EXCLUSIVE: Carmen Ejogo Says the ‘True Detective’ Ending Brought Her to Tears, but Not in the Way You’d Expect

Whether you have doubts about Amelia Reardon (Carmen Ejogo), or you’re wondering how her Harvest Moon book will tie into the bigger picture, you have to admit there’s something fishy going on. (Where’s Detective Hays when you need him?!)

But pry as we may to get even a peep about the ending of the third season of True Detective, the leading lady of HBO’s crime show wouldn’t budge—except to reveal her emotional reaction to the finale.

“I was brought to tears where the show ends—but not for the reasons I think everyone is going to presume,” Ejogo told PureWow in an exclusive interview. “I didn’t see it coming, and I just really hope that people are picking up on the bigger themes that Nick [Pizzolatto] is trying to present and trying to get people to think on.” 

The actress went on to reveal some of these “bigger themes.” Namely, that sometimes we can’t see what’s right in front of us. (So does that mean the murderer is somebody we already know?)

“By having Wayne be a man that is looking back and contemplating what it means to live a life, the things that you should value and prioritize, and the people you should take care of, I think [Pizzolatto] is just really looking at these big, beautiful ideas,” Ejogo said. 

“That’s probably what moved me most by the end of the last episode,” she continued. “It’s the way all of it comes to fruition.”

Welp, we have goosebumps.

Tune in to HBO next Sunday, February 3, at 9 p.m. for episode five of True Detective.