‘True Detective’ post-mortem: Michelle Monaghan on Maggie’s surprise connection
Sunday night’s “True Detective” was by our estimation one of the series’ best episodes, and it did so without really pushing forward the murder cases that much. Instead, more of the focus was planted on the relationships between the characters over several decades, and that includes Michelle Monaghan’s Maggie. When the series started, the biggest problem in her relationship was that she wasn’t attended to, and that spiraled into her husband cheating on multiple occasions … including a woman who was a teenager when he first met her.
So why did she make the move to hook up with Rust Cohle of all people after a night a bar? She knew that he was drunk, and could take advantage of that situation in a way. But, was this really a situation that she needed to take advantage of? That is an entirely different situation, and a very worthy debate.
Speaking to HBO.com following this past episode, Monaghan explained (just in case it was not obviously previously) just what some of Maggie’s motives were upon arrival to the house:
“… What she wants is for Marty to leave her and the girls alone, and to get that, she needs to betray him with the person he’s most threatened by – and that’s Rust. So when she turns up at Rust’s door, she’s on a mission. She knows exactly why she’s there.”
She also went on further to explain whether or not she felt that Rust had romantic feelings for Maggie in that moment, and that was why she was able to have this moment happen:
“I don’t think there are any romantic feelings for her. But she knows he’s vulnerable and that she can play into the connection they share. When she walks in the door and sees he’s been drinking, she realizes it’s going to be a lot easier than she thought.”
Really, her status in the final two episodes is unclear given that in the present (or at least close to it), she has no real connection to either Marty or Rust. Instead, she is paving her own path.
What do you want to see from Maggie the rest of the way on “True Detective,” if we even see her? Let us know your thoughts below.
Photo: HBO