SPOILER ALERT: This text discusses plot factors in Episode 2 of “True Detective: Evening Nation,” titled “Half 2.”

One among Liz Danvers’ favourite sayings its “shit bowl.” And the case of the eight lacking males from an Alaska analysis station — and the way it pertains to the sooner homicide of Native midwife and activist Annie Kowtok — is an absolute “shit bowl.”

“True Detective: Evening Nation” is slowly peeling again particulars behind the present’s Season 4 thriller, and in Episode 2, there’s one identify that rocketed to the highest of the listing of suspects. In final week’s premiere, viewers have been launched to Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis), two regulation enforcement officers within the fictional mining city of Ennis, Alaska. The duo aren’t precisely friends, as Navarro believes Danvers dropped the ball in investigating the homicide of Annie.

However when a bunch of eight males disappear from an area arctic analysis station, Reis thinks it’s linked to Annie’s loss of life. Danvers pooh poohs the thought at first — however in Episode 2, she will pooh pooh no extra. Now, they’re uneasy companions, and simply on the very starting of attempting to determine what the hell is occurring. (What they’re not questioning but is the potential supernatural component in all of this. However we’re!) Right here’s a few of what we realized.

What did we study in Episode 2?

Raymond Clark. What’s this man’s deal? In line with a fast flash of his bio on the present final week, Clark is a “Royal Society Wolford Fellow in Paleomicrobiology.” We realized in episode 1 that he had some form of connection to Annie: He’s seen in pictures sporting a jacket that when belonged to her. In Episode 2, we study that they certainly knew one another. Presumably, they have been courting. And but, in all of Navarro’s investigation, Clark’s identify by no means got here up.

Nonetheless, we uncover that simply as Annie had a tattoo of a spiral pictogram, Clark had that very same spiral tattooed on his chest — 4 days after Annie’s loss of life. Moreover, Navarro discovers that Clark had a secret trailer — and wow, is the within of that trailer creepy, stuffed with animal bones. (Is that stuffed doll alleged to be a Annie substitute? What about these hanging stick figures, paying homage to Season 1? After which that spiral painted on the prime! I wish to see the trailer’s Zillow itemizing.)

Additionally: The tongue discovered on the analysis station is certainly confirmed to be Annie’s. (The place was it being saved all these years? Who left it there?)

Alongside the way in which, we additionally see Clark’s journal, wherein he appears to descend into insanity. Apparently Clark had was a little bit of an oddball contained in the analysis station, “speaking to himself, staring into nothing.” That’s when he wasn’t locked in his room, and was strolling round bare. The opposite males ignored him; his solely subsequent of kin is seemingly a mother in Dublin who hasn’t seen him in 10 years.

On the very finish, we uncover {that a} physique is lacking within the pile of frozen scientists: Raymond Clark will not be with them. Possibly he acquired separated from them. Possibly he had one thing to do with what occurred. However he might very properly be alive, and on the market someplace.

Different burning questions and ideas:

*Let’s flip this over first to Liz, Navarro and Peter Prior (Finn Bennett), all of whom are mastering the artwork of asking the correct questions. “Why drop every thing and run out [of the research facility]? Polar bear?” Maintain asking. “How scared do it’s a must to be to expire on to the ice with none footwear?” Additionally: Why are the our bodies on prime of one another like that? Was it merely hypothermia delirium, or was one thing chasing them? Why are their eyeballs burnt, their ears busted and are they stuffed with self-inflicted chew wounds? Was it irrational habits from the hypothermia, or one thing extra? Why are the scientists’ garments neatly folded subsequent to their our bodies? Did the killer fold them like that? Was he taunting them, did he make them fold them? How did Clark preserve the trailer a secret?

*On the prime of the present, when one of many investigators by chance tears off one of many sufferer’s frozen limbs, the physique screams. That was haunting. And but it’s by no means actually defined once more: How was this frozen corpsical nonetheless partly alive? How did he really feel that, and handle to scream? I’m guessing he’s the particular person they known as in an induced coma, with an amputated leg. How then did he survive that limb tear, and the way did they get him out of there? We didn’t see what occurred after the scream, and I’ve many questions.

*So the work of the TSALAL really sounded fairly vital: Looking out ice cores for microorganisms, the form of work that might have led to a remedy for most cancers. And but, “it was by no means going to work,” Liz’s trainer buddy tells her. However how far alongside was their analysis, and what occurs now to all of their work?

*As “Little St. Nick” by the Seaside Boys performed, the frozen our bodies have been hauled into the ice skating rink. Later, Liz makes an attempt to start out adorning the home for the vacations. It acquired me to pondering: We all the time debate whether or not “Die Arduous” is a Christmas film. Nicely, is “True Detective: Evening Nation” a Christmas TV present? Collect the household round, bust out the egg nog and watch as frozen corpses are thawed out!

*Why is Liz so against Leah (Isabella Star LaBlanc) studying about her tradition? Liz’s response to Leah getting the non permanent face tattoo (which relying on the tradition, is known as Kakiniit, Tavlugun or Yidįįłtoo) was excessive. The connection between the 2 — a guardian-and-teen scenario — is already strained. Undecided why Liz is including on some cultural insensitivity on prime of it!

* Everyone seems to be getting their second of sudden flashback visions. Liz had one final week. This time, a crucifix triggers a picture to Navarro that causes her to almost drive into an enormous rig. It was a harrowing look again at her childhood. We all know Navarro and her sister are coping with trauma due to their mom (properly, Navarro additionally has PTSD from her navy service within the Center East) — however what all occurred to them?

*Talking of visions, that one-eyed polar bear retains popping up — both on the town or as a stuffed animal that triggers one other Liz flashback. Plus, we get extra background on Liz’s relationship with Leah’s father, which gave the impression to be fairly candy. What occurred that Liz nonetheless doesn’t wish to tackle?

*The city mine has one thing to do with all of this, however what? Annie was protesting the mine, and he or she was killed below suspicious circumstances — it will appear to be somebody who wasn’t comfortable along with her actions was in charge. (Liz, in fact, simply blames the city.) Now, evidently the mine is really poisoning Ennis, with its black consuming water. The analysis station would appear to have nothing to do with the mine, nevertheless. What’s the connection?

*Nonetheless ready for extra on the supernatural entrance. How deep are we going to get into this, vs. Liz and Navarro ignoring it? Given her relationship with Rose (Fiona Shaw), Navarro appears extra open to the spooky stuff — to some extent. Rose appears to be the city’s professional on such issues: “The factor concerning the useless, some come as a result of they miss you, some come as a result of they should inform you one thing that you must hear, a few of them simply wish to take you with them. You’ll want to know the distinction.” Rose additionally appears to know what that spiral design is, however is frustratingly cryptic about it: “It’s previous, Missy. Older than Ennis. Older than the ice, most likely.” (That’s not serving to, Rose!) In fact, this loopy city, nobody appears weirded out by useless individuals hanging out. “That is Ennis, you see people who find themselves gone typically. It’s a protracted fucking night time, even the useless get bored.” Positive!

*Is Hank (John Hawkes) that clueless that he solely now realized that in fact his son stole the Annie Ok chilly case field from his home? Oh yeah, Alina from Vladivostok is relying on him being that clueless.

*The nods to Season 1 of “True Detective” proceed. Final week, we seen the residents of each TSALAL and Ennis appear to get pleasure from Lone Star beer — the identical brew that Rustin “Rust” Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Martin “Marty” Hart (Woody Harrelson) consumed on the present a decade in the past. This week, it was onerous to not see the comparability between the stick determine dolls hanging from the Raymond Clark’s trailer, and the hanging stick figures from Season 1. And the spiral itself brings us again to the very starting. Are these merely Easter eggs for followers, or one thing extra?

*Is Qavvik simply not brushing his enamel, since Evangeline nonetheless hasn’t returned his SpongeBob toothbrush? Gross.