Rust Cohle, one of the two protagonists in the television series, True Detective, works for the Louisiana State Police as a homicide detective. He is an intelligent and thorough detective whose ethics compel him to doggedly pursue a serial killer, and the power structure that seems to be involved with the torturous crimes, even when his pursuits threaten his career and well-being. Although he is talented and principled, he is also troubled and suffers from depression, drug abuse and alcoholism, and severe insomnia. His principles are sometimes eclipsed by these maladies, leaving him vulnerable to make mistakes that hurt him and others, including his partner, Marty Hart, with whom he shares a complicated and often conflicted bond. Despite his faults, he serves as the show's moral center.