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[NotTheGuyYouKill]

You know I would love to see True Detective season 3. If HBO gave it to, say, David Milch or Noah Hawley to write, David Fincher to direct, and Trent Reznor to score. I would love to watch that hard.

Go watch Mr Robot

 

[radios shipping overview]

Did anybody recognize the location where they filmed the desert scenes? That scene drove me nuts because Frank kept walking toward the blank, sandy horizon, into the sunset, while the side views showed what looked like gentler terrain that was a much shorter walk away.

Yeah, I get ~TRAGEDY~ and that he wasn't supposed to ever make it out, but, it's the little things.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Go watch Mr Robot

riiiight? ;}

 

[AuthenticM]

I wonder if this season wasn't as good as the first one because Pizzolato didn't plagiarize this time.

 

[Cornballer]

- Grantland Review
- Alyssa Rosenberg on S1 and S2

 

[mre]

I forgot about them until they showed up in the last episode. They didn't do much except show up in the bar and kill that girl.

So, yes, I'm serious.

I mean... I can get not knowing who Stan is because the show completely dropped the ball with that character. But how can you forget about the Mexicans when they not only did the things you mentioned above, but they were heavily involved in the episode where Frank was trying to find the girl. He met with them twice in that episode and traded away the profits of the drug trade in his clubs for 2-3 nights each week to them in exchange for their help in finding in the girl in the first place.

I don't understand how you can have watched the whole season and not know who the "black guy" was. He wasn't a major character, but he was involved in several pivotal scenes, including last week when he was there when Woodraugh was shot down.

I don't mean to call just you out on this, but there are so many people watching this show that seem to have a complete inability to pick up and remember any of the details. Maybe they're bored with the show and were only half-way watching it? Regardless, the show explained who almost everybody was (sans Stan), people just had to pay attention.

 

[DoktorEvil]

I forgot about them until they showed up in the last episode. They didn't do much except show up in the bar and kill that girl.

So, yes, I'm serious.

They were involved in the shootout that initially closed the case...

I mean... I can get not knowing who Stan is because the show completely dropped the ball with that character. But how can you forget about the Mexicans when they not only did the things you mentioned above, but they were heavily involved in the episode where Frank was trying to find the girl. He met with them twice in that episode and traded away the profits of the drug trade in his clubs for 2-3 nights each week to them in exchange for their help in finding in the girl in the first place.

I don't understand how you can have watched the whole season and not know who the "black guy" was. He wasn't a major character, but he was involved in several pivotal scenes, including last week when he was there when Woodraugh was shot down.

I don't mean to call just you out on this, but there are so many people watching this show that seem to have a complete inability to pick up and remember any of the details. Maybe they're bored with the show and were only half-way watching it? Regardless, the show explained who almost everybody was (sans Stan), people just had to pay attention.

Holloway was his name right?

 

[mre]

Did anybody recognize the location where they filmed the desert scenes? That scene drove me nuts because Frank kept walking toward the blank, sandy horizon, into the sunset, while the side views showed what looked like gentler terrain that was a much shorter walk away.

Yeah, I get ~TRAGEDY~ and that he wasn't supposed to ever make it out, but, it's the little things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UpSlpvb1is

 

[birthday-suit]

I mean... I can get not knowing who Stan is because the show completely dropped the ball with that character. But how can you forget about the Mexicans when they not only did the things you mentioned above, but they were heavily involved in the episode where Frank was trying to find the girl. He met with them twice in that episode and traded away the profits of the drug trade in his clubs for 2-3 nights each week to them in exchange for their help in finding in the girl in the first place.

I don't understand how you can have watched the whole season and not know who the "black guy" was. He wasn't a major character, but he was involved in several pivotal scenes, including last week when he was there when Woodraugh was shot down.

I don't mean to call just you out on this, but there are so many people watching this show that seem to have a complete inability to pick up and remember any of the details. Maybe they're bored with the show and were only half-way watching it? Regardless, the show explained who almost everybody was (sans Stan), people just had to pay attention.

I know who these people are. I just don't care. Because the show didn't make me care.

The Mexicans were a joke when they showed. It deadline these people are supposed to be gangsters? Something felt about them.

I feel like they were trying to go with weird and threatening. But they only got weird.

 

[Denton]

oh my god dude yes

(although you're describing Mr Robot, currently airing)

Go watch Mr Robot

I keep reading such good things about Mr. Robot (what a bizzare name for a show though!) that it makes me want to wait until whole season is out so I can binge on it

I find it interesting that Esmail is almost the same age as Pizzolato, heh.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I keep reading such good things about Mr. Robot (what a bizzare name for a show though!) that it makes me want to wait until whole season is out so I can binge on it

I find it interesting that Esmail is almost the same age as Pizzolato, heh.

Esmail is Pizzaman's Cary Fukunaga

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

After watching just the first episode I'm finally going through this. Watched through episode 4 yesterday and working on episode 5. Paused it just to say that I generally like it. Except Vince Vaughn's character. The show fucking drags whenever Frank is on. Hopefully there's some decent payoff to him.

 

[rtcn63]

The ending was too hammy and predictable. Frank and Velcro getting offed, but his wife and Bezz making it out. I know it's been done before, I'm thinking

Spoiler

Carlito's Way maybe?

I'm sure there are more.

The whole season has been a pastiche of tropes that have likely been done better. You expect it to come into its own at some point, at least try to be original, memorable. It doesn't.

That said, I've seen worse. 6/10

 

[mre]

Holloway was his name right?

Yes. He was the Vinci Chief of Police. A position now (at the close of the show) seemingly held by (formerly Lieutenant) Burris.

I know who these people are. I just don't care. Because the show didn't make me care.

I mean...

I'm watching the last episode now. This sucks. And I liked the previous episodes.

But I don't know who anyone is. I've seen them, but I don't care about them. Like the black cop.

Ugh.

You liked the first seven episodes, but not enough to care about any of the characters other than (presumably) the leads? Okay. On the one hand, this show gets crapped on for providing info dumps (not directed at you), but then, on the other hand, people complain that it doesn't hold your hands when walking you through who the secondary characters are? The show provided way more than enough screen time and exposition to understand who the "bad guys" were and what they did prior to the start of the finale.

The Mexicans were a joke when they showed. It deadline these people are supposed to be gangsters? Something felt about them.

I feel like they were trying to go with weird and threatening. But they only got weird.

And Frank initially treated them like a joke by casually dismissing them when they first approached him in his club. However, when he was at his weakest point and trying to piece together how exactly he got screwed and by whom, he had to turn to the Mexicans in order to get the information he needed. In return for access to the woman, he gave them two-three nights of drug distribution in his clubs. Then he torched the clubs, screwing them out of the profits they would have realized from the drug trade. Hence why they were angry at the end.

 

[phazedplasma]

Although I enjoyed the second season I didnt think it was great and I think Grantland summed it up perfectly:

In the end, Pizzolatto tried to recap his own show — weighing down characters with the burden of explaining his own story, and then discarding many of those same characters, just to try to steal back some gravitas.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

i didn't get the impression that Caspere was the father of both kids, just birdman's sister.

I did get the impression that Birdman very quickly processed that Caspere was not only the father of his sister but also at fault for her turning into a whore and very likely also did the dirty with her. Which, given that Birdman was about as stable as humpty dumpty atop the eiffel tower, set him off.

Right. Casper was the father of the sister and the unborn.

 

[Deku Tree]

Yes. He was the Vinci Chief of Police. A position now (at the close of the show) seemingly held by (formerly Lieutenant) Burris.

I mean...

You liked the first seven episodes, but not enough to care about any of the characters other than (presumably) the leads? Okay. On the one hand, this show gets crapped on for providing info dumps (not directed at you), but then, on the other hand, people complain that it doesn't hold your hands when walking you through who the secondary characters are? The show provided way more than enough screen time and exposition to understand who the "bad guys" were and what they did prior to the start of the finale.

And Frank initially treated them like a joke by casually dismissing them when they first approached him in his club. However, when he was at his weakest point and trying to piece together how exactly he got screwed and by whom, he had to turn to the Mexicans in order to get the information he needed. In return for access to the woman, he gave them two-three nights of drug distribution in his clubs. Then he torched the clubs, screwing them out of the profits they would have realized from the drug trade. Hence why they were angry at the end.

Yeah but Frank wanted to talk to the woman in person and the mexican's knew it and they slit her throat before he got a chance. They took Frank's word verbatim claiming the he still owed them the clubs time. Frank may not have agreed with their interpretation of the deal though since they killed the girl.

Also two of the guys at the meet in the desert were also seen protecting Tony Chessani at his mayoral inauguration. You can see that as HBO doing double casting of background actors hoping people don't notice. Or you can view it as a dead giveaway that the mexican's were really working for Tony Chessani the whole time along with everyone else.

 

[birthday-suit]

Yes. He was the Vinci Chief of Police. A position now (at the close of the show) seemingly held by (formerly Lieutenant) Burris.

I mean...

You liked the first seven episodes, but not enough to care about any of the characters other than (presumably) the leads? Okay. On the one hand, this show gets crapped on for providing info dumps (not directed at you), but then, on the other hand, people complain that it doesn't hold your hands when walking you through who the secondary characters are? The show provided way more than enough screen time and exposition to understand who the "bad guys" were and what they did prior to the start of the finale.

And Frank initially treated them like a joke by casually dismissing them when they first approached him in his club. However, when he was at his weakest point and trying to piece together how exactly he got screwed and by whom, he had to turn to the Mexicans in order to get the information he needed. In return for access to the woman, he gave them two-three nights of drug distribution in his clubs. Then he torched the clubs, screwing them out of the profits they would have realized from the drug trade. Hence why they were angry at the end.

I mean, there isn't anything to say. I wanted to like the show but it had too many characters to develop them. You don't have to agree with me.

 

[pants]

kinda wish this season didnt exist tbh

 

[Flo_Evans]

Or you can view it as a dead giveaway that the mexican's were really working for Tony Chessani the whole time along with everyone else.

Not sure they where working with him the entire time. I took it as they took over after Frank killed the Russians.

It does seem odd that Frank forgot about the mexicans when he was uh, fleeing to mexico. Not sure how the mexicans found him either, the armenians(?) who gave frank a passport could of tipped them off? Not sure why they would do that, he just gave them a shitload of money and was going to send more once he was safe.

Maybe he had a tracker on his car too and Chessani told them where he was?

 

[Jarnet87]

I don't think he expected the Armenians from the bakery to sell him out so quickly, or even to the Mexicans, but it sure makes sense in retrospect.

.

Maybe they sold him out, but I don't even know if they knew about Frank's connection to the Mexicans. All they mentioned was the Russians and he offered extra. he delivered exactly what he said he would for the passport and all that stuff.

I think it's more likely as some people mentioned that he screwed the Mexicans by destroying the clubs and so they paid him back. Tony Chessani probably had the Mexicans working with him. The two guys being there when he became mayor, and there was a lot of stuff with the Vinci PD and the bald dude in the shootout and woman who pawned the stuff.

 

[mre]

Yeah but Frank wanted to talk to the woman in person and the mexican's knew it and they slit her throat before he got a chance. They took Frank's word verbatim claiming the he still owed them the clubs time. Frank may not have agreed with their interpretation of the deal though since they killed the girl.

Of course he didn't, but what could he do? He had no people left that were loyal to him other than Nails. Ossip certainly wasn't going to honor that deal, but the Mexicans didn't know that Frank had lost ownership of the clubs at the time he torched them. Hell, losing control of the clubs would have probably been enough for the Cartel to have him killed once they realized that the Russians were not going to allow them to freely distribute drugs twice a week. Of all the groups involved in this story, the Mexicans had the clearest motivations of them all.

Also two of the guys at the meet in the desert were also seen protecting Tony Chessani at his mayoral inauguration. You can see that as HBO doing double casting of background actors hoping people don't notice. Or you can view it as a dead giveaway that the mexican's were really working for Tony Chessani the whole time along with everyone else.

I don't think it would be fair HBO casting to accept your Option "A" there. Nor do I think your Option "B" is necessarily correct. I think it's evidence that the Mexicans were working for T. Chessani at the end, but whether they were working for him all along is debatable, given his relationship with the Russians. I'm not sure what the Cartel could have given him that the Russian mob couldn't have, plus that would have been a really dangerous game to play by playing the Mob vs. the Cartel. I think that at the end of the series, there was a power vacuum in the criminal world in Vinci. Frank and his guys are gone. Ossip and the Russians appear to be gone. So the Cartel stepped up and filled the same role Frank was filling for the Vinci powers-that-be when the show opened up.

 

[CopperPuppy]

Unbelievably, the finale was sufficiently bad to make everything before it even worse.

I honestly wasn't sure if it was possible to further trivialize all of this season's jumbled plot threads and meager character development, yet the finale somehow managed to do both.

I'm so used to modern TV criticism being typified by a debate over whether a "bad" finale ruins an otherwise good show, or if a "good" finale can redeem an otherwise poor or forgettable show. In essence, today's television is often, perhaps almost exclusively, discussed and dissected through the lens of its finale, with the finale often viewed in contrast with the rest of the show. Here, a bad season culminated in a finale that still managed to make everything else remarkably worse. It's an almost impressive feat of creative misjudgment.

 

[Robot Pants]

kinda wish this season didnt exist tbh

Don't you hate it when sequels sully the whole brand of something you love?

 

[Sectorseven]

Did Frank have father issues throughout and I just missed it? Because that felt shoehorned in at the last minute.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Did Frank have father issues throughout and I just missed it? Because that felt shoehorned in at the last minute.

His dad was a water stain on the ceiling.

 

[Robot Pants]

Can't wait to hear what pizza has to say about this seasons backlash. I mean this was some AWFUL TV. If this is his best then I'm SO curious as to why he thinks so.

 

[Kain]

I wanna send an email to chadvelcoro@gmail.com

 

[SickBoy]

I think if they do DVDs, they should offer a mode in the style of Pop-Up video, where it identifies characters when they're on screen:
*pop*
"This is Stan. He and Frank go way back."
*pop*
"Stan is like a brother to Frank."
*pop*
"Frank would do anything for Stan."

Did Frank have father issues throughout and I just missed it? Because that felt shoehorned in at the last minute.

Yes, on at least two occasions, they referenced his awful childhood, and at least one of those times, reference was made to the fact his father was terrible.

 

[Nokagi]

His dad was a water stain on the ceiling.

And never took him to the dentist.

 

[gimmmick]

Good god, I don't think I have ever been so let down for a show since season 4 of the sopranos.

 

[jett]

me made it
we endured
we outlasted the badness

keyboards and pencils everywhere should put restraining orders against pizzaman

 

[Sectorseven]

Yes, on at least two occasions, they referenced his awful childhood, and at least one of those times, reference was made to the fact his father was terrible.

I guess I forgot because they visually depicted the other characters fathers.

 

[Blader]

Did Frank have father issues throughout and I just missed it? Because that felt shoehorned in at the last minute.

Locked him in the basement when he went out drinking.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I guess I forgot because they visually depicted the other characters fathers.

To be fair, Frank's dad was in the desert.

And Woodrugh's dad was... not.

 

[Sectorseven]

Locked him in the basement when he went out drinking.

That's right, I forgot all about that.

 

[Deku Tree]

Not sure they where working with him the entire time. I took it as they took over after Frank killed the Russians.

It does seem odd that Frank forgot about the mexicans when he was uh, fleeing to mexico. Not sure how the mexicans found him either, the armenians(?) who gave frank a passport could of tipped them off? Not sure why they would do that, he just gave them a shitload of money and was going to send more once he was safe.

Maybe he had a tracker on his car too and Chessani told them where he was?

Of course he didn't, but what could he do? He had no people left that were loyal to him other than Nails. Ossip certainly wasn't going to honor that deal, but the Mexicans didn't know that Frank had lost ownership of the clubs at the time he torched them. Hell, losing control of the clubs would have probably been enough for the Cartel to have him killed once they realized that the Russians were not going to allow them to freely distribute drugs twice a week. Of all the groups involved in this story, the Mexicans had the clearest motivations of them all.

I don't think it would be fair HBO casting to accept your Option "A" there. Nor do I think your Option "B" is necessarily correct. I think it's evidence that the Mexicans were working for T. Chessani at the end, but whether they were working for him all along is debatable, given his relationship with the Russians. I'm not sure what the Cartel could have given him that the Russian mob couldn't have, plus that would have been a really dangerous game to play by playing the Mob vs. the Cartel. I think that at the end of the series, there was a power vacuum in the criminal world in Vinci. Frank and his guys are gone. Ossip and the Russians appear to be gone. So the Cartel stepped up and filled the same role Frank was filling for the Vinci powers-that-be when the show opened up.

Well I personally never believed the line that the mexican's killed the girl before she got to talk to Frank because she "talked to the cops". More likely they killed her because someone didn't want her talking to Frank. That someone would be Tony Chessani.

One of the worst parts about this show for me is that the apparent mastermind of a lot of the crimes, Tony Chessani, was only in the whole 8.5 hours of show for a few short minutes and during that time they made him look fairly incompetent to do the things that he did.

 

[jett]

hay guyz you know what's a fun show

halt and catch fire

for reals

 

[Vampirolol]

What a bad editing in this episode. Look, you want me to be smart, you want me to understand your confusing and uninsteresting case with a dozen names and faces, but when a character is obviously going to die you keep cutting to other things and just make it boring?

 

[Zaph]

Am I misremembering or was it mentioned/implied in an earlier episode that Laura was having sex with Caspere?

And Holloway casually drops Caspere is her biological father?

So HBO managed to squeeze incest into yet another series? Impressive.

 

[Apt101]

1) Completely forget about the Mexicans in his super plan
2) Punch that guy in the face in the desert

His major mistake was burning down the clubs. If he had kept it together he and Velcoro could have just hit the meeting then dipped town. His second mistake was trusting those lower-level gangsters enough to settle up with them in person when it was over - he could have sent the cash somehow later.

Once the guy asked for his suit he knew they were just humiliating him and leaving him in the desert. Couple that with the millions in diamonds in his coat pocket. He just decided not to go out like a bitch as he was dead either way.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Well I personally never believed the line that the mexican's killed the girl before she got to talk to Frank because she "talked to the cops". More likely they killed her because someone didn't want her talking to Frank. That someone would be Tony Chessani.

One of the worst parts about this show for me is that the apparent mastermind of a lot of the crimes, Tony Chessani, was only in the whole 8.5 hours of show for a few short minutes and during that time they made him look fairly incompetent to do the things that he did.

McAdams' character noticed right away that his party boy hip hop accent was just a front. And they showed him organizing the sex parties and shmoozing it up with the big wig politicians.

 

[rinse82]

Your video failed to upload...


lol

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Am I misremembering or was it mentioned/implied in an earlier episode that Laura was having sex with Caspere?

And Holloway casually drops Caspere is her biological father?

So HBO managed to squeeze incest into yet another series? Impressive.

Incest gonna incest.

Incestion.

 

[Kain]

All in all, the full story could have been told in maybe 5 episodes, 8 were too much and so many useless shit happened. Like the Frank subplot, it never went anywhere, not even in the end. So, so, so, boring and out of place, Vaughn was very bad and 90% of his dialog was pure cringe, what the fuck.

Good:

- Ray and Farrell in general

- Opening song

- Sad singer girl

- Ani's sister was hot as fuck

- Some of the lynchian moments

- Stan

Bad (uf, where to begin?):

- Frank and wife

- Utterly convoluted storytelling for no reason

- Too many characters and too many names

- Fucking Masuda, man

- The underlying plot was a bit underwhelming: stolen diamonds that lead to orgies and to masked killers sound awesome in paper, why was everything so boring?

- Holloway's hair was goofy

- Ray's wife was a bitch

- Paul in general, his childish anti-gay behavior and bad acting by Kitsch in particular

- Seriously how convoluted was everything?

- The first 4 episodes seem like a waste of time, reeaaaally bad pacing

- LA is not as appealing as Lousiana for some reason

Welp, not as many bads as I thought. For all my criticism I honestly liked the series in general, I just feel a little dissapointed because the series flaws are so obvious the showrunners should have seen them from the start.

 

[Fjordson]

I enjoyed the season. I thought the four main leads (especially Vince) got better as it went along. I also thought some episodes looked pretty good and I liked the soundtrack.

But compared to season 1...yeah, this just didn't have the same pull. Pizzolatto has some things to work on for S3.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Am I misremembering or was it mentioned/implied in an earlier episode that Laura was having sex with Caspere?

And Holloway casually drops Caspere is her biological father?

So HBO managed to squeeze incest into yet another series? Impressive.

Honestly, I'm unsure about whether I want to watch Season 3 or not. If Nic's gonna solo it again within a year, I have zero expectations for it to be good.

He either needs a writers room or a couple of years breathing space to write. But I'm not even sure a couple years would help cause of just...

I dunno, I'm likely not buying this on Blu-Ray. I'll get the soundtrack though cause the soundtrack was killer.

WHERE THE FUCK IS ALL THE GOLD IN CALIFORNIA, NIC

 

[Maxim726X]

What's really sad, to me, is that this will likely de-rail Vaughn's legitimacy as a serious actor.

The dialogue he had to work with was beyond awful. Too bad, I thought he was okay.

 

[PBY]

What's really sad, to me, is that this will likely de-rail Vaughn's legitimacy as a serious actor.

The dialogue he had to work with was beyond awful. Too bad, I thought he was okay.

He was meh to good for the most part, but the stuff he had to do was real dumb so its tough. His execution scene though? Flawless, he played that fucking perfectly.

 

[Maxim726X]

He was meh to good for the most part, but the stuff he had to do was real dumb so its tough. His execution scene though? Flawless, he played that fucking perfectly.

Yeah I agree. It really is a shame because I've always thought that he had the chops but he's basically been typecasted into comedies at this point... Hopefully he can get some drama roles in the future.