Killer Serial: What Writers Can Learn From True Detective Season 1

[@localscriptman]

Ok but how do we feel about Night Country? ❄

[@zionleach3001]

How do I balance action and horror? Without making it a action story with monsters.

[@localscriptman]

@@zionleach3001 imo action should be used only when absolutely necessary. Barry does this very well. Don’t build your story around action setpieces. When you find yourself about to write an action scene, ask “is there ANY other way this would logically go?”

[@zionleach3001]

@@localscriptman Thanks. I've been looking at Resident Evil (video games) & Dog Soldiers for inspiration. The atmosphere is like that of a horror movie. But the characters aren't completely helpless, and they both have fast paced action.

[@VeniVidiPerii]

Waiting for someone to say Night Country is worthwhile, but I do like the sound of the setup

[@DOOMsword7]

First episode of Night Country was good imo! I don’t ‘get’ what Jodi Foster’s character is up to (which is intriguing) but Kali Reis has the beginning of a solid arc (a classic ‘can’t let that one case go’). The vibes are spooky and interesting. Some of the effects work is a little rough, but the sets are great! More ambitious than S3 and there is no WAY it’ll be as bad as S2. Unless they really Dont deliver on the central mystery.

[@mike_sauce]

Imagine being a channel so good that you have people (me) literally binging an entire season just to better watch your stuff.

[@localscriptman]

Thank you, means a lot!

[@acolourfuldreamer]

Omg same

[@christopherowen3090]

Literally binge watched the first season of True Detective because I saw he dropped this video and I wanted all the context. It’s now one of my favorite shows

[@THEKOOLDALE]

It’s one of my favorite shows, thoughts?

[@TomVCunningham]

He did you a favour, didn't he? It's one of the greatest shows ever made.

[@hazelbooth]

I always interpreted Marty saying “we got ours” not as him being truly content with letting the other Tuttle cultists off, but rather a reaction to being welcomed back into the structure and order he’s lost, walked away from, or been unsure of his place in during his rogue quest with Russ, the law through the arrests by the cops and them thanking him, his family by Maggie and his daughters visiting him, his friendship with Rust, he derives much of his identity from the systems he’s a part of, and while there is a part of him driven absolutely by justice, such as when he executes Ledoux or goes rogue with Rust, I think the return to normalcy, which he craves, pushes him to accept that there will be some who get off, even if he’s not happy about it, a return in a small sense to his adherence to “chain of command” in the earlier episodes, when he didn’t understand why Rust kept going after Tuttle. He says that not because he believes that’s moral, but out of a sense of self-preservation, not wanting to risk the sense of normalcy that solving the case has brought, choosing his family and friendship with Rust over the job, the hunt for evil, and by saying that, is trying in some way to encourage Rust to do the same. A moral compromise for the sake of being a “family man” in some sense again, being viewed as someone stopping the bad men from the door.

[@jac1207]

or the more simpler point, made more apparent by him stating "that's not how the world works". They're literally just 2 state investigators assigned to a homicide. They're not part of some big task force (they fought hard to avoid the whole serial killings to go to a task force) and ultimately, the whale the 2 detectives were hunting was the killer of the girl in the first scene of the series. Them uncovering a big tangled conspiracy plot that reaches up to some of the highest powers in state and federal government is only the bonus. But again, it's way out of their scope to handle, and ultimately, they did get their original suspect. They're not rescuing the world, they're not stopping some high powered politician, they're not single-handedly halting sex trafficking trade, they are 2 detectives from state police hunting for a homicide suspect who turned out to be a serial killer. That serial killer being a part of something much bigger was never really going to be in their jurisdiction.

[@OfficialArkoMotions]

I'm not even kidding, this is the best writing channel out there. My writing was pretty stagnate for a while, but I've improved so much after watching your videos, keep up the brilliant work!

[@localscriptman]

Good to hear & thank you 🫡

[@samojedanneuron8247]

This channel really does just give you knowledge on how to do stuff without doing to much of 'should' and 'shouldn't'. Very pragmatic, gives you the tools and let's you go bonkers

[@teacup5921]

I sometimes give my mom your advice on structure when she's tutoring English students without telling her that you're a random film student and not an entire group of scholars and it's gone good so far.

[@localscriptman]

Not even a film student, my major was media & marketing 💀 I’m afraid I’m deeply underqualified

[@teacup5921]

That works too 👍 whatever is funniest if I tell her

[@zachariusd]

@@localscriptman That's probably why you're good.

[@elisabete8351]

​​​@@localscriptman ​No, you are not underqualified! I'm a serious series fan, just the good one's, lol, and I watched True Detective when it aired, and it wowed me! I couldn't wait for the next episode! Season 1 was a superb show in many aspects, one of the best ever, and I can say you are top on everything that matters, including the techniques, I ended up learning a lot with you and an preparing myself to watch it again! Oh, btw I'm 61, so I've been watching series long before you were born😅 (I guess). Believe me, it shows your good character being humble but you are great on it, so earn it! Thank you very much for giving us this amazing work of yours! Congrats! Now I'm gonna watch all your other videos!

[@pepsicorp-se]

I feel like this goes without saying, but this really is one of your best videos ever and you continue to improve your content with each video. There may not be a singular huge essay style message here, but you can boil down, teach and visualize information so well brother inspirational. keep it up

[@localscriptman]

Yeah I’m very proud of this one, especially the second half. Thank you so much for your support!

[@MichaelNVADE]

you're noot really a 'pepsicorpse'

[@kdrecords4562]

I think my favorite moment in your abridged feature film edit is at 1:33:14. The whole Rust/Marty fight is basically condensed to Marty being thrown into the truck. I laughed so hard.

[@macchupichu]

The way episode 4 ended shook me. I had to pause and go back. I could not believe that it was one take

[@kwasibrew8072]

As someone who tried for so long to make prose work and just couldn’t crack it, discovering you channel was the push that made me realize screenwriting and filmmaking was really what I was trying to do all along. Perfect time for this to drop while I’m going on my regularly scheduled background video binging.

[@fndalves]

on a quick glance, I thought the title of this videos was "Serial Killer That Writes Can Learn From True Detective Season 1"

[@localscriptman]

That too

[@PalaceDude]

Rust: "Marty is a flat circle." Marty: "I want you to stop saying odd shit!"

[@yonatanhoresh2695]

This is one of my favourite videos of yours (and the competition is tough) As someone who's working on a series proposition, it's got some great additions to the toolbox, and even tools you don't end up picking up still make you re-examine your existing tools and develop a deeper understanding of your own writing Your work is excellent!

[@localscriptman]

Big thank you, glad you got some value out of it!

[@onemoreminute0543]

Oh yeah. Time to learn some more useful lessons! Your videos never cease to educate me.

[@localscriptman]

I hope I can be of service

[@coomstick]

Damn good video, a lot to chew on. This might be the best video on True Detective S1 that I've seen. The halfpipe analogy puts a lot of puzzle pieces together for me. I agree, True Detective S1 is one of the best templates for a serialized tv show and it honestly hasn't been topped imo. It's stuck with me for a decade. But yeah, really good job man. Looking forward to what you've got cookin up next

[@localscriptman]

Thx coomstick

[@debrachambers1304]

I loved the time is s flat circle paper man skateboard outro to a degree that I can't quite explain the reason for.

[@chriswho4232]

I forgot to comment on this when it dropped, but it's a fantastic deep-dive on a piece of work that really deserves it... I kinda want to leave a more eloquent review here, but I think i'll just keep it short and sweet; these videos are such a good time, and I always walk away from them having learned something new. Doesn't get much better than that.

[@reno9821]

Been meaning to watch this show for ages. This was the final push I needed and I'm very grateful I did before watching the video. Great follow up immediately after finishing the season.

[@IronShinsDicello]

I think Maggies leaving the circle moment was sleeping with Rust so that the cycle of infidelity with Marty would be broken and they would be seperated permanently.

[@Fred_Berg]

I still can’t believe the whole projects side-quest sequence.

[@robotempire]

I have watched this season maybe half a dozen times. I have longed to get closer to it & understand why it works for me to the degree it does. Finally someone (you) has scratched that itch. Thank you

[@azellebahadory936]

He hardly ever refers to real movies/shows as examples - but when he does, the ones he chooses are always top quality.

[@tuxedo_stormtrooper]

It's criminal that this channel gets so few attention for its quality you deserve at least 1mil in subs

[@localscriptman]

Yeah this video isn’t doing as well as I’d hoped, but it’s ok my growth has already been astronomical. Just gotta try some new strategies

[@KathBorup]

I'm so glad I discovered your channel. I'm not a writer but I really admire the craft. Thank you for sharing your insights!

[@nathanjones8667]

Oh my goodness. What a treat to discover this on the 2nd half of a two hour journey. I am truly delighted by my discovery. Finding a terrific channel is really just the best.

[@localscriptman]

Thank you!

[@Yensnor]

This is the best storytelling video i've seen i think. It's clear and concise, plus i love true detective. You quantified and laid it out brilliantly, i learned a lot. Saved to rewatch later as i'm writing. Thank you so much for this, great resources!

[@tinygrove7623]

i think marty being ok at the end isn’t him being happy they didn’t catch everyone but rather content with what he has, as you said he has learned to let go of control and be vulnerable, while it may not have been executed perfectly i do like the idea that while they didn’t get everyone, “we got ours” and not just the material threat of the bad guys, but there personal and emotional demons have been vanquished as well, marty gets to be with his family again and gets recognition from the two cops, he gets to see “the safety net” and rhust learns to hope and be open, he looks away from the abyss, both of their mistakes and pains still happened, nothing can change that, but they can move on and grow, the cycle has ended for them, and they have broken out the circle, to connect this with the final saying about the starts, while the sun will always set eventually, the night is still illuminated by stars.

[@shereenwu]

As usual, brilliant stuff!! You helped me reignite my passion for writing and I’m really grateful for how high quality your videos are. Cheers to your growth!

[@sabersight908]

ah what a treat :P another video from the best hidden gem YT channel ever, which is my best source for "how to write" in my recent new writing journey to make "good" media content and detective stuff is gonna be great to learn and study for my animated series im planning, about a detective in a cosmic horror Victorian era world discovering magic is real, i'd like to see some insight on mystery to how to slowly reveal something and keep it in the dark or just keep it in the dark the whole time

[@D-Lott]

Every episode you publish is like a wizard in a cave, giving me the right weapon. setting me on my journey. So impressed keep up the stellar work.

[@lindboknifeandtool]

38:55 sounds like parents

[@hakunadamatta]

A week ago I had not seen the first season of true detective Now I’ve seen it twice. Thanks localscriptman

[@fastmovingvolcanomatter]

0:45 This is the last place I expected to get a blast of K.R.I.T., but I am absolutely here for it

[@jc_scott]

Another incredible and helpful video! Thanks for making these. I always look forward to watching these while working on my comics.

[@TheRealBatCave]

Could u do this for season 4? I do not know much about writing but ur insight would be cool 2 see, especially comparing the writing of the 2 seasons

[@VeniVidiPerii]

I have to pee, but I'm just going to wait 52 minutes

[@byrdfeathers3552]

Man that Dracula Flow line came out like a jump scare and I loved it lol

[@lukem726]

really glad you critiqued the ending episodes a little bit because most people get so caught up with how good the first 6 were that they overlook the flaws of the last two

[@alcoholicgoat]

Woody Harrelson's "skullf*ck" line sounds like a bar from Dracula Flow. Time truly is a flat circle Great video btw

[@povarensky]

Been delaying "True detective" watch for a few years, but because of this video's beginning i literally watched it in one night😂

[@johnstevens7232]

Have a good day guys

[@localscriptman]

All guys will have a good day, I will make sure of this

[@filipsperl]

Just watched the first season for the first time last week. Excited to see this analysis!

[@Halberddent]

I spotted Local at 3 AM on the "David Attenborough Dracula Flow 3" video

[@localscriptman]

This shit ain’t nothin to me man

[@someguy7819]

From everything ive watched from you it seems like the worst thing a story can do is meander like an ameoba. Stagnant, no stakes, things happen just to happen, characters with no real impact, etc.

[@localscriptman]

Yeah that about sums it up, but maybe someday someone will drop an amoebacore story that changes my mind

[@fizzipop]

already loving it, glad you’re making videos like this 💙

[@nolanvernon2822]

42:40 - Succession also really likes to do location-specific episodes

[@billusher2265]

23:10 this makes sense for Marty’s development, you can argue him letting go of his controlling nature made him more mellow and willing to accept they can’t catch them all

[@onemoreminute0543]

37:56 For some reason my mind immediately went to Carmela Soprano from the Sopranos even though the clip was from the Godfather lol

[@hjfs8906]

My new definitive video for True Detective. Been waiting on one like this.

[@Aveisinpain]

What are your thoughts on DARK? Would you do a video on it?

[@localscriptman]

Perhaps, I do really like it. I just don’t know what I’d talk about

[@ItsPoet]

Never heard of this show, write sparingly, and yet have never clicked a video faster

[@TomVCunningham]

So, did you watch the show?

[@jaywalmoose9623]

Hey, does anyone know the song at 49:19? I didn't see it in the description, or any of the comments While I'm here, I hope the kind of directness in these videos becomes more common on youtube, or even outside of it

[@localscriptman]

It is just a little thingy I made for this video

[@temporalloop]

great video on a great season of TV 👍🏽 also you should watch Black Sails, if you haven't already

[@aweeladdie]

25:20 The 'energy' is the rate of change in your second graph

[@dmonvisigoth1651]

Our desks aren't so different, I mostly write with beer and cough medicine on either side of my computer as well. Real recocognise real.

[@EmptyKingdoms]

I question where on that scale Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex would fall, because it is an animated series with an ensemble, but a clear leader, it has an overarching plot, but some episodes are disconnected from the main story. It would be, by my guess, almost in the middle, but leaning a little upwards (solo protagonist), since the leader has more screen time than the rest of the crew. Especially the serial episodes do deserve an analysis, it is such a magnificent little series (albeit it doesn't come close to the marvellous, outstanding two films).

[@CountryBuddyCulture]

This was amazing! That was spot on. Love that show!!

[@sb0w761]

1 minute in Local asks his viewers if they need to use the restroom, as if half of them aren’t watching the video on the toilet anyway

[@distantsea]

Rick and Morty's episodic stuff is it's best. You got another one here

[@anaatanasiu1613]

I was having a bad week, kept checking your account for updates. Today I got lucky, thank you

[@lacolem1]

I’m 10 years late to the True Detective party, but whew. Season 1 was brilliant. I’m not sure why I didn’t know about the existential horror element, otherwise I’d have been watched

[@elliwesishawkins4799]

“Last time I asked you you said no but then 10 minutes in you had to pee” missed opportunity to put the sponsor 10 min in as a pee break

[@Sproles11]

New localscriptman video dropped. We are so back

[@mathewhayner4743]

The Local Script Man strikes again 🔥

[@magoschonkers711]

I am working on a serialized story right now!

[@clemenza2832]

Great video. Your technical approach to giving writing advice is very helpful to me. I hope this isn’t too off-topic, but I wonder how you would type the Adventure Time cast’s respective enneagram

[@localscriptman]

I think Finn is a 7 and Jake is a 9

[@clemenza2832]

@@localscriptman think they’re a sx/so and a sx/sp respectively too. I also think BMO is a type 7 sx/so, Marceline’s a 4 sx/sp (though you can make a case she’s a 7 in the earlier seasons), Simon’s a 2 or a 6 sx/sp, and I think Bubblegum is a type 6 so/sx.

[@B4DDHero]

The pilot for The Ozarks is my nominee for best pilot ever. It's mesmerizing.

[@Tousicle]

If anyone is using the enneagram to help them find motivations for their characters then it may help to know that Marty would fit an 8; and Rust would fit a 4.

[@localscriptman]

Uh oh 4 overdiagnosis strikes again

[@samurai-by-blood]

outro went hard

[@KUREHA3D]

you are my comfort tuber lol

[@rottensquid]

I think there's a general confusion in any story with a clear goal or external physical conflict, where the triumph of achieving the goal or "beating the bad guy" is seen as the true climax, while the triumph of achieving the inner goal, catharsis, or change is seen as sort of a cherry on top of the cake. To my mind, that relationship is reversed. And even if, as you pointed out, the two happen at the same time, or are are two sides of the same climax, I feel like the true story isn't ever the "winning," but transforming. The problem is that "winning" is considered the point of most stories, especially in American cinema and storytelling. But the meat of True Detective season 1 is the damaged characters confronting their inner wounds, and coming out the other side healed. If it was just two guys trying to find and kill a serial murderer, without that other stuff, it'd be just another forgettable detective story, no matter how atmospheric. Without Rust and Marty's internal conflicts, the powerful atmosphere would have been nothing but pretentious window dressing. Consider one of the most misunderstood blockbusters in cinema, Raiders of the Lost Ark. A couple decades ago, I had a lively discussion about this on a panel with Marv Wolfman, comics writer extraordinaire, who pointed out that, in his words, Indiana Jones doesn't affect the "plot." Of course, this never occurred to me at the time, but I've since thought a lot about it. It's undeniably true that, had Indiana Jones sat out the whole story, the end would have been the same. The Nazis would have been wiped out by the ark, and it would probably have somehow ended up in the hands of the CIA. But now my question is, what the hell do you think a plot actually is? Is it what happens to the ark? Is the ark the hero of the story? No, the only thing that matters is what happens to Indiana Jones. So what is Raiders of the Lost Ark really about? It's about Indiana Jones, ultimate adventurer, who sets goals and stops at nothing achieve them, defying death, physics, common sense, and sometimes, personal morality. He'd rather leave his partner, Marion, to face God knows what kind of abuse at the hands of LITERAL NAZIS, rather than lose ground on his quest to find the ark. And yet, he still doesn't get it. He's one guy, and they're a whole army with boundless resources. He has no chance. He only ends up with the ark because, instead of dismissing any transcendental power it might hold as he did at the beginning of the film, he acknowledges that power and looks away. It's this act of humility before unknowable forces that saves him. And he learns that humility through losing, and ending up at the mercy of nazis, just like Marion. And that's why the ark being taken out of his hands is so important to the end of the film. It was never going to be his trophy. That's not what it is. He begins the story as a classic pulp hero who's inflated enough to believe brains and daring do can win any battle, with his reward being the treasures of the world. He ends it accepting his place as a small man in a world of enormously powerful forces. That's the story of Raiders. It's a deconstruction of the grandiose fantasy of the action hero. Its climax isn't watching the ark clean house, but reforming a bond with his old flame. His triumph isn't beating the nazis, it's having the humility to see that the real treasure worth pursuing is the love of a great gal. (Especially now she's not fifteen years old, and they're on equal footing. Which is a whole topic in itself worth getting into, but not here.) So now, when anyone tells me that Indiana Jones doesn't affect the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I remind them that the plot is what happens to him, not it. They're focusing on the wrong thing.

[@onemoreminute0543]

Feeling spoiled tonight. First this new banger of a video, and then a new Oversimplified video. What greater fruits could a man wish for in his life?

[@BleachBath-fr8ps]

True Detective is the only HBO series that people WILL NOT STFU about that I truly don't care about. Most of them I either love or hate, but I feel nothing for this and detective serials, in general. I only watched the first season and it's apparently the best one.

[@zyncclan2022]

Made my Friday I love local script man woooooooo yeaaaaa

[@DanSarbz]

Great video! Are you making one about the writing in true detective night country? I love the show but a lot of people have criticized the writing.

[@enoXiwame]

New localscriptman banger released🔥🔥🔥 You sort of touched on this here, but your video on Rogue One [rip] really helped me realize that if I'm ever approaching the role my characters have in the plot as "making sure I'm giving them enough to do," that's a sign to double check how necessary they even are. I do have very bad memory (adhd gang) so I don't remember all the critiques, but do you think Andor (if you've watched it) retroactively addressed any of them/will you make a video on it?

[@localscriptman]

I refuse to pay for Disney+ so I haven’t seen it

[@enoXiwame]

@@localscriptman So do I Huh who said that

[@oliverpalafox5913]

"it was love TARS"

[@bigbiggoblin2873]

Noice. The colored graphs satisfy the deep itch in my brain.

[@DeadManVlog]

Excellent content

[@remyd.2275]

I have a Salty Dog Cafe shirt just like that!

[@johnathonyoung4799]

Where are arc series that have multi-episode arcs back to back on this spectrum?

[@geordiejones5618]

What kind of stories do you make? Right now I'm putting together a portfolio of new weird short stories, kinda like middlebrow urban cosmic fantasy vibes. Would love to hear about your own stuff.

[@levantq5972]

Love from Jordan 🇯🇴 ❤

[@saracarlton9524]

Your explanations are like laxatives for my writing. Like you make sense of all the layers that go into what makes a good story. when I get confused ab character development or whatever, I now understand the questions I need to ask that will help me move my story forward. Thank u sm ur awesome

[@lazyman556]

Would really love to see more expansion on the Game of Thrones "multiple stretched out movies" style plot in a future video. I've been trying something like that and been struggling with keeping it from literally feeling like multiple different movies that are chopped together. How do you keep a sense of consistency and connectedness between the different storylines, and the feeling that each is progressing at the same pace?

[@theatom1355]

i see we have upgraded from MS paint to graph paper 🤔

[@maff_]

For the rust + Marty relationship - do you think that could actually dip negative around episode 6? I would think that the fight actually leaves them worse off than they started with as strangers

[@bluepaint9923]

did you just throw us mercury from sunshine 2007 out of nowhere????

[@ArcaneSorceror]

I would love your perspective on Babylon 5

[@ScottDunbar]

I've always wanted to explore writing more but felt like all the writing advice out there is stuffy and too prescriptive. I just found your channel and I'm on your third video. I literally quote the adventure time "favorite mug" episode all the time and now you're talkin true detective s01, which I always thought was something special but nobody touched on. Anyways - Love your stuff. Keep preachin your ways and enlightening humanity

[@thenawabgaming]

Imma go watch the season and then come back here.

[@damian4590]

I literally walked into the room and put this on after I peed so I should be good

[@localscriptman]

Ok just checking

[@jobantwisp6060]

i don't pee... i just play "cut the log"

[@Denmosocial]

Hey mate you do consulting or script reviews anymore?

[@localscriptman]

I do, my site is linked at the bottom of this video’s description

[@thebettybassettproduction2458]

Best analysis ever!

[@ericocypriani2308]

watching this video i realized i skipped an episode

[@ericocypriani2308]

ok, watched it. damn, that explains a lot

[@treyhayden]

I watched your movie edit. It was really bad. I loved it. The skull-fuck/tyron head slam edit made me choke. Thanks!

[@nicholasheal5925]

In the interest of comprehension. This reminded me of comments I've heard people make about Racheal Daws in The Dark Knight. Would you describe her as 80% character? Is her place in the story under developed or does she adaquetly serve her role in the story just fine?

[@JamaalLV]

Dude!!!! I thought I was the only one. I, too, prefer Rick & Morty's episodic storytelling.

[@YaVladosickKokosik]

Great work my man!!!

[@beno1441]

A master of your craft good sir