If you missed the season finale of True Detective on Sunday you really missed something. If you watched the finale and still feel like you missed something, well, you’re not alone. Many people on social media were left not knowing who “The Yellow King” was. There was no mention of The Yellow King in the finale. We saw a confrontation with the man with the scars known as Errol Childress and realized that Carcosa is an actual place, but nothing about The Yellow King. That’s because mention of The Yellow King was actually taken out from the shows final scene. The first draft of the script had Rust explaining The Yellow King. Check it out…
EXT. HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Marty wheels Rust out into the hospital parking lot.
MARTY
Talk to me, Rust.RUST
I have something to tell you Marty…MARTY
What’s that?RUST
… about The Yellow King. He’s a man. I know who he is.MARTY
Rust, what are you talking about?RUST
Hand me that open bucket of yellow paint.MARTY
How did that get out here?RUST
Don’t ask questions.Rust dumps yellow paint all over himself, pulls a small paper crown out from under his wheel chair and puts it on his head.
RUST
Look in your back pocket.Rust pulls out a cigarette and lights it. He smokes it super weird. Marty checks his back pocket and pulls out a cassette tape. He looks at Rust who now has a boom box on his lap. Rust throws out his cigarette and snatches the cassette tape.
RUST
It’s all here.MARTY
I don’t know if I want to hear this.RUST
It’s the only way.Rust puts the cassette in the boom box and presses play. “I Love The Nightlife” by Alicia Bridges starts to blare out.
MARTY
Wow. I would have never…Rust slowly lifts himself out of the wheelchair and starts to boogie.
RUST
It was me Marty. I’m sorry you had to find out like this. Boogie with me.MARTY
Yes. Yes I will boogie.Marty unbuttons his shirt and starts doing the monkey. Rust throws his arms in the air while having the time of his life.
Camera pans up to the night sky.
FADE TO BLACK
Oh man. SPOILER CITY! Can’t believe they didn’t go with that version. It explained so much and is just a very classy was to end a show if you ask me. What a way to honour a collection of short stories from 1895. Can’t wait until season 2.