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True Detective - McConaughey/Harrelson crime series - S2 starts June 21st

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see5harp said:
So i held out in watching the episode on Sunday because I'll be watching it tonight with a friend. Is it fair to say Episode 5 is as good as Episode 4?
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As others mentioned, you'll likely find it is at least on par with Episode 4. It really is great--the pacing of Episode 5 is pretty amazing, on its own.
 
sammich said:
i LOVE this show. Freaking amazing. The only thing that bothers me is that i have to wait for the next episode.

And i think the whole head honchos of the police dept are involved. That underage brothel was protected by the sheriff of that area wasnt it? He let everything happen there under his nose. Something like that just cant be happening with no consequence. It was just a oddly strong scene to Woodys character. and me.

Anyway.. awesome awesome awesome. Edge of seat awesome.
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I wonder if the writer was aware of this story when he sat down to write this series:
https://medium.com/news-and-politics/d1b813e13581

It's awfully similar in some respects. Came across it on twitter last week- don't know if it had been linked to in the thread so I just let it be.
 
Content Roundup - Episode 5 - The Secret Fate Of All Life

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Reviews:
Videos:
Other
neoism said:
who's a bad motherfucker..
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TheOddOne said:
And gifs:

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- Music listings
- Screencaps
- More posters from Mondo
- Alyssa Rosenberg on the yellow king and Carcosa
- io9 on The King in Yellow
- Onion A|V Club: Beyond True Detective: 17 TV long takes worth your attention (spoilers for a few other shows)
- The King in Yellow is free to purchase on Amazon Kindle, if anyone wants to check it out.
- IndieWire interview: Michelle Monaghan Talks 'True Detective'
- Buzzfeed: A “True Detective” Reading List​
 
Would just like to mention that the acting for the more minor characters has been so impressive. Whenever they introduce a new character, I kind of expect the new actors to drag the quality down, but almost every performance has been excellent. Errol, Ginger, Ledoux, bank robber, etc. Even the child actors have been great.

I really want to watch the last 5 eps again (as I wanted to watch the 4 again before the 5th, etc), but I doubt I have the time.
 
Socreges said:
Would just like to mention that the acting for the more minor characters has been so impressive. Whenever they introduce a new character, I kind of expect the new actors to drag the quality down, but almost every performance has been excellent. Errol, Ginger, Ledoux, bank robber, etc. Even the child actors have been great.

I really want to watch the last 5 eps again (as I wanted to watch the 4 again before the 5th, etc), but I doubt I have the time.
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I just rewatched episode 1 last night. You pick up alot more now that we've gone through this part in the story. It sorta makes you paranoid that you missed a huge clue but it's super enjoyable. I recommend doing so.
 
Cornballer said:
There's also a spike in Big Hug Mug prices on eBay.
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Yeah, my boyfriend wouldn't say what he paid for mine. It does make for an awesome gift, though. Too bad FTD discontinued that product; they could make a killing right now.

kirblar said:
I wonder if the writer was aware of this story when he sat down to write this series:
https://medium.com/news-and-politics/d1b813e13581

It's awfully similar in some respects. Came across it on twitter last week- don't know if it had been linked to in the thread so I just let it be.
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Thanks for posting that link. It's an interesting piece, particularly in regard to the alleged vast conspiracy to cover up the crimes.
 
Season 2 probably won't bring in these elements of existential nihilistic cosmicism that Rust keeps rambling about. I love the use of the King in Yellow and Carcosa, these utterly, utterly creepy aspects in the story. I hope Pizzolato is able to figure out something just as interesting to use in Season 2. Hope it retains a similar hypnotic feel. It feels like nothing else I've watched on television.

I mean, he could easily make the next season a lighthearted buddy-cop comedy set in sunny West California. But I love the hypnotic, droning, dread feeling I get from this show. It's beautiful, man. Beautiful.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
I don't know that it meant anything more than "time passes"; but the subtlety, execution, and poignancy was unparalleled in television filmmaking, I'd say.

You set it up with this full blast Malick sequence of two sisters fighting, one totally emotionally curb stomps the other and throws the tiara into a tree (an already hugely significant symbol in the series), we pull away from the tiara and it's 8 (?) years later, the hurt and pain and meanness is gone, meaningless in the face of progressing time. It's pretty much the central moment of the series, I'd say, maybe the central moment of any executed entertainment in our lifetimes. I don't know that any other television program or film has ever concerned itself as much with emotional consequence in the face of the hard truths of physics and decay and time while keeping a consistent narrative around it to maintain audience interest. Malick touches on this sort of stuff but is unable (or uninterested) in building a plot around it. This is the first time someone has had the same philosophical concerns but understands that people probably need to be entertained in the process.

The only analog to this approach creatively I'd say is David Foster Wallace.
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That scene really hit hard for me, and I'll freely admit it's the only piece of television that has brought me to tears.

"That woman, those kids … and I was watching everything else"
 
Minus_Me said:
That scene really hit hard for me, and I'll freely admit it's the only piece of television that has brought me to tears.

"That woman, those kids … and I was watching everything else"
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This episode had a lot of haunting moments that kind of come out of "nowhere"...not in terms of the story, but just structurally. Episode has a number of highs and lows, so much that I couldn't really tell when or how the episode would end.

It's a combination of everything--the writing, the acting, the cinematography, the sound design, the music. I really do think that Rust has a profound affect on Marty and Marty's own understanding of himself.
 
okay, we all agree to disagree on whether tits on tv are something to be proud of or not, but apart from that - and on topic: why does Reggie LeDoux have a tattoo of Rust on his chest?

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raindoc said:
okay, we all agree to disagree on whether tits on tv are something to be proud of or not, but apart from that - and on topic: why does Reggie LeDoux have a tattoo of Rust on his chest?

BfKAdeA.jpg
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rust is a nazi!?

edit -

dammit i could've swore you had written LEFT chest. now i have shamed myself.... unless you edited that out!
 
FrenchMovieTheme said:
rust is a nazi!?

edit -

dammit i could've swore you had written LEFT chest. now i have shamed myself.... unless you edited that out!
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I'll take that shame too (as if it'd matter): i did edit that out, because of course it's not his left chest. i was caught in between "... his chest" and "... on this pic" ;)

EDIT: Why Michael?
 
Minus_Me said:
I thought it was supposed to be the angel Michael.
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I think it is, although I did a double take last night when rewatching the episode and Rust is searching the schoolhouse. There is a similar looking angel statue that he shines the light on with hands clasped in prayer, but it's not the same.
 
NotTheGuyYouKill said:
Season 2 probably won't bring in these elements of existential nihilistic cosmicism that Rust keeps rambling about. I love the use of the King in Yellow and Carcosa, these utterly, utterly creepy aspects in the story. I hope Pizzolato is able to figure out something just as interesting to use in Season 2. Hope it retains a similar hypnotic feel. It feels like nothing else I've watched on television.

I mean, he could easily make the next season a lighthearted buddy-cop comedy set in sunny West California. But I love the hypnotic, droning, dread feeling I get from this show. It's beautiful, man. Beautiful.
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I'm worried it will lose its brutal, dry edge in season 2, too. But we have to hope for the best.
 
I didn't really like episodes 1-3 (the show did a lot of chasing it's own tail), but the last two episodes have been pretty fantastic. My feeling is that Rust is intentionally casting shade on himself in the hopes of luring out the killer or cult of politically powerful killers or whatever. Watch there be nothing in that shed.

One criticism that's going to be ignored in the sea of good feels, though? Rust's little pretentious, barely coherent speeches about shit the writer clearly doesn't understand are getting more and more groan worthy. That whole spiel about the m-theory was just... ugh.

EDIT: Wait, Season 2? I thought this was a one and done.
 
Sheroking said:
One criticism that's going to be ignored in the sea of good feels, though? Rust's little pretentious, barely coherent speeches about shit the writer clearly doesn't understand are getting more and more groan worthy. That whole spiel about the m-theory was just... ugh.
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Care to elaborate? No snark here, I'm legit curious as to what was wrong/inaccurate about what he was saying.
 
Sheroking said:
One criticism that's going to be ignored in the sea of good feels, though? Rust's little pretentious, barely coherent speeches about shit the writer clearly doesn't understand are getting more and more groan worthy. That whole spiel about the m-theory was just... ugh.
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You have to be careful assuming that the ramblings of a character in a creative work (book, movie, tv show) are projections from the writer(s). That's a slippery slope.

Who's to say that the character hasn't been written exactly as he's supposed to be? M-Theory is a complicated concept that many don't understand absolutely 100%, including detectives from small towns. I talk about theoretical physics with friends sometimes, even when we don't understand the theories to a mastery level, that doesn't stop us from forming opinions about them.
 
FunkyMunkey said:
You have to be careful assuming that the ramblings of a character in a creative work (book, movie, tv show) are projections from the writer(s). That's a slippery slope.

Who's to say that the character hasn't been written exactly as he's supposed to be? M-Theory is a complicated concept that many don't understand absolutely 100%, including detectives from small towns. I talk about theoretical physics with friends sometimes, even when we don't understand the theories to a mastery level, that doesn't stop us from forming opinions about them.
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Exactly. This actually leads me to big problem I have with television and movies: the characters are rarely ever wrong. Granted, it usually wouldn't be as entertaining, and would provide a bigger challenge to the writer to tell the story they want to tell...but yeah, I'd like to see it more.

Either way, neither Rust nor Pizzolatto are deep philosophers, so I just view it as Rust's personality: he's an awesome character, but ultimately he's an intelligent dude with a superiority complex who loves to rub it in the face of everyone else. He may not always be correct in the shit he spouts (but really, what philosopher has ever been?), but that's his character.
 
Sheroking said:
I didn't really like episodes 1-3 (the show did a lot of chasing it's own tail), but the last two episodes have been pretty fantastic. My feeling is that Rust is intentionally casting shade on himself in the hopes of luring out the killer or cult of politically powerful killers or whatever. Watch there be nothing in that shed.

One criticism that's going to be ignored in the sea of good feels, though? Rust's little pretentious, barely coherent speeches about shit the writer clearly doesn't understand are getting more and more groan worthy. That whole spiel about the m-theory was just... ugh.

EDIT: Wait, Season 2? I thought this was a one and done.
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It's an anthology show. Season 2 will be a new cast in a location with a new mystery to solve.
 
Anton Sugar said:
Care to elaborate? No snark here, I'm legit curious as to what was wrong/inaccurate about what he was saying.
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Not so much inaccurate as incomplete and rambling for the sake of a labored metaphor and to the detriment of the character, IMO.

Two or three of these speeches an episode is pushing him from eccentric to obnoxious.

FunkyMunkey said:
You have to be careful assuming that the ramblings of a character in a creative work (book, movie, tv show) are projections from the writer(s). That's a slippery slope.
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Eh. I suppose you have a point.

My greater concern is they're overdoing it, and it's weakening the character a great deal.

Just my opinion. Like I said, I loved the last two episodes for the most part.
 
Sheroking said:
Not so much inaccurate as incomplete and rambling for the sake of a labored metaphor and to the detriment of the character, IMO.

Two or three of these speeches an episode is pushing him from eccentric to obnoxious.
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Gotcha. Personally, I am enjoying them, mostly because of how well they're constructed/edited in a pure storytelling sense. To understand their relevance in relation to the character and story is asking a lot more.

I mean, there isn't going to be a "ha, I TOLD you time was circular!" moment in the show.

It's more interesting me to connect the dots between Marty and Rust. Marty's internal dilemma is that he doesn't really understand "who" he is and his own actions, and whether or not he can change or has control over either--he is repeating the same mistakes that he's made all his life. For Rust, I think he is disturbed by the thought that humanity doesn't understand its place and importance (or lack thereof...?) in the universe. Marty's internal struggles are a microcosm for humanity as a whole...maybe?

If we're unable to make sense of our own selves and actions and change "who" we are, there's no chance in hell we can understand or change our place in the universe?

Mostly, I just appreciate a show that makes me think.

EDIT:

blackflag said:
i'm definitely going to check some out. I was looking into Laird Barron as well. Kindle versions so no waiting.

Anyone got any suggestions on where to start first.
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Posted today: A 'True Detective' Reading List.
 
Sheroking said:
Not so much inaccurate as incomplete and rambling for the sake of a labored metaphor and to the detriment of the character, IMO.

Two or three of these speeches an episode is pushing him from eccentric to obnoxious.
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Its definitely the least well considered part of the show. Its necessary I think, but stuff like that is really hard to execute. I posted a few weeks ago I think his monologues should be even more disconnected from the narrative and take place of abstract montages that are thematically relevant. Honestly, its bad enough as it is but to frame it in the context of MM just sittin' there drunk talkin' makes it even more cringeworthy. I don't know.

Its not all "cringeworthy" but it dances waaay to close to that line for my tastes. Though, I haven't been giving this show my undivided attention. I'm kinda just watching it like I would any other disposable show.

I can already foresee myself looking back on this series as an object of the past and I think my biggest complaint will have been the nonlinear structure. This is also the first show in years I've watched week to week so I might just be feeling all these new feelings.

The show doesn't really give us the perspective needed to take rust from a position of authority. But after seeing how he handled himself in the bikergang sequence lends a lot of weight to his perspective. I guess there is a post to be made about how this is actually all genius and an incredible characterization of the inherent multidimensionality in being human.. but in reality its just hamfisted writing.
 
They're "full of bullshit" in the sense that the show depicts them lying. But are they both actually full of bullshit?
 
Jtwo said:
They're "full of bullshit" in the sense that the show depicts them lying. But are they both actually full of bullshit?
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I think the show has done a good job of demonstrating that they both have destructive habits that they try to rationalize behind their philosophies. Rust's world view is obviously a way for him to avoid coping with and excusing what happened to his daughter, and possibly absolving himself of any blame. This isn't all that dissimilar to Marty rationalizing his cheating as a need for him to unwind from the job without exposing his family to his problems.
 
Yeah, and as a person I believe my rationalizations for things. Am I full of bullshit?
Yes.
 
Sheroking said:
Not so much inaccurate as incomplete and rambling for the sake of a labored metaphor and to the detriment of the character, IMO.

Two or three of these speeches an episode is pushing him from eccentric to obnoxious.
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Jtwo said:
Its definitely the least well considered part of the show. Its necessary I think, but stuff like that is really hard to execute. I posted a few weeks ago I think his monologues should be even more disconnected from the narrative and take place of abstract montages that are thematically relevant. Honestly, its bad enough as it is but to frame it in the context of MM just sittin' there drunk talkin' makes it even more cringeworthy. I don't know.
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I think you're both mistaking there being a need for Rusts world view expression to both be coherent and be consistent, and that's not necessarily going to be the case, least of all across the time period the film takes place in. Its fair to say that regardless of perhaps investigative intent the life philosophies of the seemingly burnt out shell of a man sat in the office in 2012 espouses are distinct from the initial nihilist we encounter in 1995, and don't necessarily represent a continuity of being*. After all with the case seemingly solved there was a point where Rust stepped back from the abyss and embraced existence to some degree with the girlfriend etc. How much so remains to be seen, and hopefully will be explored in the remaining episodes, but I think it's foolhardy to mistake the man then for the man now without recognizing the break in between when life was actually good for Rust Cohle. The scene where he loses it in the interrogation room is where his new beginning starts to unravel.

Also I don't think its necessarily the case that conveying the exactitude of M-Theory is what's key or required, versus the simple idea that Rusts view is that people are caught in this perpetual purgatory of repetition and the implication at least is that for someone like him there is a burden there. After all they found the children, but perhaps if they'd been that bit faster in the investigation they might of saved the boy as well as the girl. But of course nothing changes. Failure is as perpetual as the success. Finding out that both him and Marty done fucked up thinking Ledoux was the end of the line and not revisiting Charlies comments about the devil worshipers and that whilst the pair of them essentially dined out on their success further murders were happening was likely a heavy burden to take on board

* a few years back I was going through some old papers and uncovered this particular personal bon mot 'kill your emotions through constant devaluation'. Now I can't even get my mind around what the fuck that means exactly with respect to which side of the fence I was on in terms of interpretation, but what I do know is, clearly that made some amount of sense to the person that I was 10+ years ago, but I don't recognize that person now.
 
Kadayi said:
I think you're both mistaking there being a need for Rusts world view expression to both be coherent and be consistent, and that's not necessarily going to be the case, least of all across the time period the film takes place in.
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I agree with this, thats why I think it would be easier digested if fundamentally disconnected from the narrative. And lets make no bones about it, easier to digest is better filmmaking. At least in discussions about things like this.

I'm not mistaking the man then for the man now. The esoteric monologues fit in and I couldn't imagine the show without them. But its a really messy thing to do and even when handled perfectly it can easily be the first thing tip someones "illegitimacy" alarm. Especially since I view their primary purpose as tonal window dressing rather than a true eye into Rust's soul. We don't ever get that amount of detail from Marty.

The monologues are the most TVSHOW thing about True Detective. They are so frequent and go on for so long there is no discernible meaning to the specifics. Their importance is in the general texture and feel of them, which is why I think the show would be better if they were disconnected from the overall narrative.
 
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