‘True Detective’: Why Do People in Ennis See Dead People?

‘True Detective: Night Country’ Episode 2 just dropped, and things are much more complicated than they seem. In the first episode, we saw the sudden disappearance of men from the Tsalal station caused quite the ruckus, but what seems to be even weirder is the fact that they were found completely naked and frozen to death in the middle of ice fields, and the most freaky thing of all is that Rose managed to discover the men with the help of her deceased husband, Travis. To make matters even more complicated, Rose is apparently not the only person in Ennis to see the dead people, so what can be the cause behind it? Does it have some Earthly solution, or is the phenomenon rooted in something supernatural?

The dead apparently don’t stay dead in Ennis for long

In the first episode, we see that Rose Aguineau found the bodies of the missing researchers by following her deceased husband, Travis, which seems to point her in the right direction. It created quite the “ghost story” atmosphere around the entire first episode and set the supernatural tone for the rest of the season of ‘True Detective.’

However, Rose lives alone, and we can see her smoking weed. That kind of isolation mixed with drugs can truly convince you that you are seeing something that in fact isn’t there, and the fact that Travis pointed her in the direction of the bodies might be a coincidence, something that her mind made up on the spot to deal with the trauma.

Rose, however, is adamant that the dead frequently and often try to communicate with her, at least her husband Travis, who died sometime prior due to Leukemia. I mean, he technically killed himself by walking outside into the ice fields and never coming home. Rose also mentioned that the fact that she sees the dead started with Travis. Rose also explains that the dead come because they miss the people they left behind; some come because they need to tell you something important that you need to hear, and some come to take you with them.

It’s pretty cryptic, but it seems like Rose is just that kind of a person. Things got weirder when Prior went to investigate the staff that worked at the Tsalal station ocassionaly, the delivery guy and the cleaning ladies. The delivery guy mentioned seeing something at the research station, but he was also pretty cryptic about it. He mentioned that he SAW SOMEBODY. He said:

This is Ennis man, you see people sometimes, you know what I mean. Jesus Pete you grew up here, you know this. You see people who are gone sometimes. It’s a long fucking night, even the dead get bored.

So, apparently, even if Rose might be a bit crazy; the delivery guy seems like he doesn’t have similar issues as Rose, so what might be the explanation for this phenomenon?

Rose’s explanation – Ennis is where the supernatural comes apart at the seams

Rose was the first person who offered us some kind of explanation in the show for why the people around Ennis see the dead. Rose explained that the world is getting old, and Ennis is where the fabric of all things is coming apart at the seams. She didn’t really elaborate on that, but it’s a well-documented belief around the world that certain places on Earth have bigger potential to host supernatural events than other places.

It’s connected to ley lines, astrology, and plenty of things. But could the explanation be more rational?

It’s plenty of factors, including isolation and the long night

The second explanation for mass psychosis and hallucinations may be rooted in a more Earthly phenomenon, Polar Night. Alaska experiences a natural phenomenon called “polar night” during the winter months when some areas of the state do not receive any daylight for a period of time. This can result in extended periods of darkness, but the exact duration varies depending on the specific location within Alaska.

This does have specific psychological effects, starting with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) to cognitive impairment. Yes, Polar Night can cause people to have difficulties with concentration, memory, and overall cognitive performance. So, it wouldn’t be so far-fetched to introduce psychosis and hallucination to the mix.

Polar Night is also a period of of the greatest isolation since people are less likely to hang around during nighttime hours, even if it’s practically “the middle of the day.”

There’s something in the water

Several people around Ennis complained about the mining company, and this was presumed to be the solution behind Annie’s murder, as she seemed to protest their activities around Ennis, and it’s seemingly connected to the mine poisoning the water and the air around town. There’s also an unusual number of people getting cancers in Ennis, and it’s most likely connected to pollution. Navarro’s boyfriend, Eddie Qavvik, also mentioned that the part of time where his sister lives has trouble with severely dirty water and that they are having some kind of problems with the mine.

It’s not that far-fetched to assume that the mass hallucination around town is caused by something that miners are digging out or something that is a direct result of their activities and highly toxic. The mine, however, can’t be dealt with since it seems to be the only reason that Ennis still even exists and is being funded, as we could hear in an argument in Qavvik’s bar.

The true answer to the question is probably much more complicated however, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!