Officerrob
Banned
Basically how I feel. Farrell was the highlight for me
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True Detective - Season 2 - We get the Season we deserve - Sundays on HBO
- Thread starter Cornballer
- Start date
Basically how I feel. Farrell was the highlight for me
Thanks. I'm terrible at catching details in the first couple of episodes of something.
Involved with or leading some kind of criminal organization.
I assume he's the corrupt business man to go along with the city manager.
Did anyone else keep expecting Owen Wilson to show up in each of his scenes?
blainethemono
Member
pretty sure the only part of this episode I enjoyed was Colin Farrell saying "fuck you" to a 12-year old
overall the directing and cinematography felt totally bland to me compared to S1
overall the directing and cinematography felt totally bland to me compared to S1
Without the expectations of True Detective attached, it was a relatively interesting start for a crime drama. I don't really like any of the characters, I'm not attached to the stories being introduced, and everything feels a little too obvious thematically, like the show is trying desperately to ensure the audience "gets" it, but the casting is pretty good for what they're going for. The music is fantastic, some of the overhead shots are really inspired, but something about how it all comes together just feels underwhelming. There's a lot going on for sure, but none of it feels particularly engaging. It just feels like it wants to pack a lot of content but not all of it is particularly meaty content. The visual direction also feels really... inconsistent. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be True Detective 2.0. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be a generic Hollywood crime film. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be Luck 2.0. Tbh, I liked it best when it was trying to be Luck 2.0. Fits the locale and the story theme this season way better. Can definitely do without the glitzier shots, especially that hilariously over the top camera pan out at the end. 
This. Besides the story that was THE thing that sucked me in during season 1.
TheVampire
Banned
Any weird supernatural stuff in season 2?
I kind of agree with the cinematography. S1 was god tier for that though, so we gotta lower our expectations. Its obvious Pizzolatto or Lin was trying to go with a similar style with the aerial views of Cali, but at the moment its a bit scattered. Other than that I thought it was a great episode. I'm so sick of people expecting some "OH SHIT" moment in every goddamn show.
Aspen scene was classic.
StriKeVillain
Banned
Without the expectations of True Detective attached, it was a relatively interesting start for a crime drama. I don't really like any of the characters, I'm not attached to the stories being introduced, and everything feels a little too obvious thematically, like the show is trying desperately to ensure the audience "gets" it, but the casting is pretty good for what they're going for. The music is fantastic, some of the overhead shots are really inspired, but something about how it all comes together just feels underwhelming. There's a lot going on for sure, but none of it feels particularly engaging. It just feels like it wants to pack a lot of content but not all of it is particularly meaty content. The visual direction also feels really... inconsistent. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be True Detective 2.0. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be a generic Hollywood crime film. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be Luck 2.0. Tbh, I liked it best when it was trying to be Luck 2.0. Fits the locale and the story theme this season way better. Can definitely do without the glitzier shots, especially that hilariously over the top camera pan out at the end.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one who saw this. The inclusion of Ritchie Coster along with the casino shots certainly didn't hurt it.
Pizzaman claims that the scrubbed the occult elements, but the actual show seems to suggest otherwise. There's obviously not going to be any actual supernatural stuff, just like there wasn't in the first season, but it's still a show about weird people who are into weird things and skeletons all over their closets.
I thought it was a bit all over the place, somewhat slow, and with a very... plain cinematography. Barely any shot managed to wow me or reel me in, to be honest.
It wasn't bad though. And Velcoro was... damn. Ass-pen. "I'll come back and buttfuck your father with your mom's headless corpse on the front lawn" (the best line of the episode). Verbally abusing the shit out of his son. What a wreck... but a compelling wreck, nonetheless.
It wasn't bad though. And Velcoro was... damn. Ass-pen. "I'll come back and buttfuck your father with your mom's headless corpse on the front lawn" (the best line of the episode). Verbally abusing the shit out of his son. What a wreck... but a compelling wreck, nonetheless.
Without the expectations of True Detective attached, it was a relatively interesting start for a crime drama. I don't really like any of the characters, I'm not attached to the stories being introduced, and everything feels a little too obvious thematically, like the show is trying desperately to ensure the audience "gets" it, but the casting is pretty good for what they're going for. The music is fantastic, some of the overhead shots are really inspired, but something about how it all comes together just feels underwhelming. There's a lot going on for sure, but none of it feels particularly engaging. It just feels like it wants to pack a lot of content but not all of it is particularly meaty content. The visual direction also feels really... inconsistent. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be True Detective 2.0. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be a generic Hollywood crime film. Sometimes it feels like it wants to be Luck 2.0. Tbh, I liked it best when it was trying to be Luck 2.0. Fits the locale and the story theme this season way better. Can definitely do without the glitzier shots, especially that hilariously over the top camera pan out at the end.
I felt some Luck in there too, but I figured it was the one character who appeared.
StriKeVillain
Banned
Funny - I thought the end was rather predictable while the rest of the episode was more interesting.
if I got it right, it's the journalist/writer who started writing the "city corruption" stuff in the newspaper, affecting Semyon/Caspere
A reporter writing a story on some corrupt shit going on in the city I think, which would hurt Vince Vaughn's character.
He was writing the corruption article about the city that Vince Vaughn didn't want to run, so he had farrel beat the shit out of him to get him to stop
He was the reporter who was going to do the eight part story on corruption.
indigo-cyclops
Member
That one scene where Velcoro and Teague search definitely seemed to hint at elements of the occult are in, to me.
Especially that one "statue"...
The biggest difference between season 1 and season 2 from the opening episode, is that right from the first frame in season 1, I felt the show knew exactly what it was and what it wanted to be and it was so confident about it that it was impossible to not be impressed with the strength of the vision. Here it takes a while to get going, once things all fall into place it gets kinda maybe potentially interesting, but it's still not certain what the direction it wants to take is. There also isn't a very strong sense of place in the direction. The first season was all about place. The setting felt like a character right from the start. Sucks the audience right in. Here, I'm not really sure I have a good sense of how everything is linked geographically, especially with how they decided to have three different viewpoints based in different parts of the general area. The only thing I got out of the landscape shots were "this is pretty" and "damn this looks good at night".
It wasn't "occult." It was just weird art.
Felt like an average Michael Mann film. But I'm fully expecting it to gain steam as it goes on. The character interactions will be the making of the series, and there's plenty of talent there.
It's not S1, but I'll judge it on its own merits. Once it gets past the aesthetic posturing I'm hoping there'll be some substance over the portentous/pretentious style.
Good enough. Will keep watching.
It's not S1, but I'll judge it on its own merits. Once it gets past the aesthetic posturing I'm hoping there'll be some substance over the portentous/pretentious style.
Good enough. Will keep watching.
Season one, with a much smaller cast, only had two well-developed characters, Cohle and Hart. A few others had some personality, but no development. Everyone else was pretty flat.
Now, with such a large cast and principle cast, I really don't see how Pizzolatto will manage.
Now, with such a large cast and principle cast, I really don't see how Pizzolatto will manage.
indigo-cyclops
Member
Pizzolato's tendencies say otherwise. Weird art in this show means something more.
Let me say I don't know how I feel about it yet, and I'm as skeptical as you are. It just hinted at something to me. Maybe nothing comes of it, which will be disappointing to me.
Splash Wave
Member
Those last few shots of the main characters looking at each other was embarrassingly corny.
Probably by killing at least one of them off.
I highly doubt it. Season one's occult was based upon historical symbology and text.
This was just penises and boobs.
Agreed.
I think in S1, the way the Louisiana bayous were framed and filmed in such a way that made them feel threatening, godforsaken, and absolutely hostile. So far, while S2's setting is obviously urban, it doesn't feel decayed, corrupt or even glamorous-with-a-seedy-underside - I don't think the direction/cinematography conveyed any of that. It just felt... LA. I'll give it time, though. I'm not going to judge an entire season having only watched one episode
*2 minute sequence of Farrell and Vaughn looking at each other and drinking*
I think the one thing this season is missing the most aside from the McConaughey/Harrelson dynamic is the setting. Deep Louisiana itself felt like a character of its own. In a way it just felt haunting. LA is used so much that it really doesn't give the show and setting anything close to the feeling of season 1.
Yep exactly what I'm getting at. From the beginning of S1E01 you just felt the setting impact you. It was something unique that just stood out. Now we're just in LA.Agreed.
I think in S1, the way the Louisiana bayous were framed and filmed in such a way that made them feel threatening, godforsaken, and absolutely hostile. So far, while S2's setting is obviously urban, it doesn't feel decayed, corrupt or even glamorous-with-a-seedy-underside - I don't think the direction/cinematography conveyed any of that. It just felt... LA. I'll give it time, though. I'm not going to judge an entire season having only watched one episode
Cornballer
Member
- Promo for next week's episode (please spoiler tag any discussion)
- Sepinwall on the premiere
- Onion A|V Club review
- Sepinwall on the premiere
- Onion A|V Club review
Yes, last season, the setting was like a character. Honestly, after the two leads, the setting had more development than any other actual character.
The setting as an important aspect was established right from the pilot last season.
So far, this just feels like any other kind of L.A. I've seen in a million kinds of media.
StriKeVillain
Banned
I can agree with this. But this doesn't mean S2 can't be good, haha.
I thought S1 was up there with The Wire for one of the greatest seasons ever. Obviously tough to replicate with cast and crew turnover.
It just won't be the second greatest thing ever, boo hoo. ;D
DevelopmentArrested
Banned
Missing Fukunaga badly, wow
indigo-cyclops
Member
Definitely agree with you there, and that's what has me worried.
Admiral Woofington
Member
I can't get over how bad that song choice for the opening was. What the fuck was that.