True Detective Season 2 Discussion

[TripOpt55]

Seems a few people will be checking out the second season of this which starts tonight, so here is a thread to discuss it.

[Krubixcube]

Yeah, I'm definitely planning on watching it tonight or tomorrow. I've heard it's very different.

[BretBaber]

I didn't get to watch tonight because the wife didn't feel good, and a friend was going to come over and watch it with us. She hasn't seen the first season though, so I might MAKE her watch that, because that's my duty as a husband to be demanding, mentally abusive, and a gifter of good television.

#cranstonrobbedmcconaughey

[TripOpt55]

The first episode was okay. There were more characters to introduce so it feels more setup-y than last year's opener. Pizzolatto writes this overly serious dialogue that McConaughey made work in ways I think other actors might have trouble with. And he had the benefit of playing opposite a character like Marty who could lighten the mood. Here everyone is so serious, it doesn't seem to work as well. And some of the characterization seems on the nose. Maybe them all working together might help things liven up a bit going forward.

I instantly loved True Detective Season 1 from the first episode, so that was tough to follow up. My general indifference to this is more in line with my typical reaction to pilots (which this essentially is), so I'm hoping the show will pick up as it goes on.

[Krubixcube]

I knew it'd be hard to top as strong as a pilot as the first season of True Detective had but DEFINITELY slower. Still impeccably made, and I'll keep watching but not the instant hook that season 1 was.

[ajapam]

I feel pretty much the same way as trip. Everyone's so serious all the time. And I'm not sold on Rachel McAdams either. I never felt like she's giving it 100%. I'll keep up with it, though. I didn't exactly expect to be blown away from the start

[ajapam]

I liked this episode more. Better material for Vaughn's and Ferrell's characters, McAdams seems like she'll be a bit more of a standard hero than the rest which could work out nicely. But Taylor Kitsch still feels so disconnected from the main plot, which is weird. Didn't like the scene with Ferrell's ex so much either. "You're bad!"

The ending was pretty crazy but I'll wait for the next episode to decide how I feel about it. He was the most fleshed out character so far and we were still just getting to know him, so I'm not so sure right now. If it keeps going the dark neo-noir route it seems to be going, it could work

[TripOpt55]

Yeah I liked this one quite a bit more than the first. Vaughn was definitely better this week. I like McAdams. Farrell seems a bit over the top to me, but at least it is in a sort of fun way. Kitsch's characterization seems so on the nose.

I was assuming Farrell was still alive. This is more my head thinking what makes sense more so than whether it looked like he died though. Like you mentioned, he was the most fleshed out so far. I don't know I guess we will see.

There is still some moments that come off just goofy to me though which is obviously not their intent.

[TripOpt55]

While watching it I enjoyed this latest episode, but it seems to fall apart a bit the more I think about. I think with the multiple leads this season feels really unfocused. Kitsch is still working for me the least. As much as I hate to say it Vaughn just isn't working in his role either. The fight came off a bit silly. I think the other two especially with how things came to a close with them this episode has certainly been the strongest part of the show, but I'm not exactly enthralled with them either.

I had heard about the bit with the Asian director this episode in the early reviews. I guess it was a shot at Fukunaga, but the way reviewers were alluding to it, I expected something worse.

[ajapam]

Honestly, some of the stuff that Vaughn's character does makes no sense. Like when his thugs maced that guy so he could talk to him... why not just have the thugs talk to him if he doesn't want to be seen? I thought the fight was silly too.

[TripOpt55]

We can add Episode 4 ending action sequences to the list of things that Season 1 did infinitely better than this season.

[ajapam]

The first part of the shootout was alright in my opinion, it's just that the scene from season 1 was so good. The second part really annoyed me though. After a huge explosion and 5 minutes of gunshots, all these random people are just walking around here. It felt like the writers did it just to be edgy and have a bunch of innocent people die. I'm almost surprised that guy they were chasing didn't start shouting that the beatles are a generic boy band and that everyone is fake. Maybe he could've screamed something like "TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE" as he shot up those pedestrians as a neat callback

The fact that pretty much everybody died as the 3 main characters went untouched was silly, too.

Moreover, though, I'm honestly having trouble keeping up with the story. Taylor Kitsch's character seems to come and go at random, these land/business deal talks make me tune out, and some scenes seem to be awkwardly forced into turning into something about a character's past.

I will say that the freeway shots are all really nice... So I'm not just complaining about everything

[ajapam]

I feel like the show got much better after the time jump. Still not great, but I at least want to see what happens now

[TripOpt55]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. I still have issues with some of the characters and the dialog, but the plot actually feels like it has some momentum now.

[Krubixcube]

I wont say that this season is better than season 1 (it's not - by a long shot) but I'm enjoying it for what it is. Though I must say the revelations are a bit less hard hitting because I feel the case wasn't developed enough. I feel we knew everything we needed to know about a lot of these characters but they've kind of drummed it in a little hard (especially with Balcoro).

The thing that's truly frustrating in this series is that despite all that there's some moments of stylistic genius despite the weird plotting. The mansion scene I thought was fantastic - the shootout was great. The opening from this week's episode was really good too. Just wish (like others have said) that they'd moved a little faster and thrown in a few more red herrings.

[TripOpt55]

Did anyone watch the finale? I don't even know what I think. Seemed like a mediocre finish to a mediocre season of television.

[ajapam]

I was hoping for better but it was an alright finish I guess. The Season 1 finale was more disappointing but a better episode in itself

[Krubixcube]

I just finished this up tonight - I liked the season over all. Wasn't as strong as season 1, by far, but I didn't hate it like a lot of people seemed to.

Stylistically it was great, and admittedly the second half was a lot more interesting than the first but I don't know...I didn't walk away disappointed. Not to mention I've always been a fan of those Coen-Brothers esque "it was all meaningless in the end" type of stories. Corruption can't be stopped, in the end. I like it.

[TripOpt55]

Yeah I didn't really mind how it ended. I thought it felt appropriate for the story they were telling. There was just so much silly shit in the finale. Like the shot of Ray's phone saying message unable to send. And Frank's conversation with his lady where he kept saying "Two weeks... or less" or how the cops shot that black dude while the guy was stabbing him. And while not a part of the finale, I don't think Paul's character ever really worked. Vaughn I think improved by the end. The other two I rather liked here.

I think everything I said about the dialogue at the beginning of the season held true too. And the plot seems so overly complicated. I imagine the first season was a story that Pizzolatto had in his head for years. And had been finetuning in some fashion probably. So it came together well. He didn't have that luxury here and I think it probably made this a tough task. I'm not sure if he it too full of himself to do so, but I feel having a small writer's room for the next season would be good. Or maybe he needs more time before the next season. I don't know. Assuming there is another season that is.

With all the complaining I have done, I don't think it was bad, so much as middling. Sometimes shows like that where I feel they could be better are more frustrating. The cast is here. There were talented directors involved and Nic can obviously write good stuff. But it doesn't come together as it should.

[ajapam]

Yeah what was with the two weeks thing? It was almost comical how many times that was brought up.

I have to wonder how people would've felt about this season if it were a brand new show. I think there'd be a lot less complaining but that it would just kind of come and go without much fanfare

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