True Detective Season 2 Discussion

Absolutely agree Alastair.

Did anyone else notice after that amazing shootout when the screen was beginning to fade, Ani had a white shadow beneath her. It's just her and it almost looks like an artifact or something on the screen but it's distinct.

Wasn't it episode 4 last season where they also did that weird freeze fame effect on the "first" suspect in the gas mask?

I thought episode 5 was a real snoozer. Five episodes into an 8-episode run feels like a weird point in the story to have a big reset of the status quo. Little late in the game for that, isn't it?

The scenes with Frank and his wife are terribly dull, with some really clunky dialogue. Every one of their scenes dragged what was already a slow episode to a screeching halt. I'm also not the least bit interested in Paul's mother, and she just needs to go away.

The narrative is a muddled mess. There's all this STUFF going on with blue diamonds and hooker parties and police corruption and hippie communes and a high-speed rail and .... how the fuck does that all fit together?!?

Joebot wrote: I thought episode 5 was a real snoozer. Five episodes into an 8-episode run feels like a weird point in the story to have a big reset of the status quo. Little late in the game for that, isn't it?

The scenes with Frank and his wife are terribly dull, with some really clunky dialogue. Every one of their scenes dragged what was already a slow episode to a screeching halt. I'm also not the least bit interested in Paul's mother, and she just needs to go away.

The narrative is a muddled mess. There's all this STUFF going on with blue diamonds and hooker parties and police corruption and hippie communes and a high-speed rail and .... how the fuck does that all fit together?!?

This is where my wife and I are exactly. The sexual confusion and the pregnancy issues are relevant how?

I think you're right Joel about the Gas Mask freeze frame. That's probably the most haunting scene for me from the first series and one that kind of defines the series.

I agree with all of the criticism but I felt like episode 5 was a transition to the final arc. We now have the team together fresh all on the same page to some degree. I dug the scene where Farrell beat the hell out of the psychiatrist.

I also really liked how the intro music changed, just when I was getting comfortable and enjoying the first song.

charlest wrote: I think you're right Joel about the Gas Mask freeze frame. That's probably the most haunting scene for me from the first series and one that kind of defines the series.

I agree with all of the criticism but I felt like episode 5 was a transition to the final arc. We now have the team together fresh all on the same page to some degree. I dug the scene where Farrell beat the hell out of the psychiatrist.

I also really liked how the intro music changed, just when I was getting comfortable and enjoying the first song.

I noticed that too about the intro music.

Farrell going apeshit is what I live for this season. I still posit they will tie all of the seasons together. But, I think the main thing missing is Mcconaughey's monologues. It helped tie everything together. The theme was much stronger in season 1. This season it's pretty much, "Everyone has a little bit of douche bag in them"..... I'm like... No kidding....

I'm watching the rest though. I'm too far in, and there are SOME interesting moments. The other thing about season 1 is that Mcconaughey and Harrelson were both 100% invested in the case. It became their raison d'être. I miss that this season. It could be building toward it...

Totally, good points. I miss the subtle occult nature residing in the background too.

eekamouse wrote: I'm watching the rest though. I'm too far in, and there are SOME interesting moments. The other thing about season 1 is that Mcconaughey and Harrelson were both 100% invested in the case. It became their raison d'être. I miss that this season. It could be building toward it...

I'm hooked as well ... and they have thrown a lot into the pot. But that's what keeps me watching. I like the strung-out storyline of both seasons although the first season was a lot more hypnotic for me. Still it's interesting to see Farrell and Rachel McAdams characters growing closer and the misfits reformed into a new team.

Vince Vaughan's character Frank fed Ray a bogus tip on the rape perp and Ray killed the wrong guy. That was central to the story's opening, so I'm wondering if it's also central to its close? There's a connection though the hippie commune to the psychiatrist who used to be associated with it and who treated Mayor Chessani's late wife. In the 80s the mayor's father was part of an old boy's club at the commune that include the psychiatrist and Ani's (McAdam's) father.

Someone fucked Frank out of his $7 million to take over the profits from the development of the rail corridor. |t smacks of a cabal centred on the mayor's office, but I have no idea how these pieces fit together exactly. The show doesn't hypnotize me the way the first one did, but it's still pretty damn good. I love all the characters and can't wait to see what they do next .... like Ray, who's left standing on Frank's doorstep at the end of the last episode.

What was Frank's motivation to lie to him? Did he have something to do with the rape of Ray's wife and wanted to cover it up? Sure seems like it. But why? And what's Ray going to do about it? As long as I'm interested in the answers to these questions, I know I'm still hooked.

As far as Frank's motivation to lie to him, my guess is Frank needed a hit man to take care of a problem. He saw that Ray needed revenge and saw a chance to create a mutually beneficial deal. Simple as that.

bendgar wrote: As far as Frank's motivation to lie to him, my guess is Frank needed a hit man to take care of a problem. He saw that Ray needed revenge and saw a chance to create a mutually beneficial deal. Simple as that.

Yeah I thought so too. But then my second question was did he take advantage of a situation, or create it?

mikecl wrote:

bendgar wrote: As far as Frank's motivation to lie to him, my guess is Frank needed a hit man to take care of a problem. He saw that Ray needed revenge and saw a chance to create a mutually beneficial deal. Simple as that.

Yeah I thought so too. But then my second question was did he take advantage of a situation, or create it?

I am guessing he took advantage. It's probably been very nice for him have an inside guy on the police force who's morality's been shattered

Episode 6 finally gives me the question I have been wanting to ask the staff for this season. Fuck-a-doo?

I enjoyed a lot of this week's episode, the "face off" between Ray and Frank. I really liked the "talking back from ledge" by Frank. I believe Frank. Maybe, I'm a sucker, but I believe him

The final scene at the party was relatively gripping....

But.... But... They just happen to be right outside the door where all of the telling documents and contracts were? And these contracts have all the pertinent information? I hope that is NOT the case. There's not really been any surprises other than the shootout. Even so, we all knew it was the wrong guy there. The shoot out was a surprise but the outcome was not.

I'm still enjoying it. Just hoping for some kind of surprise or twist in the last two eps.

Even though it was insanely slow, I still ended up enjoying the ending of this.

At the very least, it's unlike anything else on television. That's for damn sure.

Yes, I enjoyed it and the ending was solid.

So that white shadow under Ani from Episode 4 was foreshadowing she'd be the only one to live I guess.

The biggest disappointment for me was that this season almost never surprised me. Season 1 was shocking each and every episode, either with Cohle's dialogue or with horrific or strange events occurring. It just moved and constantly held your attention.

The best moments of season 2 were when it pulled a surprise twist, such as Velcoro being shotgunned, Woodrugh being shot, the big shootout, etc. There wasn't enough of those moments though. I was a little dissatisfied with the reveal of the whole birdman thing and how mundane it all was. I miss the occult nature of the first season as well.