Last night, True Detective ended in what can only be described as—and we mean this with the utmost professionalism—a storytelling wet fart. We won't spend time on spoilers here (hints: cowboy hats, people die!), but will instead focus on one of a few positives that came out of this otherwise high-speed train wreck of a season. Namely, the triumph that was Colin Farrell's facial hair. His Marlboro man-ish mustache grabbed our attention early on, then he cleaned it all up, but it wasn't long before he was back to getting wet on a few bad habits and his facial hair came roaring back. Around the penultimate episode of the series, Farrell had achieved what we like to call, "week-old scruff." It's not clean shaven, but not yet a beard. If you do it right, it's a rugged look you can maintain for as long as you'd like. Here's how.

1. Grow Out Your Beard
It seems counter-intuitive to bypass the week-old mark on purpose, but hair can grow unevenly, meaning some hairs could be longer than others after just a week of growth. If you need pointers on growing it out for the first time, click here.

2. Get a Beard Trimmer
With your facial hair grown out, you can grab the power tools. If you don't already have one, we recommend the Wahl All-in-One trimmer. Snap on the precision piece and get ready to get handsome.

3. Get Even
Though Farrell serves as the inspiration for this look, he's not perfect. After all, Ray Velcoro is supposed to look like a guy who's more focused on solving a case than he is about his own hygiene. That means his hair is a little heavier in the goatee region than anywhere else. If you want a more clean-cut vibe, trim evenly all the way around, making sure to snag pesky neck hairs along the way. Depending on how fast your whiskers grow, you'll need to repeat this process every one to two weeks.

4. It's Okay to Go Gray
What we liked most about Farrell's facial hair was that, like an old pair of jeans, it had some good wear and tear on it. Though Colin himself is not yet 40 years old (he turned 39 in May) and his character appeared around the same age, the stress of life had taken its toll on Detective Velcoro, resulting in a solid mix of black and grey beard hair. We wouldn't have it any other way. If you're getting a little salt-and-pepper in your follicles, don't fight it.

Ultimately, True Detective season two lacked a lot of things (a story people could keep track of, a story people cared about, good acting), but at least its undisputed MVP Colin Farrell added a whole lot of character with his braun—and his beard.