This thesis aims at identifying, through Will Wright methods of narrative analysis, how the different masculinities are represented in the first season of the TV-series True Detective via the protagonists Rust Cohle and Marty Hart. Theories about hegemonic masculinity and Will Wright's theories for narrative analysis are further applied to see how these similarities and differences are formed by what Wright calls “the professional plot". Through 32 chosen scenes from the first season, this study examines the narrative of True Detective and the relationship between the main characters Rust Cohle and Marty Hart from a point of view that will highlight their hierarchic positions in the hegemonic masculinity, using Raewyn Connell’s studies as a theory. We have found that there are two separate hegemonic spheres, one within the relationship between the main characters, and one within the society as a whole. In the latter, Marty Hart is displayed as a member of the hegemonic masculinity up to the point where he loses his family while Rust Cohle constantly belongs to the subordinate masculinity. This is due to him being in constant clash with the traditional cultural values of Louisiana where the series takes place. Regarding the hegemony within their relationship, Rust Cohle goes through a hegemonic transformation, from the subordinate masculinity to the hegemonic while Marty Hart makes the journey from occupying the hegemonic masculinity to serve as the participating dito.

Both the “crisis of masculinity” and “quality TV” have been popular discourses in academia in recent years. Many of these contemporary quality TV series feature male anti-heroes at the center of their narratives. This dissertation argues that the constructions of masculinity in series such as "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" are informed by the Western hero. Furthermore, the dissertation links this recourse to an arguably outmoded model of masculinity to recent crisis tendencies in the USA, most notably the recent economic downturn and the aftermath of September 11 2001. Moreover, the return of the Western hero can be understood as a process of remasculinization in light of the crisis of masculinity.

Both the “crisis of masculinity” and “quality TV” have been popular discourses in academia in recent years. Many of these contemporary quality TV series feature male anti-heroes at the center of their narratives. This dissertation argues that the constructions of masculinity in series such as "Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" are informed by the Western hero. Furthermore, the dissertation links this recourse to an arguably outmoded model of masculinity to recent crisis tendencies in the USA, most notably the recent economic downturn and the aftermath of September 11 2001. Moreover, the return of the Western hero can be understood as a process of remasculinization in light of the crisis of masculinity.

S'inspirant de l'inconscient collectif jungien, « détaché des sphères personnelles, exist[e] en marge de celles-ci, [...] possède un caractère tout à fait général et [...] ses contenus peuvent se rencontrer chez tous les êtres1 », le concept de la psychosphère, tel que présenté dans la télésérie américaine True Detective (HBO, 2014), en est la trame de fond narrative. Décrire l'invisible et l'intangible n'est possible que par l'étude de ses manifestations. Ce mémoire s'intéresse donc aux phénomènes et aux concepts qui rendent possible la représentation de ce que Ralph Noyes décrit comme un « vast and complex cauldron of ideas, memories, volitions, desires and all the other furniture of conscious experience and unconscious mental functioning2 ». Outre les questions plus larges de la généalogie du récit, la poétique narrative de la psychosphère relève essentiellement de l'archive: True Detective fait maintes allusions à la fiction gothique américaine. Celles-ci désignent à leur tour une explication transhistorique d'un retour à la violence ritualisée. Toutefois, cette explication, s'il en est une, demeure fragmentée, incohérente et ultimement différée. / Inspired by Jung's collective unconscious, the concept of a psychosphere, as seen in HBO's hit series True Detective (2014), underlines the narrative structure of the show. Describing the invisible and the intangible is only made possible by the study of its manifestations. This thesis analyses the phenomena and concept which enable the representation of what Ralph Noyes describes as a « vast and complex cauldron of ideas, memories, volitions, desires and all the other furniture of conscious experience and unconscious mental functioning3 ». Apart from broader questions of genealogy, the narrative poetics of the psychosphere are essentially archival: True Detective contains many allusions to previous Gothic fictions, which point toward an trans-historical explanation for the return of ritualized violence. However, any such explanation is fragmented, incoherent, and ultimately deferred.

Syftet med föreliggande religionsvetenskapliga studie är att synliggöra hur betydande aspekter av livsåskådningskaraktär återspeglas i den populära tv-serien True Detective 1 – och med särskilt fokus på ateism undersöka och kartlägga en av tv-seriens karismatiska huvudkaraktärers perspektiv och positioneringar. I centrum står Rustin ”Rust” Cohle och dennes hållning, handlingar och tal. Undersökningen utgår från tre frågeställningar: Vilka olika livssynspositioneringar och tematiker av existentiell livsåskådningskaraktär är utmärkande för karaktären Rust? Hur kan dessa närmare beskrivas och förstås på ett övergripande plan? Och i vilken utsträckning har Rust lösgjort sig från en äldre form av ateism, till förmån för en senmodern och mindre polariserande variant? Runt karaktärskomplexet Rust – som en prototyp för en sorts förtrollande ateism – exponeras följande fyra kategorier: 1) Scientisten: En position präglad av en scientistisk och naturvetenskaplig, ateistisk hållning. 2) Zenbuddisten: En position präglad av asketism, kontemplation och en fascination av jaget som en illusion. 3) Terapeuten: En position karaktäriserad av den terapeutiska diskursen, vars psykologiserande förklaringar går ut på att legitimera individens lycka eller lidande – och därigenom tar över den äldre religiösa berättelsens funktion.4) Messiasgestalten: En position med markant messianska förtecken av både hög- och lågkristologisk natur och som i någon mening här inkorporerar övriga kategorier. Serien avspeglar således genom den messiasliknande karaktären Rust både starka ateistiska och scientistiska strömningar i vår tid, präglade av både naturvetenskap men också ett – till vissa delar – österländskt synsätt bortom den judisk-kristna traditionens epistem, hand i hand med ett semi-sekulärt och terapeutiskt trevande efter reflexivitet, mening och en större sakral och kanske rentav metafysisk öppning. Det är möjligen något av ett paradigmskifte – för att tala med Thomas Kuhn – som karaktären Rust föregriper och förkroppsligar. En både-och-människa som både vill ha det sakrala och profana som en möjlighet – inte som ett akademiskt motsatspar! / Enchanting atheism?: A study of atheism pictured in popular culture. True Detective as an example. The purpose of this study of religious science is to visualize how significant aspects of a characteristic philosophy and views of life are reflected in the popular TV series True Detective 1 – and with particular focus on atheism, explore and map the perspective and positioning of one of the charismatic main characters of the TV series. In the center stands Rustin “Rust” Cohle and his attitude, actions and speech. The study is based on three questions: What different views of life and themes of existential views are characteristic of the character Rust? How can these be more fully described and understood on an overall level? And to what extent has Rust broken himself away from an older form of atheism in favor of a late modern andless polarizing kind? Around the complex of character that is Rust - as a prototype for a kind of enchanting atheism - the following four categories are exposed: 1) The Scientist: A position characterized by a scientific and atheistic stance. 2) The Zen Buddhist: A position characterized by asceticism, contemplation and a fascination of the self as an illusion.3) The Therapist: A position characterized by the therapeutic discourse whose therapeutic narrative is based on legitimizing the happiness or suffering of the individual - thus adopting the function of the old religious narrative. 4) The Messiah character: A position with striking Messianic overtones of Christology of both high and low nature and which in some sense incorporates the other categories. Through the Messiah-like character Rust the series thus reflects both strong atheistic and scientific currents of our time, characterized by not only science but also – to some extent – by an Eastern view of life that goes beyond the episteme of the Jewish-Christian tradition, hand in hand with a semi-secular and therapeutic grasping for reflexivity, meaning and a greater sacred and perhaps even metaphysical opening. It is possibly somewhat of a paradigm shift – to some extent plead Thomas Kuhn – that the character Rust anticipates and embodies. A both-kind-person who wants to have the sacred as well as the profane as an opportunity - not as an academicopposing pair!