspect Cohle as the murderer. But remember, this is supposed to lead to something much bigger. Remember that Carcosa - a reference to the "The King in Yellow" by Robert Chambers - is a place where "rich men go to Devil worship." Ledoux was small fry, providing the drugs and the sacrificial lambs, so to speak.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what do you guys think is the deal with the present-day detectives asking all these questions? They ask the Woody Harrelson character a lot about Rustin Cohle, but not vice versa.

I think they suspect Cohle in the present-day murder, and maybe the old ones too.

+1

They want the viewers to believe this...but this is HBO so you can be there will be a good quality twist.

I think Harrelson and Cohle had a falling out as partners (maybe b/c Harrelson's character accused Cohle of the crimes and that divided them??) and now the present-day detectives are trying to, hopefully, bring them back together to solve the murders.

Agree with all the above posters that this is such a good show. Like they say, there are shows and then there is HBO.

+1

Anonymous wrote:Cohle found three white figures on the wall - each with a red splot indicating "speak no evil; hear no evil; see no evil". Then he finds lots of those triangle-shaped things and is lifting one up, studying it as the camera pulls away. There is dust on the broken glass as the camera pulls away with handprints on them. My daughter claims there were trees growing in the room where the camera is exiting - not sure about that.

What was the clue that the two detectives picked up from the lawn mower at the school that would lure Cohle back to the school?

The trees were painted on the wall, I thought.

Cohle found three white figures on the wall - each with a red splot indicating "speak no evil; hear no evil; see no evil". Then he finds lots of those triangle-shaped things and is lifting one up, studying it as the camera pulls away. There is dust on the broken glass as the camera pulls away with handprints on them. My daughter claims there were trees growing in the room where the camera is exiting - not sure about that.

What was the clue that the two detectives picked up from the lawn mower at the school that would lure Cohle back to the school?

So, who is the King in Yellow? What is in Carcosa? Why does Reggie tell Cohle "It's time, isn't it?" "The black stars rise. I know what happens next. I saw you in a dream. You're in Carcosa now with me. He sees you. You'll do this again. Time is a flat circle."

And why is Cohle repeating all this in his interviews with the two black detectives? What has he found in the old school? I was riveted to my couch. This show is awesome! The mystery deepens.

Up until the whole 10 years off the grid angle, I really began thinking that Cohle is just deep under cover and hasn't actually lost everything in life. This is in reference to his present day appearance.

But now as I write this, I find the story to be brilliant, b/c MM is someone we all find ourselves rooting for, which will be the biggest gut punch if he actually is the killer after all.

It wouldn't be nearly as compelling if Woody was the burnout, because he doesn't have the audience's affection.