We Still Might See Ray Die On 'True Detective'

Turns out True Detective is not pulling a Game of Thrones and killing off one of its main characters immediately. Ray Velcoro is still alive, as we learned in the first few moments of True Detective's third episode, "Maybe Tomorrow." Though it seemed like he was really shot point at point blank range in the stomach, it was just a bunch of pellets, not actual bullets, which didn't kill him. He has a few broken ribs and will be sore for days, but he's alive. Still I have to wonder, could Ray actually die before True Detective Season 2 comes to an end?

The opening moments of the show made it seem like he was really dead, and I was kind of loving it. I thought it was an incredibly bold choice to make — you know, killing off the headlining character two episodes in. However, his death just wasn't for our television world, and he lived. But Ray still ended up in some strange purgatory in the very beginning. He was sitting back in the bar that he and Frank like to visit, and there was an Elvis impersonator (right?) singing a sad, sad song. It felt like death to me.

True Detective had also built up for his death so much and went on to show us this in-between time (when Ray's really just unconscious), which makes me think we really will see his death before the end of the season. It feels like Ray's time on the force, and his life in general, may have just run its course. His ex-wife is taking his kid away. He's been labeled as a dirty cop by just about everyone on every single force. Even if Ray does do something totally redeeming before the end of the season, will it be enough to keep his life going forward?

For me, I've already accepted that Ray is going to die (because it better NOT be Ani, or else). Both Rusty and Marty cheated death during True Detective Season 1, so it's about time the show killed off one of its main characters to pack a giant punch for the audience. And when Rusty and Marty both managed to escape the Yellow King, didn't you feel like it was kinda, meh? There's clearly a killer on the lose in Vinci, and he's taking people out one by one — why, we still don't know. But Ray's already tangled up in that world, thanks to Frank, and when the time comes, I believe he's going to be the first to go.

So even though we got Ray back for another episode, I wouldn't get too comfortable with his presence on True Detective.

Image: Lacey Terrel/HBO