Tag: Law & Order

The Bayou of Madness, Pt. II.

“Much has been made of the connections between True Detective and the cosmic-horror tradition…and rightly so. But what’s largely been missed is that the cosmic-horror genre — rooted, as it is, in humankind’s subprime position in the pecking order of the universe — is deeply entwined with the character of Louisiana’s physical and cultural landscape.”

In Slate, Adrian Van Young delineates True Detective — and Lovecraft’s — debt to Louisiana, one of the cultural crossroads and borderlands where shadows linger and tricksters thrive. “Lost cities, liminal realms, and cosmic fear come more or less naturally to Louisiana…The chief-most horrors of the show are not voodoo curses or tentacled monsters or consciousness-destroying plays, but environmental slippage, religious perversion, badly mangled family trees. True Detective wears the cosmic-horror genre and its lineage, in other words, not unlike the Mardi Gras masks being worn today all over its native state. The mask is scary, sure enough, but what’s underneath can be even more frightening: one place in the U.S. where anything, it seems, can happen.'”

Also, for a more prosaic take on HBO’s current hit, see the credits for Law & Order: True Detective, below.

Reality Sets In.

“Trying to encourage his studio to hurry up so an interview could start, Carl Cameron of Fox News said into his microphone: ‘The next president of the United States has a schedule to keep.’ Standing beside him, a deadpan Mr Thompson interjected: ‘And so do I.'” As his late entrance bid continues to fizzle, even Fred Thompson has doubts about his campaign these days. Well, there’s always Law & Order.

Albus Out.

“‘Oh, my god,’ Rowling, 42, concluded with a laugh, ‘the fan fiction.’” So, as you probably heard, in a moment of retroactive characterization (a la Elisabeth Rohm on Law and Order), J.K. Rowling revealed that Albus Dumbledore is gay. Well, ok then. “A spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall added: ‘It’s great that JK has said this. It shows that there’s no limit to what gay and lesbian people can do, even being a wizard headmaster.’” And if nothing else, the news should make the witchcraft yahoos that much more livid.

Crossing Dylan.


Ethel the Blog points the way to a remarkable confluence of two of my favorite things: the freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and ADA Claire Kincaid. Apparently, the lovely Jill Hennessy sings “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” on the recently released T-Bone Burnett-produced soundtrack for Crossing Jordan. Other potential standout tracks (not by Hennessy) include covers of VU’s “Pale Blue Eyes”, Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain,” Donovan’s “Season of the Witch,” and The Kinks’ “Days” (Also covered by Elvis Costello for the Until the End of the World soundtrack.) Right now, there’s no sign of any of these tracks on Kazaa, not that I’ve checked or anything. To be honest, I’ve never watched Crossing Jordan – from afar, it looks awful. But that doesn’t speak any less of the late Ms. Kincaid…for two seasons there, Jack McCoy was a lucky, lucky man.