True Detective

Get caught up on True Detective Seasons 1 and 2 before Season 3 arrives Jan. 13! Big D, Gene Lyons, and The King Bee speed recap what worked in Season 1, what failed in Season 2, and what we can expect from Season 3 (probably more weird sex parties). 

In this podcast, you'll hear the background on each season plus some behind-the-scenes info that explains a lot.

Also:

• Big D invents a new TV show, "Walking Bad"
• Gene and King Be...

Can't wait for True Detective Season 3? Neither can we. So before Mahershala Ali takes the screen Jan. 13, we've brought you the next best thing: a season preview!

Take 30 minutes to get filled in on the cast, including King Bee favorite Scoot McNairy, and find out what you can expect over the next 10 weeks. Find out more about the writing team behind True Detective Season 3, and discover the one thing that worries us about the fut...

True Detective Season 3 finally is here! HBO treated us to a double-header Sunday night, and fans are eating it up. Mahershala Ali is on fire, the spookiness is back, and Stephen Dorff's wig is absolutely criminal. 

Run down our list of suspects and dig deep into the meanings behind Wayne Hays' memories. We compare the clear links between this season and the West Memphis Three and toss around some tinfoil about the clues fans spott...

WARNING: Explicit language from the get-go as we decode Episode 3 of "True Detective" Season 3. Confused about this one? You're not alone.

After episodes 1 and 2 held our hand through all the clues to the Purcell kids' death and disappearance, Episode 3 knocked all the clues on the ground like so many Dungeons and Dragons dice in a forest.

Let's venture into the darkest parts of Wayne Hays' memory, dissect his relationship with Ame...

"True Detective" sparked so many fantastic letters that Shat on TV had to spin out an extra edition this week for The Watch, a collection of the best listener emails and tweets from the week.

Listener Ashley illuminates the relationship between Wayne and Amelia. Tom from Chicago asks about questionable evidence handling. Jamie points to spirals as a clue. Dillon believes in King Bee's "the kids did it" theory. Brian highlights th...

"True Detective" skipped its usual Episode 4 bloodbath this season and instead gave us a buffet of strong dialogue and revelations. Find out what's different about the writing on "The Hour and The Day," and hear Dick Ebert sing twice in the same podcast.

Listener mail discusses how "True Detective" is handling race, the truth behind the West Memphis Three, and the accuracy of how evidence is handled on screen. And the tin foil come...

Episode 5 shocked "True Detective" fans by taking Season 3 back to the quality and power of Season 1 without stealing too much from the HBO series' origins. We review startling scenes, including The Woodard Altercation, The Press Conference, Julie's Phone Call, and The Porch Talk. 

Is Wayne a horrible man who's veneer is beginning to crack? Or should we sympathize with a troubled veteran burdened with the sins and shortcomings of t...

If you had a "True Detective" Season 3 theory, Episode 6 probably confirmed it. Is that the mark of a well-constructed show, or TV that's just too predictable?

The Shat Crew breaks down what we know for (almost) certain and what's still up in the air, and listeners write in about character sexuality, the secret meanings of names, and what Julie Purcell's drawings tell us about life before she disappeared.

Big D does his best Nic Pi...

"True Detective" Episode 7 intrigued us with the tragic tale of Isabel Hoyt and and the terrifying introduction of her father, Edward Hoyt. Plus, we got to see the epic beatdown of the contemptible Harris James and behold Mahershala Ali in his giant boxer shorts.

Join The King Bee and Gene Lyons as Shat on TV outlines James' involvement from the Hoyt family's 1977 automotive incident through the 2015 documentary. We also discuss th...

"True Detective" listeners write in about Season 3 Episode 7 in this bonus edition of Shat on TV's "The Watch." A former classmate dishes the dirt on "True Detective" showrunner Nic Pizzolatto; an Arkansas viewer cheers the show's use of her home state; and Gene discovers the hour he spent transcribing an on-screen shot of Amelia's book was a complete waste of time.

A car enthusiast points out issues with Cousin Dan's Mercury Cap...

As Mahershala Ali triumphantly raised his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Green Book," Nic Pizzolatto and company wowed us with one of the greatest TV drama finales in HBO history.

"True Detective" Episode 8, "Now Am Found," changed the conversation from a whodunnit to an exploration of what it means to have needs, to have memories, and to let go.

Viewers were driven to redefine what a villain is, what triumph means, and what we a...

It's our final True Detective podcast for Season 3! Fourteen listeners write on topics ranging from beeper technology to Jungian archetypes. The King Bee reminds us that sometimes we're overthinking TV. Big D swears we'll never sell out, and Gene Lyons discovers Wayne and Amelia found a way to make their marriage work.

Yeah, he seriously missed that part entirely.

We also reconnect with Joe from California, whose monotone midseason...