What happens in True Detective: Season 1, Episode 3 – ‘The Locked Room’?
Warning: Major spoilers ahead
Picking up where the previous episode left off, in 1995 a forensics team is on site documenting the mural found in the burnt-down church. Rust and Marty visit the Friends of Christ Revival church, which they believe Dora Lange attended.
Whilst watching the Pastor deliver a sermon, the pair discuss their opinions on religion. No surprises that Rust has no time for it, pitying the congregation and believing that religion is part of a “life trap”.
Later, they question Pastor Theriot who recognises Dora and confirms she attended the church. After questioning the congregation, they have a lead after a number of the parishioners recall having seen Dora leave with a tall man who had scars on his face. Rust believes there’s a link between Marie Fontenot’s disappearance and Dora Lange’s murder, so he suggests looking back through old case files to see if anything else has been missed. A concerned Marty stresses that Rust’s obsession with this one theory could easily twist evidence.
Outside of the investigation, Rust is spending more and more time with Marty’s family and even picking up some of Marty’s household responsibilities for him when he’s not there. Marty returns home to find Rust sitting in his kitchen, having mowed the lawn and angrily tells him not to do this again. Maggie and Marty find out their daughter has been drawing suggestive pictures at school, with Maggie suggesting Marty’s lack of involvement in their family life is to blame. Later that evening Marty apologises and admits he’s going through a difficult time.
Rust, Marty, Maggie and Jen – a friend of Maggie’s – head out on a double date. At the bar Marty spots his mistress, Lisa, on a date with someone. Overcome with jealousy, Marty confronts Lisa who reveals that she doesn’t see a future with him and puts an end to their affair. That night, a drunk Marty shows up at Lisa’s flat and attacks the man she was on a date with. A suspicious Maggie calls Rust to find out if Marty’s excuse of having to leave for work is real, to which Rust answers honestly - confessing he doesn’t know.
The following day Rust informs Marty that he’s found an old case – the drowning of Rianne Olivier - which shares similar circumstances to Dora’s murder. They go to speak with Rianne’s family and her grandfather points out that Rianne had run off with her boyfriend – Reggie Ledoux. He gives them a box of her belongings which include her school yearbook from Light of the Way Academy – a religious school that closed in 1992 after a hurricane hit.
Whilst interviewing the school groundskeeper, Marty gets a call that criminal Reggie Ledoux recently skipped out on parole after being convicted of running a crystal meth lab, and that during his time in prison his cellmate was Charlie Lange – Dora’s ex-husband.
An APB is put out on Reggie and we see him emerging half-naked from a meth lab in the woods, wearing a mask and wielding a machete.
In 2012, Rust discusses his religious views with Detectives Gilbough and Papania, as he and Marty both recount their experience with the gunfight that ensued…