Ep 5. If You Have Ghosts

In True Detective season 3 episode 5, titled "If You Have Ghosts," Detective Wayne Hays (Mahershala Ali) continues to investigate the disappearance of two children in West Finger, Arkansas in 1980. As he delves deeper into the case, he begins to uncover new clues and connections that lead him down a path of obsession and darkness.

The episode opens with Wayne and his partner, Roland West (Stephen Dorff), interviewing a woman who claims to have seen a black man with a scar lurking around the park where the children went missing. Wayne immediately recognizes the description as that of one of the suspects he encountered 10 years earlier during a reopening of the case.

Meanwhile, Wayne's personal life becomes increasingly complicated as he struggles to care for his wife Amelia (Carmen Ejogo), who is dealing with her own demons. As the couple grows further apart, Wayne takes solace in his work and becomes more fixated on solving the case.

One of the major themes of this episode is the idea of ghosts: the ghosts of the missing children, the ghosts of Wayne's own traumatic experiences in Vietnam, and the ghosts of the past that continue to haunt him. The show uses a non-linear narrative structure to explore Wayne's memories and flashbacks, making it difficult to determine what is real and what is imagined.

As Wayne continues to investigate, he begins to suspect that someone in the local community may be involved in the children's disappearance. He interviews a variety of suspects, including the local police chief and the owner of a local pawn shop. The tension builds as Wayne becomes increasingly paranoid and sees potential connections everywhere he looks.

The episode ends with a shocking twist that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats and eager to see what happens next. "If You Have Ghosts" is an intense, gripping episode of True Detective that explores the darker side of human nature and the consequences of unresolved trauma.