Whether you’re a diligently trying to solve its central mystery, or philosophically contemplating its meditations on storytelling, you’ll want to at least understand what the heroes of True Detective, Rust Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) and Marty Hart (Woody Harrelson), are talking about.

With that mind, and with a nod to the viewers who have been puzzling over some of these terms for weeks, we put together a video glossary of the most obscure and confusing bits of police jargon and metaphysical malarkey essential to understanding one of the best shows on television. We hope it helps.