I'd still suggest you watch it all. It will make you appreciate season 1, and other tv shows in general, all the more.
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True Detective - Season 2 - We get the Season we deserve - Sundays on HBO
- Thread starter Cornballer
- Start date
I'd still suggest you watch it all. It will make you appreciate season 1, and other tv shows in general, all the more.
Agree. Looking forward to S3.
I guess as Sculli mentioned, by the time each character was being offed, I actually cared enough to feel some tension.
There are flashes of decent story here and there but they are totally overwhelmed by meandering character development that feels meaningless because they are uninteresting. It tries so hard to be deep, dark and edgy that often it feels like True Detective parody. Plot revelations are alternately predictable, meaningless and confounding because focus on given aspects of the show is out of whack. Key plot characters appear for barely a moment, so that Nic can get more time to drone on with tired monologues.
There is some incredible bad writing at display here though, if you're into that kind of thing. I don't know if I could stomach it if I didn't follow it at a weekly basis, but some of the quotes that were repeated numerous times in this very thread are simply unbelievable. Of course, there is always some value in watching anything if only to formulate your own opinion on it and you might be just one of those who truly enjoyed it, but a common opinion among viewers and critics is that season 2 of TD was a total misfire.
Anton Sugar
Member
Grantland has a write-up that mirrors my feelings. After a pretty lengthy defense/praise of what the show was trying to do:
AHA-Lambda
Member
Oh bugger it, I couldn't even take any more of Vince Vaughn's monologuing at the start of the second episode. I can't do it, not when I hear it's not worth it >_>
Admiral Woofington
Member
Last two episodes are decent action and acting-wise. But yes, never reaches the highs of S1 or many tv shows for that matter.
When you're suffering through the season just remember that sweet one shot scene of TD s1 that made you get so hard over how good it was. Good times.
toastyToast
Member
This season was fucking garbage.
I didn't keep up whatsoever and thought I'd treat myself to a nice binge session. My mind is in a state of fuck right now. I've got that light headed feeling like I'm high but instead of a tinge of happiness it's fury. What the fuck? Just what the fucking fuck? What was the point of anything? I know what happened, it's not even that. This wasn't a worthwhile story. Political corruption, orgies, seedy shit, this could have been so fucking dope. Colin Ferell worked that shitty material like his life depended on it. Outside of 1-emotion Kitsch everyone did their thing. The material was garbage. Dialogue, scene structure, transitions. Name drops everywhere. Conversation scenes were 2 minutes tops cut away to spaghetti highway for the 1500th time and then cut back moments later. The whole thing was horribly disjointed on top of being nonsensical to begin with. This season was a clinic on how to fuck up and still get paid. If only all of us had that luxury.
That was some frustrating television and a complete waste of weeks anticipation.
I didn't keep up whatsoever and thought I'd treat myself to a nice binge session. My mind is in a state of fuck right now. I've got that light headed feeling like I'm high but instead of a tinge of happiness it's fury. What the fuck? Just what the fucking fuck? What was the point of anything? I know what happened, it's not even that. This wasn't a worthwhile story. Political corruption, orgies, seedy shit, this could have been so fucking dope. Colin Ferell worked that shitty material like his life depended on it. Outside of 1-emotion Kitsch everyone did their thing. The material was garbage. Dialogue, scene structure, transitions. Name drops everywhere. Conversation scenes were 2 minutes tops cut away to spaghetti highway for the 1500th time and then cut back moments later. The whole thing was horribly disjointed on top of being nonsensical to begin with. This season was a clinic on how to fuck up and still get paid. If only all of us had that luxury.
That was some frustrating television and a complete waste of weeks anticipation.
The formula thus far is: broken characters + dark genre + influential locale = season
Season 1 = broken characters + occult + deep south Louisiana
Season 2 = broken characters + neo noir + LA
Season 3 is probably going to return to darker themes. I'm guessing dark fantasy and somewhere cold for a change; up north New York or remote place in Montana, North Dakota or Minnesota.
They're not going to do cold weather and invite the Fargo comparisons.
Anton Sugar
Member
Saw a tweet earlier that said S3 should be an investigation into what made S2 so bad.
Detectives:
Tom Cruise (never happen)
Morgan Freeman
Location:
Small town Alaska with a screwed up day/night cycle. Yeah, like Insomnia.
Case:
Serial killer.
Cary back in the director chair. (never happen)
Oh come on, that would be fan-fucking-tastic and you all know it.
I don't think they'll be overly concerned with that considering they don't air anywhere particularly close each other.
Cruise ain't happening. The man has a full plate. Freeman might be game though.
Still, I'd rather have these two team up again.
Though I would welcome a new duo altogether.
That jokes at least 3 weeks old, there's image macro memes about it.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Ain't happening, dream team right here
Would've been my first suggestion too but Dominic West got a new show, The Affair, which is supposedly doing really well so I doubt he'll have the time.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Pffffffffffffft
they tell him
"Ay. McNutty. You. The Bunk. HBO. Alcohol. You down?"
He'll be long gone from the affair by the time he hears Bunk
toastyToast
Member
Highlight for the finale right here. I was crying after I saw this shit. Had to walk away for a few minutes. Police don't give a fuck lol
schlongdog
Banned
Highlight for the finale right here. I was crying after I saw this shit. Had to walk away for a few minutes. Police don't give a fuck lol
Seems consistent with American police to me.
Robot Pants
Member
I miss these guys so much. Especially mcnultyAin't happening, dream team right here
OrlanisWorks
Banned
Season finale was so bad, I'm gonna rewatch season one over the next four days, first time since it ended, just to forget season two quicker.
Season three: get back creepy factor and trim the fat.
Season three: get back creepy factor and trim the fat.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Season 3 should give me what S2 made me think would happen.
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami
Yeah, I was actually pretty hyped after birdman shotgunned Colin Farrell. And then it all amounted to nothing and the mystery turned out to be some contrived, lame bullshit.
It's weird how nothing came of that. Why the giant bird hat? It makes no sense (or was it explained? I don't know. fuck this show)
I liked what I could've been and I kept waiting for some piece to fall in place and for everything to make sense but it was so convoluted.
S3 needs about half as many speaking roles.
Admiral Woofington
Member
only explanation was that Casper [?] was an avid collector of animal masks because that's his fetish I guess.
Everything was explained offscreen in Nic Pizzolatto's notes for the season. That's how good a writer he had, he had ALL THOSE NOTES but didn't end up using them.
I can't wait to see how pizzalatte receives criticism for this season. The criticism of season 1 not having any strong female leads was a weak and not really an indictment on the quality of work. But criticisms for this season are especially scathing on the quality and justified.
Dufase19089
Banned
So my friend made a couple alternate ending videos, Though they were funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdKgb0N59U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ic9jG8A8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTdKgb0N59U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ic9jG8A8M
Fancy Clown
Member
I like how the mystery didn't even feel it was a mystery. Partly because of how boing it was that I just didn't care, but also how obvious everything was from the get go. Like it shows you who all the corrupt people are, and it never goes much beyond "they are are all corrupt and did some bad things".
And then you add the ass characters. It even got really visually boring after the first episode, too, which I thought looked pretty decent despite being a step down from season 1.
And vince vaughn.
Just bad, bad, bad, bad.
And then you add the ass characters. It even got really visually boring after the first episode, too, which I thought looked pretty decent despite being a step down from season 1.
And vince vaughn.
Just bad, bad, bad, bad.
LyleLanley
Banned
Gotta stick with the "LA" theme. Season 3 will take place in Lake Athabasca, Canada.
BizzyBum
Member
This show's gay. LOL
Admiral Woofington
Member
a bit longer than it needed to, but good.
B
bomb
Unconfirmed Member
Taylor was just one detective too many. Should have just left him out all together. There was some good chemistry between Ray and Ani in the last 2 to 3 episodes. Should have just been more of those two and more of Franks side.
This show has more episode, right? It's going to deliver. I know it.
Once that reporter brings the Cali scheme into the light, everything everyone did will be vindicated.
So just finished watching this last night and I while I liked it, I think there were several flaws throughout the season that bothered me. (MASSIVE SPOILERS btw)
First, I never bought into Vince Vaughn being the Kingpen of Vinci they were portraying him as. It seems weird to have everyone in his inner circle cross him but not to just kill after the double cross happened. Why keep him around after that? Even if the deal goes south like it did, just kill him off because you know he's going to want his revenge. I never bought this relationship he had with his wife. God, those scenes always felt so forced and then all the scenes with the baby talk and the scene at the end where they throw the rings out the door. Just so bad. None of that felt believable and I just never believed that they were married or cared for each other.
Second, while I really liked Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams in their roles, I don't think their characters ever went anywhere. They seem to be in the same place they were at the of the season as they were in the beginning. Both of them play complex characters and in the wrong hands, it could have been disaster so I give both of them credit for pulling off these roles but these characters never really evolve past how they are initially introduced. They show glimpses of going past that but then devolve back into the characters they have been established as being. Really disappointing considering how good they both were throughout the season. They just weren't given enough to do with characters.
Third, why is Taylor Kitsch on this show? His character serves literally no purpose. HIs character obviously has some demons but so does everyone else on this show so how are his demons relevant to the story? You can see how Farrell and McAdams' demon are relevant to the story but I don't see where his fits. Also, what was up with the cop that was following him around seemingly only to set up what happened in episode 7? I never caught his name and it just seems weird that his on this detail when he was never introduced. He literally just shows up in a scene with Kitsch and your thinking "who the hell is this guy?". I just never felt anything he was doing was either important or couldn't have been done by either McAdams or Farrell.
Fourth, season felt very uneven. First three episodes dragged a bit while the rest of the episodes seemed to move at a very fast pace. Its almost like two different shows wrapped up into one show. Story was also very predictable and you could tell what was going to happen before it happened. The story also used incredibly cliched things like dream sequences, flashbacks, and long voice over narration. And the ending was fucking terrible. So I sit though these episodes expecting a conclusion and there literally is none. Ani tells her story and then just walks out of the room and the shit ends. Like wtf? So what happened? Did anyone get caught or go to jail? There's just no resolution to any of this. SMH at that ending.
Overall, a bit disappointing but still solid. I give it a 6.5/10.
First, I never bought into Vince Vaughn being the Kingpen of Vinci they were portraying him as. It seems weird to have everyone in his inner circle cross him but not to just kill after the double cross happened. Why keep him around after that? Even if the deal goes south like it did, just kill him off because you know he's going to want his revenge. I never bought this relationship he had with his wife. God, those scenes always felt so forced and then all the scenes with the baby talk and the scene at the end where they throw the rings out the door. Just so bad. None of that felt believable and I just never believed that they were married or cared for each other.
Second, while I really liked Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams in their roles, I don't think their characters ever went anywhere. They seem to be in the same place they were at the of the season as they were in the beginning. Both of them play complex characters and in the wrong hands, it could have been disaster so I give both of them credit for pulling off these roles but these characters never really evolve past how they are initially introduced. They show glimpses of going past that but then devolve back into the characters they have been established as being. Really disappointing considering how good they both were throughout the season. They just weren't given enough to do with characters.
Third, why is Taylor Kitsch on this show? His character serves literally no purpose. HIs character obviously has some demons but so does everyone else on this show so how are his demons relevant to the story? You can see how Farrell and McAdams' demon are relevant to the story but I don't see where his fits. Also, what was up with the cop that was following him around seemingly only to set up what happened in episode 7? I never caught his name and it just seems weird that his on this detail when he was never introduced. He literally just shows up in a scene with Kitsch and your thinking "who the hell is this guy?". I just never felt anything he was doing was either important or couldn't have been done by either McAdams or Farrell.
Fourth, season felt very uneven. First three episodes dragged a bit while the rest of the episodes seemed to move at a very fast pace. Its almost like two different shows wrapped up into one show. Story was also very predictable and you could tell what was going to happen before it happened. The story also used incredibly cliched things like dream sequences, flashbacks, and long voice over narration. And the ending was fucking terrible. So I sit though these episodes expecting a conclusion and there literally is none. Ani tells her story and then just walks out of the room and the shit ends. Like wtf? So what happened? Did anyone get caught or go to jail? There's just no resolution to any of this. SMH at that ending.
Overall, a bit disappointing but still solid. I give it a 6.5/10.
Turin Turambar
Member
Hey, like the show itself!
Velcoro driving lookin at the sign in typical oh imma make a turn this will turn out alright manner was like pizzaman taking a shit on my chest
then lets show velcoros father crying and him being the actual dad cause HAHA fuck you viewer life is shit
it went so out of its way to be crushingly deppresing that I just laughed midway through. sure it worked in bumming me the fuck out, but it also felt incredibly unearned
just needless. Season 1's only WIN felt fuckin great, this was just a march in a river of shit. everyones shit the world is shit theres no redeeming anything and fuck everybody
like I legit dont know what he was trying to do. Im not one of those guys that wants a happy ending on everything or anything but good lord man
I honestly thought my only real problem with this series was its writing but now I just dread the whole arc. there was nothing here other than constant bummer, then tension for once, and then bummer with a vengeance
incredibly cheap
im gonna go watch some cartoon or something
then lets show velcoros father crying and him being the actual dad cause HAHA fuck you viewer life is shit
it went so out of its way to be crushingly deppresing that I just laughed midway through. sure it worked in bumming me the fuck out, but it also felt incredibly unearned
just needless. Season 1's only WIN felt fuckin great, this was just a march in a river of shit. everyones shit the world is shit theres no redeeming anything and fuck everybody
like I legit dont know what he was trying to do. Im not one of those guys that wants a happy ending on everything or anything but good lord man
I honestly thought my only real problem with this series was its writing but now I just dread the whole arc. there was nothing here other than constant bummer, then tension for once, and then bummer with a vengeance
incredibly cheap
im gonna go watch some cartoon or something
DarkJediKnight
Member
Don't forget the 'emotional pull' of Velcoro's son velcroing that stupid encased badge to his ass everywhere he goes.
Season 3 should follow the Times reporter from the finale, make him investigate and find bigger and bigger links to this whole story, something like House of Cards season 1, and somehow link it to the season 1 cult... that would be a good third season. Have some moody detectives thrown in there to please the nerds as well.
Scrupulous
Banned
This ^ but it would need to be different enough from Infernal/Departed that it could be be its own story otherwise its plays out the same. Maybe a "Laughing man" like central figure amongst all the Fuckery to connect the case
5 episodes in and I say no. If you're bored as hell and just want anything to watch, like me, then sure.