True Detective

[crocodile 7,983]

Sometimes when I click on the thread while using my phone it directs me to a spot I last check in that thread. So it might be some time before. And because usually it shows me the newest content in most threads, it gets confusing.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

Really?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

OK, so how would Ray's dad have even learned about the corruption ring in the first place?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure you're partially right:

-Our heroes think the orphans are the killer, so they probably aren't

-Burris surprisingly kills Paul at the end of the episode making the audience think he's the killer, so he probably isn't

-It's probably going to be someone no one on the show has thought about as being a potential candidate before, like the lawnmower man in season 1

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Glóin the Dark 1,218]

It's Ray's son.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

The orphans are definitely up to something, I think. Watch the (probable) brother pass something (?) to the sister on the movie set

[Jay 37,281]

Confused by this season of True Detective? Here’s a helpful flow chart

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

Mayor McDrunk - like Mayor McCheese, but for booze!

[Quintus 5,399]

Sometimes when I click on the thread while using my phone it directs me to a spot I last check in that thread. So it might be some time before. And because usually it shows me the newest content in most threads, it gets confusing.

Karol

Yeah. It's a shame you felt forced to explain your reasons, though.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

This can't be tolerated. Please rewatch and find something to sour your outlook.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

Instead of the finale being 90 minutes, they should have taken out 30 minutes of padding from the first 7 episodes and re-structured so the train station sequence was the end of the 7th episode, and everything else that happened after was the finale. Would have been better that way.

Anyway, not sure what to think about the finale, will type more tomorrow, but I'd say its a pretty big letdown at the moment. I get what he was trying to say, that Frank and Ray were always who they were and couldn't be someone else but... idk.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

I'm satisfied with how it ended, though I thought it might get more afterlifey than it actually did.

In all, it was a ballsier season than the first, and maybe only a few notches down in quality. I'd say that's an even exchange.

[Jay 37,281]

I really don't get why Ani had to wait so long to attempt to release the story?

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Huh?

[Jay 37,281]

Long enough to have the kid. Why not try to get the story of the conspiracy out there before Tony became mayor and the rail broke ground?

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Uh... I don't know, this is one of those incredibly minor nitpicks that baffle me. Maybe she was trying and it was only now that someone was willing? That was the dude who Ray roughed up earlier in the season for writing about the land deal or whatever. So... she had to get in touch with him, convince him to come down, while staying on the DL and birthin' a baby... I'm not worried about the timeframe of that.

I think I want to rewatch both seasons right away.

[Jay 37,281]

Yea, maybe

[Jay 37,281]

True Detective 2x08 Omega Station

A disappointing letdown. I was hoping for some sort of "wow, nobody predicted that coming!" reveal, but unfortunately everyone had already figured everything out (that the set photographer was the other orphan, and he killed Caspere). So, all that was left to find was if our heroes would bring the conspiracy to public light, and who would live. And those answers were... expected yet disappointing at the same time.

Frank gets the upper hand on Osip and walking away free with $12 Million, which was a nicely done sequence. But he didn't see that the Russians (I assume) sold him out to the Mexicans. And they end up capturing him and getting his $5 million in cash that was in his suitcase. Fine. At that point, he still has his $3.5 million in diamonds, and Jordan waiting for him in Venezuella - presumably the Mexicans didn't take his passports or anything. But Frank is Frank, and cannot ever not be Frank, so instead of giving up his suit, he tries to fight the guy off, and ends up dying alone in the dessert.

Ray survives not only the the train station shootout, but the Osip sequence as well. He gets his cut of the money, his passports, all he has to do is get on that boat. But Ray is Ray, and cannot ever not be Ray, so he goes to see his son, basically knowing his fate is sealed before he gets there, and ends up dying in the redwoods. This wasn't done as well as Frank's story; Frank was abducted and had no choice in what happened to him until the suit question. But Ray just keep making weird decisions one after another after he returned to his car. IDK.

Ani did what she had to do. She had fulfilled her lifelong goal of killing a man who tried to hurt her, so starting over when there's a murder charge on her in the US makes sense, especially since as far as she knows her sister, father and the orphan sister will be safe forever (I don't know how true that would realistically be, but whatevs).

The episode was too long, also; It felt like 2 episodes jammed together. As I mentioned early, I think it would have been better to move plan to have the train station sequence end the penultimate episode; Have the detectives figuring out that Caspere's on-set assistant is one of the orphans (and that the photographer is the brother) in the same episode where the train station sequence happens instead of letting the internet figure it all out in between. Now you can have a normal length finale and alot of the padding from the early episodes (all the beats that were done multiple times when once would have worked) can be removed and you have a significantly tighter season.

And the ending was so odd. I loved how season 1 ended right after the big climax, with Marty and Rust having a convo a few days later in the hospital. But here we get an actual "one year later" type thing showing us all the aftermath: Tony is mayor, the rail project has started, Burris/Geldoff/McCandless through Catalyst are profitting from it. Ani had Ray's kid and is finally telling a reporter about the conspiracy. This was all so odd.... why did Ani wait so long to try to unveil the truth?

Also a big criticism Season 1 received from people was the lack of strong female characters. So Pizzolotto gave us two this season in Jordan and Ani, but after 6 1/2 episodes, managed to turn Ani into another "love interest died and now I'm raising his baby alone" tropes. Disappointing. Would Nails realistically still be protecting Jordan a year later, knowing Frank is dead, after he already got the payout? IDK.

Overall, Season 2 is not the instant classic Season 1 was, or anywhere near it; Pretend for a second that season 1 never existed at all, and this show, exactly as it is, just started right now. On the one hand, it would probably be received better by the general public than it currently is, because nobody would be comparing it to that glorious season 1. But on the other hand, would it be received well enough that people would be clamoring for another season?

I can't even see this season grabbing any Emmy noms next summer. We'll see!

[Jay 37,281]

Well here's a very nice summary of the weakest parts of the finale

http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/08/true-detective-season-2-finale-explained/

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

It's only very nice if you thought it was weak. Otherwise reads like a whine list. Oh well, another thing it'll be impossible to discuss without such crap taking over.

[Jay 37,281]

You don't really discuss this show, though. You mostly just complain that others aren't talking about it. Then when we post, you don't even reply *shrug*

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Classic Jay.

Once, I asked for people to talk because it was a sweet ending and I wanted more reactions. I suppose if that's "mostly" to you, oh well. You're the one who has repeatedly asked for more discussion - which is fine, by the way.

I don't reply when "we" (you) post because it's always this sort of thing, griping. What can be said in response? The last time I tried to base discussion on my response to griping, you declared that I was being an irrational fanboy for months.

*shrug*

[Glóin the Dark 1,218]

For what it's worth, I really liked the final episode.

I also rewatched the first three episodes at the weekend, and found that I had fewer gripes than first time round. The show has its own sort of mood and rhythm which requires some sinking into. I think it will gain a better reputation in the long run than the immediate reactions suggest. Certainly not as masterful as the first season, though I felt the ending of this one was relatively more satisfying than last year's.

[Jay 37,281]

I think the season will fair better on repeat viewings or binge watching than the one week at a time model, too.

[ymenard 54]

So... is season 02 a good binge watch like S01 ??

[Jay 37,281]

Yes.

[Jay 37,281]

‘True Detective’ Ratings Surge in Finale, But Down 22% From Last Year

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

This finale had 22% less viewers then that of S1.

That probably means Rust Cohl will be back next year! YEAH!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,281]

BB i echo most of your thoughts above

In other news, here's an article from Wired breaking down the ridiculously long distances traveled by our characters this season

http://www.wired.com/2015/08/true-detective-impossible-road-trips/

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I binge watched this and thought everything was fine. Honestly reading all your guys' insight made it more confusing for me.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

After having slept on it, I've come to determine that this season was very good, but not great. I think the plot was too convoluted in addition to having 4 main characters. I liked that a lot of time was spent developing them over the plot, but in the end the balance wasn't quite as perfect as it could have been. That being said, the first act and the third act are fantastic, with a second act that didn't quite live up to the rest. I found Paul's character to be rather pointless, and didn't think Kitsch did a great job acting wise. Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn are the highlights here, and ultimately steal the show in the finale. Others were talking about there being something to connect all the seasons together, and I feel that thread comes in the form of the afterlife. It's touched upon briefly in Season 1, and I wanted it to be addressed more directly this time around, but the glimpses we got are the type of philosophical character moments that make this show great for me.

Anyone else remember this superb scene during the finale? Pizzolatto tells you straight up how Ray is going to die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sN_YtynITo

The scenes that take place at that table in the bar are some of my favorites throughout the season. Well lit, acted, shot, with this ominous girl always singing to no one in the background. It creates this really fantastic surreal atmosphere.

[Jay 37,281]

Some of the set pieces were good for certain but the season was also mired in repetitive scenes (3 scenes of Vaughn telling people he's collecting again when one would have sufficed) and a case that wasn't interesting or in the forefront enough.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The case is your typical noir plot, same with Season 1. I don't mind that it wasn't in the forefront, it's the characters that make the show.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I thought Vaughn was great all the way through. Menacing with some great facial expressions.

[Dixon Hill 4,232]

Indeed. He was a revelation.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Did anyone else feel the abscense of Cary Fukunaga was a detriment? Hopefully he'll be back for Season 3, whenever that happens.

I thought the orgy scene could have been handled a lot better visually. Like BloodBoal said, I didn't even notice who it was that she was trying to hide from.

Other than that there were some fantastic shots. The end of the premiere with the crime scene still at night and the rest of LA in the back illuminated by the rising sun was great. Also loved the pan of Ray barreling down after escaping the party with the full moon in the sky.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Koray Savas 2,251]

All speculative rumor. His film with Idris Elba obviously conflicted with the filming of True Detective.