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"Remember what I said about the detective's curse? The solution to my whole life was right under my nose. That woman. Those kids. And I was watching everything else."
―Martin Hart

Martin Eric "Marty” Hart is a Louisiana State Police detective and the partner of Rustin Cohle. Along with his nihilist buddy, he is one of the two protagonists in season 1 of True Detective.

History[]

Early life[]

Marty is a gregarious police detective who thinks of himself as a "regular type dude...with a big-ass dick." He was a sports star at USL and was married to Maggie Hart, presumably at a young age. He has two daughters, Audrey and Maisie. He carries on an affair with a stenographer named Lisa which he claims is a "release" that is necessary before going home to his wife and kids.

Marty is a misogynist and quick to anger and occasionally violence. He feels an ownership over women. He gets angry at his affair partner after seeing her cozying up to another man in public, following her home and destroying her front door and closet to pin the man down and question if Lisa had performed oral on him. When Lisa retaliates by revealing their affair to Maggie, he calls her a whore and threatens to "skull-fuck" her.

Later Years[]

Marty was partnered with Rustin Cohle in 1994. The two worked various cases, mostly revolving around the Yellow King cases together until 2002, when Cohle had sex with Martin's wife. The two had a falling out and wouldn't speak again until 2012.

The two reconnected due to Rust's continuing pursuit of the Yellow King case. The two make their way to Errol Childress, the man who has been constructing the wooden sculptures and committing the murders. Rust and Martin pursued Childress and were both wounded, but Rust managed to kill him with a shot to the head.

While healing up at the hospital, Hart breaks down into tears when Maggie and their daughters visit him. After the two healed, they left, with Rust informing Martin of his near-death experiences and him feeling a connection to his dead daughter. Rust received a new faith in life and managed to be optimistic about the future. The two detectives reflect on the universal battle between light and dark.

Relationships[]

Career[]

Notes and Trivia[]

Appearances[]

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