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[Einchy]

This was my face when they named off about ten different characters connected to the case and I couldn't remember who they were talking about.

Jonny B. Whimwap had a meeting with Vinny C. Zammyzum before Casper got killed? Tina Pipa watched this happen? Sure, why not.

Ray's superior who suspiciously arrived at Casper's bungalow before Ani in the third episode. He also directed Ray a few times in the early episodes and was with the black officer(who Paul was held up by) and mayor before the cops went to the setup in the fourth episode.

I only really remember this character because someone posted a theory that made a compelling argument for why he was the birdman.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

Episode 8: TEAM UP BITCHES

Vs

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I guarantee there will be at least one suicide next episode, probably the mayor so he won't go to prison.

 

[Chance Hale]

Did anyone see who the

Spoiler

blond

getting attacked in the preview was?

Spoiler

Avi's sister maybe?

 

[TheFixer]

This show makes thrusting almost anonymous side characters who have laid dormant for the vast majority of the season into the center of the dramatic resolution an absolute artform. We've come to the point where there's a high probability that the cabal of miscreants and ne'er do gooders responsible for the central murder and much of the "intrigue" in this show have collectively had about five minutes of screentime in seven hours of this driveling, incoherent, suppurating pustule of a show.

I mean, this may very well be the worst scripted television show I've ever watched, and I've powered through five entirely superfluous seasons of Weeds.

 

[Einchy]

If someone did a chart explaining the plot it would look something like this.

 

[Afrocious]

If someone did a chart explaining the plot it would look something like this.

It isn't that bad. This isn't Death Note. The problem I have with the mystery is that a lot of names are dropped without their faces so I forget who is who, but the gist of it is all one needs.

 

[RedAssedApe]

If someone did a chart explaining the plot it would look something like this.

naw bro you just weren't paying attention.

 

[Avinexus]

Yeah, I'm in the crowd of people that have no idea who half the names they are spewing out are.

 

[StrayngerDaynger]

looking forward to the finale. good episode outside of the cliche sex between the two detectives.

Enjoyed the rest of it.

 

[BUNTING1243]

I for one am just happy that the detective work this season isn't boiling down to "yo that shade of paint!"

 

[Psychological Intellect]

Did anyone see who the

Spoiler

blond

getting attacked in the preview was?

Spoiler

Avi's sister maybe?

Spoiler

its the mayors wife. Vaughn grabs her.

Spoiler

pretty obvious he's gonna kill the son.

 

[Afrocious]

I for one am just happy that the detective work this season isn't boiling down to "yo that shade of paint!"

I actually liked that.

 

[Askherserenity]

Just started watching the new episode.

Everything is fucking?

 

[dead souls]

This was my face when they named off about ten different characters connected to the case and I couldn't remember who they were talking about.

Jonny B. Whimwap had a meeting with Vinny C. Zammyzum before Casper got killed? Tina Pipa watched this happen? Sure, why not.

Oh god, this comment has me nearly doubled over with laughter. I couldn't agree more. What a disaster of a season.

 

[Van Owen]

So I guess one of the kids spared Ray with the rubber bullets because he wasn't part of the revenge? That is who shot Ray, right?

(Why did they have rubber rounds tho)

 

[Weevilone]

Yeah, I'm in the crowd of people that have no idea who half the names they are spewing out are.

Yeah me too. I really don't care at this point, but it'll all be over soon. Strangely I'm looking forward to the finale, but I think it's mostly to get it done. I'm bummed it's been so bad. So much screen time on characters that don't matter, and a handful of bad guys with like a minute of total screen time. I halfway expect a master bad guy that we haven't ever even seen.

 

[Askherserenity]

Watching this episode makes me think that this season would have gotten a better reception if it was released all at once.

I know some of you don't agree with this but the show has been somewhat hard to follow for most people and has had some weird pacing issues. It's just been a pretty awkward season.

I think being able to just binge watch the whole thing would've helped the season in the long run.

 

[kirblar]

Watching this episode makes me think that this season would have gotten a better reception if it was released all at once.

I know some of you don't agree with this but the show has been somewhat hard to follow for most people and has had some weird pacing issues. It's just been a pretty awkward season.

I think being able to just binge watch the whole thing would've helped the season in the long run.

It wouldn't have hurt- but there's still way too much shit being juggled.

 

[Intheflorsh]

I don't know guys, I kind of feel like everything is not fucking.

 

[Jin]

This show makes thrusting almost anonymous side characters who have laid dormant for the vast majority of the season into the center of the dramatic resolution an absolute artform. We've come to the point where there's a high probability that the cabal of miscreants and ne'er do gooders responsible for the central murder and much of the "intrigue" in this show have collectively had about five minutes of screentime in seven hours of this driveling, incoherent, suppurating pustule of a show.

I mean, this may very well be the worst scripted television show I've ever watched, and I've powered through five entirely superfluous seasons of Weeds.

Pretty much. I had no idea who the fuck that black guy was in the subway until I came to this thread. Then I went "ohhhhhh" and remembered. The surprise pay off just fell flat for me.

 

[Sober]

The revenge component only adds onto a complicated scenario. If there were more episodes it might have been fine by itself however with an eight episode run-time, Pizzo should have cut that component out and just focus on the conspiracy angle of which there is more than enough material to fill eight episodes.



They've been doing detective work the entire season, the problem is that it's following so many different angles that it becomes a mess. There's a reason why so many people need Reddit posts to sum up what's been going on because the show has done an absolutely terrible job of it.

Yeah I can see the two kids casing Caspere for a revenge killing (sister gets a job as secretary, tracks movement, brother does the deed, they disappear), which might be compelling on its own but falls flat. Mostly because they haven't actually reached this point yet.

They don't "explain it like I'm five" in the motel as much either. They go over what they were doing to Frank, taking his share and shoo'ing him out of it, but they just got a better deal with Caspere dead and they divvy up his goods. Remember, during that conversation they still think that Vinci police chief, mayor, etc. killed Caspere over the diamonds - but that doesn't make sense because they knew he still had the diamonds. It's not until a bit later they make the connection that Caspere's secretary is one of the two kids from the '92 riot robbery/execution. And after that they kinda just sit on their hands until they fuck waiting for Paul to get himself killed.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I...really liked this episode. A lot. It was basically what I've been waiting for all season. And now I'm actually way more excited about the finale.

 

[Intheflorsh]

There's a lot of info dump in this episode. Someone at reddit did a summary:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueDetective/comments/3fkniq/s2e7_what_the_hell_is_going_on/

It was absolutely ludicrous to try and cram all this into eight episodes- especially when all of the plot and backstory are being shoved aside to exposition dumps in favor of exploring these dull characters. The shame of it is that the material is actually very interesting and might have worked well in something like a novel.

 

[Dan]

This was my face when they named off about ten different characters connected to the case and I couldn't remember who they were talking about.

Jonny B. Whimwap had a meeting with Vinny C. Zammyzum before Casper got killed? Tina Pipa watched this happen? Sure, why not.

Seriously. The people who think all of this should be crystal clear to viewers during these info dumps have either actively been studying the show between episodes, or are lying.
There are just endless names and scenarios being mentioned that have rarely been glimpsed. There are a dozen characters who are a mere one step up from Stan in terms of visibility in the series yet are intimately involved with the mystery. It's hard to follow, I refuse to believe anyone sees all these machinations clearly in their head while watching.

 

[Askherserenity]

So the girl with the scar from the bar is one of the kids right?

 

[Jarmel]

So the girl with the scar from the bar is one of the kids right?

I hope not, I feel like my eyes would literally roll out of my head.

 

[The Driver]

I sympathize with people saying the main plot is annoying to follow. Only reason I can grasp (most) of it and recognize (most) of the characters by their names is because I watch each episode twice and the second time is with subtitles.

 

[Jimothy]

I for one am just happy that the detective work this season isn't boiling down to "yo that shade of paint!"

I always thought having his green ear muffs being mistaken for green ears would have been way better than having his ears literally be green from paint. they really blew that one

 

[StopMakingSense]

So the girl with the scar from the bar is one of the kids right?

No there were only two kids. The other one was a boy.

 

[Clipjoint]

So the girl with the scar from the bar is one of the kids right?

No, we already saw her at the set of the movie. She was Casper's secretary. That's the grown up version of the kid from the jewel heist.

 

[Jin]

It was absolutely ludicrous to try and cram all this into eight episodes- especially when all of the plot and backstory are being shoved aside to exposition dumps in favor of exploring these dull characters. The shame of it is that the material is actually very interesting and might have worked well in something like a novel.

They should've just focus on the sex slave/sex party thing. Something like Eyes Wide Shut. All the other stuff like diamonds, casinos, the Russians, the Mexicans, the metro, and of course Stan - they're all half-baked and confusing.

 

[Einchy]

I always thought having his green ear muffs being mistaken for green ears would have been way better than having his ears literally be green from paint. they really blew that one

Isn't paint referencing to the house that got repainted?

 

[udiie]

So the girl with the scar from the bar is one of the kids right?

i think the

Spoiler

secretary at caspares office

was the girl orphan and the boy one is the

Spoiler

birdman

 

[blainethemono]

this is too good

perfect symbol of the unintentional hilarity running through this season

 

[TheFixer]

I just can't believe they buried the main antagonists of the plot so deep into a backstory that half the audience or more likely hasn't followed. The diamond heist subplot is so convoluted, so contrived, so hackneyed, so inane, and so BORING that it's almost inconceivable that it serves as the fulcrum for the resolution of the central fucking mystery in the story arc, and yet all signs point to that being exactly the case.

This season's been an absolute clinic on how not to write season-long TV show plot. I mean, it's almost like Pizzolatto deliberately tried to tank his own career.

 

[udiie]

that is... hilarious.
-the list i mean

 

[Einchy]

Saw this on Reddit.

http://imgur.com/a/0HGWc

Could the photographer be the Birdman?

 

[Jin]

this is too good

perfect symbol of the unintentional hilarity running through this season

I really hope they use some of that stuff on the list in the finale. Particularly the 10 flash grenades and 10 tear gas canisters.

 

[Clipjoint]

Saw this on Reddit.

http://imgur.com/a/0HGWc

Could the photographer be the Birdman?

Most likely, he's her brother.

He watches her talk to them, and then walks away just as she looks back at him. They clearly know eachother, and we already know she's the little girl, so it makes sense that he'd be the brother/Birdman.

 

[Einchy]

I expect Birdman's reveal to go something like this.


Pizzaman:

Everyone:

 

[Sober]

this is too good

perfect symbol of the unintentional hilarity running through this season

I expect that someone wrote it and they copy/pasted it to make the list look longer than it should, which is weird in of itself.

It was absolutely ludicrous to try and cram all this into eight episodes- especially when all of the plot and backstory are being shoved aside to exposition dumps in favor of exploring these dull characters. The shame of it is that the material is actually very interesting and might have worked well in something like a novel.

Yeah, it's a little jam packed. I think the show could've just done procedural crime stuff/character interactions/characters dealing with their shit on a better loop. Or cut some of it out. I read that post and that's pretty much more or less what I also came to just watching the show.

That being said that overall flow isn't half bad, it's just that the execution is really not that great.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

This was my face when they named off about ten different characters connected to the case and I couldn't remember who they were talking about.

Jonny B. Whimwap had a meeting with Vinny C. Zammyzum before Casper got killed? Tina Pipa watched this happen? Sure, why not.

This is me.

Took 6 long episodes to get the info and 10 short minutes to piece it all together.

 

[duckroll]

I don't find the story confusing at all, I just find it really poorly told. It seems like the show doesn't know what to focus on, and as such nothing engages the viewer and it just becomes either repetitive character "development", or pointless case exposition. Instead of making the show about detectives investigating a case and piecing things together, the show has attempted to make it a character drama that happens to be about detectives.

That's fine if the character drama is any good, it's not. But even then, that's fine if at least the show consistently wants to be about that all the way through. But instead towards the tail end of the story here, they clearly feel there is a need to tie things up and connect the dots. So the dots are being connecting. The problem is, the audience has never had any reason to really be interested in following the case, so it just comes off as a huge plot dump with people asking "who" whenever a new name pops up.

The thing is, none of these names are new, and I could follow what's going on fine. It just... isn't interesting. So basically a few things have been going on in this conspiracy:

- In the 90s a bunch of corrupt LA cops staged a burglary where they killed two people and stole a bunch of diamonds.

- This made them very rich and allowed them to buy into an elite group of corrupt politicians and businessmen in the state area.

- When the high speed rail project came along, one of them being the city manager in Vinci decided to use his stolen wealth to invest into a large land scam.

- With the help of local criminal elements, they also abetted in poisoning some parts of the land so it can be sold off cheap to certain holding companies involved in the scam.

That's what the entire case is basically about. It's not really super complex, and some of the elements are actually pretty intriguing and would make for a good state wide investigation. It's just too bad that the show every really focused on any of it in interesting ways, or cared to make the show about engaging investigation and watching detectives join the dots. Instead what we get are a bunch of scenes where people get drunk and whine about how broken and flawed they are, and then put everything together in info dump scenes when they need the "plot" to move forward. Zzzzzzzzz.

 

[Scrupulous]

Man If only this season had a clearer focus from the start it could have been great. Everything before down will come could have been far tighter.

 

[Vagabundo]

I can secret why it is confusing. There seems to be two interlocking, but separate criminal conspiracies, neither of which killed Caspre.

It might have helped if they had included the names and pictures of characters in the starting credits.

 

[Rixxan]

I expect Birdman's reveal to go something like this.


Pizzaman:

Everyone:

Holy shit this slayed me rofl

 

[talisayNon]

It literally sets the events of the season in motion.

Watching this episode makes me think that this season would have gotten a better reception if it was released all at once.

I know some of you don't agree with this but the show has been somewhat hard to follow for most people and has had some weird pacing issues. It's just been a pretty awkward season.

I think being able to just binge watch the whole thing would've helped the season in the long run.

good point.

i think the show's been great, plot is better than s1. pacing's a bit off which are people's main gripes. and vaugn's terrible acting.

i think pizzo has something good here. the plot is good, but could have been told in 6 eps instead of 8.

 

[kiguel182]

I don't find the story confusing at all, I just find it really poorly told. It seems like the show doesn't know what to focus on, and as such nothing engages the viewer and it just becomes either repetitive character "development", or pointless case exposition. Instead of making the show about detectives investigating a case and piecing things together, the show has attempted to make it a character drama that happens to be about detectives.

That's fine if the character drama is any good, it's not. But even then, that's fine if at least the show consistently wants to be about that all the way through. But instead towards the tail end of the story here, they clearly feel there is a need to tie things up and connect the dots. So the dots are being connecting. The problem is, the audience has never had any reason to really be interested in following the case, so it just comes off as a huge plot dump with people asking "who" whenever a new name pops up.

The thing is, none of these names are new, and I could follow what's going on fine. It just... isn't interesting. So basically a few things have been going on in this conspiracy:

- In the 90s a bunch of corrupt LA cops staged a burglary where they killed two people and stole a bunch of diamonds.

- This made them very rich and allowed them to buy into an elite group of corrupt politicians and businessmen in the state area.

- When the high speed rail project came along, one of them being the city manager in Vinci decided to use his stolen wealth to invest into a large land scam.

- With the help of local criminal elements, they also abetted in poisoning some parts of the land so it can be sold off cheap to certain holding companies involved in the scam.

That's what the entire case is basically about. It's not really super complex, and some of the elements are actually pretty intriguing and would make for a good state wide investigation. It's just too bad that the show every really focused on any of it in interesting ways, or cared to make the show about engaging investigation and watching detectives join the dots. Instead what we get are a bunch of scenes where people get drunk and whine about how broken and flawed they are, and then put everything together in info dump scenes when they need the "plot" to move forward. Zzzzzzzzz.

You hit the nail in the head.

The case itself isn't complex, the problem here is how it is presented and how the story is paced and told.

You get info dumps with tons of names instead of discovering the story in a more organical and simple way.

If they wanted to focus on the character drama they should've gone with a murder plot that didn't involve so many people and random names/characters. This, of course, ignoring the fact that the character drama isn't very good to begin with.

4 main characters and their stories + a poorly told criminal conspiracy result in this mess where things are hard to follow even if the plot isn't that complicated. Just a mess.

 

[duckroll]

Also, what the -fuck- at Frank's plan. He decides he wants to cash out finally. He's going to get everything in order, empty all his accounts, go rambo on the Russians during their money exchange, rob them, and then get a fake passport and tickets to vacation land and run off right?

So... why the hell did he torch two of his own clubs BEFORE attacking the Russians? Wouldn't that like.... I dunno.... give them the heads up that he might not be honest with them? What a dumb idea.