http://io9.com/the-one-literary-reference-you-must-know-to-appreciate-1523076497
I'll be damned.
The thought that this show might go full Lovecraft is kinda blowing my mind right now. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better. Even if they don't go supernatural, all the hallmarks of existential horror are there: secret cults worshipping weird stones in the woods, an overarching pessimistic and nihilistic worldview (humans are inconsequential; an aberration), characters haunted or driven to the brink by the truths they've witnessed and a vast, indifferent universe seemingly mocking our very existence.
Or...not. It might just continue down the police procedural route, firmly rooted in reality, albeit one that is incredibly cynical and despairing. Maybe the writer just wanted to give a shout out to his influences by working in the references to
The King in Yellow. Either way, I'm hooked.
But if they are going the "cosmic horror" route, they went about it right way-- let the audience think they're watching a cop drama and then slowly unveil the horrible truth. Existential horror is very hard to pull off in film (which is why decent Lovecraft adaptations are few and far between).
My theory: Russ HAS misled the investigation but only because he knows the truth and knows it would turn the world upside down if it ever got out. He's protecting humanity from learning the true nature of existence and the universe.
Any other weird fiction (Lovecraft, Machen, Blackwood, Ligotti, etc.) fans out there? What are your thoughts?