World Literature

If the first era of the recent television drama renaissance was about water cooler shows – those series with shock twists that you just had to talk about with your friends at work the next day – then the second one is all about the fan theories. The series-long mysteries at the hearts of shows like Breaking Bad have inspired all sorts of rabid online speculation.

Which is at least partially why HBO’s True Detective did so well. Its first season practically begged its audience to craft wild theories about how the central murder mystery would end up, planting clues as to possible occult influence and tossing out red herrings left and right, ready for those eagle-eyed and dedicated enough to start trying to piece answers together.

The second season has barely started – with a brand new mystery and cast – and already social networks and the True Detective subreddit are alive with people positing theories on who the murderer is, what Taylor Kitsch’s sexuality might be, the back story of characters who have been on screen for five minutes and how it might tie into the first season.

Some of those ideas are more credible than others. Less believable are claims that the theme song has hidden hints about what’s to come, cannibal monsters are about to be summoned by an ageing eighties rocker, and plenty more you can read on the following pages.