the only thing im interested in seeing with regard to Haye's wife is finding out why he started respecting her writing after seemingly writing it off as her ambulance chasing well into the marriage. It's weird that he never read her book until 2015. Or maybe he just forgot he did.
We can only speculate as to why. But it should be pointed out (and maybe this is obvious) that most—not all, but most—of Hayes's anger/irritation towards his wife's writing in timeline #2 has nothing to do with her or her book. Neither are his bitterness, paranoia, and preoccupation with racial issues in the same timeline about that stuff, either. Almost all of it is about how the unsolved case is affecting him and about his resulting drinking. He promised the father he would figure it out, and he not only couldn't save the boy, he hasn't been able to solve much else about it (and partially due to internal law enforcement interference, which he can't explain or control). He's a hunter, and his prey is getting away. He's a marksman, but he can't even find a target. He's a traditional man who can't fulfill his masculine duties to keep people safe. He's used to being in control but can't control much of what's happening around him. That's killing him and his relationships.
Given all that, of course his wife treating the case like it's a fun way to play detective and enrich herself pisses him off. But it's not
really about that or her. Similarly, any black man in his position (predominately white department in a largely white place) would be fighting against worries that his race is affecting everything in his life, but it's not really about that either.
As for not reading the book until later, that doesn't strike me as strange at all. Speculation: if his wife dies suddenly, this book he didn't want to read (especially not after it was published and became successful) that's all about the case he couldn't solve might, ironically, be his only remaining way to connect with her. He said in one of the recent episodes in timeline #2 that he wasn't really reading it because he "kept seeing [his] name" in the book. What did he mean by that? That seeing his name took him out of the narrative, maybe reminded him this was a money-making venture "exploiting" a real life tragedy? Or that it reminded him of his failure to live to to his responsibilities and he couldn't stand it? Regardless of the answer, in 2015 this shameful failure that's shaped his life is now a huge part of what's defined the memories from a life he's losing. It's painful to deal with the case, but it's more painful to let it go and to lose himself (and all his life's meaning) completely. So he opens the book.
I was really disappointed in the last episode, I thought they focused too much on Hays and his wife. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but we didn't learn anything new about any of the characters from the dinner scene, or even the subsequent scene back home. She's very interested in advancing her career with the case, Hays doesn't want to talk about it/resents her for it, they make up and fuck. How many times, and in how many decades do we need to see them do this? Only to go into another senile moment that reveals nothing more than the last, and only brings up the same questions as before.
Also the shoot out was... Interesting... Who was that cop that just wastes a civilian clearly recovering from an explosion? Note after this he doesn't even point his gun at the house, he's still shooting civilians. Why do the hicks open fire on two suit-and-tie policemen when they're there to attack a homeless-looking native american dude? I understand "the confusion of the shootout" but honestly it was so ridiculous that it really took me out of it.
The few story beats we get about the murder/disappearance are good, but this episode definitely felt like another slow episode in a season that's been considerably slower than the previous two. Just check the previous "episode 5's" from the first two seasons. They're way further in the case, and we even know more about the characters. We're more than 50% through the season and West doesn't have nearly as much characterization as Marty or Frank got.
I like this show a lot, but the pacing of this season is a bummer.
Do not agree on much of your first paragraph (or that West hasn't had much character development) but it would take forever to refute it. I would have to rewatch the episode again at minimum.
The shootout was pure chaos which is why I was basically okay with how it turned out. The sped cop who started shooting the rednecks was so strange that it felt believable to me. I bet shit like that happens all too often in tense situations. And if the rednecks weren't already ready to break every law imaginable by coming to a dude's house with firearms to kill him, they then were then given a "good reason" to start shooting at the other cops ... which is, of course, the plot reason
why the dead cop freaked out, so Hayes's partner could get shot in the fallout. It's a little messy, but I'm not sure it's bad writing. Maybe it would be more accurate to blame Pizzolatto's direction of the scene.
I will agree with you the last episode suffered from pacing issues, though. I'm okay with the slow buildup we've had so far and all the great character study shit, but the last episode perhaps felt too similar in tone to the one before. They really need to start moving on the case itself for the remaining episodes.
Good thing is that seems to be what the ending of the episode promises. I think we're going to see more movement in all three timelines now, and I welcome it.
