‘True Detective’ season 2: Looking at those Yellow King theories before episode 5

While “True Detective” season 1 is far more highly-regarded than the second season, there are still some moments from it that come under criticism and the mythology of the Yellow King is one of them. It was hyped up as such a grand, mysterious entity, that there was almost no way that the storyline was going to have the big payoff we all hoped it would. While we personally believe season 1 delivered on a great ending, it was a more abstract one, (even despite the capture), than many hoped for.

So why is the show introducing the idea of the Yellow King again in season 2? While it seems to be a weaker point line to bring back, this is an idea that is being thrown around by the writers.

One of the major hints that showrunner Nic Pizzolatto wants you thinking about the Yellow King right now is a discovery realized by Complex. Right before the mass shootout at the end of episode 4, the police detectives were looking for a guy named Ledo Amarilla. The Spanish connection between Amarilla and “yellow” is obvious, while Ledo is two letters short of Ledoux. Reggie Ledoux was a season 1 character believed at one point to be the Yellow King.

Is there anything that we are able to take away from this reveal going into episode 5? At the moment, our impulse is to say “no.” This story has not meant to be deliberately referential to the first season, and there is no reason to think that Matthew McConaughey or Errol will be showing up in California anytime soon. This to us is just a veiled reminder of the inexplicable evil that can be roaming around, and something that will never leave the world of the show.

To us, one of the larger themes of “True Detective” is that too much is made of what or who is evil and trying to understand why people do bad things. Sometimes, there is no answer for it at all and that can be just as terrifying.

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