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[RepairmanJack]

I want to fast forward every time Vince Vaughn is on screen

I'm pretty much at this point, but it's not really because of Vince, I actually like his character, I just could not care less about his angle of the story. Him and Farrell interacting is the only time I'm interested in his character.

 

[Dany]

Paul Woodrough is gay and has mommy issues.


:/ the fuck

 

[The Elite]

I want to fast forward every time Vince Vaughn is on screen

Blue balls in my heart.

 

[Dany]

The confrontation between Frank and his wife was bad.

 

[140.85]

Atlantic kinda nails it here:

Herein lies the central problem with True Detective season two, which is that huge complex plot points are dispersed in conversation in a matter of seconds, while other matters (the Semyons’ ability to have children, Frank’s money troubles, Ray’s relationship with his son) are essentially beaten to death by Pizzolatto like Rick Springfield delivering unwanted psychological evaluation. Yes, establishing character complexity is important. But would it be worth sacrificing a scene or two of Frank and Jordan discussing their willingness (or not) to adopt in order to explain a little more effectively what’s actually happening?

And HotAir (trigger warning - right wing web site):

The paradox of the show is that the plot is hugely complex and yet … also mostly irrelevant. Who killed Caspere? What’s happening at those parties “up north”? Will we ever find out who the Birdman was who shot Velcoro? Is Bezzerides’s dad involved in any of this? Are any members of the core group of cops actually keeping tabs on the others as a mole for their shady police department/attorney general supervisors? Guess what: It doesn’t matter because this is a character study, involving a group of characters who, frankly, aren’t very dissimilar and don’t require much studying. Critics keep grumbling that they can’t follow what’s going on but it never seems to matter because the show keeps pinballing between melodrama like Velcoro’s custody battle, Frank’s marriage, Woodrugh’s relationship with his mom and girlfriend, etc. I laughed out loud when Velcoro told Dr. Pitlor to spill what he knew about the Chessanis and the hooker parties and Pitlor suddenly spat out a 30-second monologue revealing more about what’s going on with the central mystery of the show than the detective team had found out in five episodes. That’s season two in a nutshell. Tell, don’t show.

 

[metsallica]

I want to fast forward every time Vince Vaughn is on screen

I feel that way about his career.

 

[Insane Metal]

Seriously tho, Colin Farrell is fucking murdering it in this show. I think he's as good as Matt as Rust

 

[The Elite]

I think if they had cut out a lot of the over development of the Frank story and Ray with his kid we would have reached the shootout by episode three.

That would have been a good thing. I feel like the narrative is more focused after the conclusion of episode five. Roles seem to be clearly defined. The overall plot is still somewhat convoluted but there are clear motives emerging and bonds being formed between the characters are helping me finally get immersed in the story.

Anytime I try to see someone make a comparison to characters in the first season I pretty much say this. It's not as good and these characters just aren't that comparable to anyone in the first season, especially Rust.

It's best not to think about it.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Atlantic kinda nails it here:



And HotAir (trigger warning - right wing web site):

Yup--all of the plot information is "there" but the show doesn't know how to prioritize or highlight information.

 

[Fathom]

Farrell's performance is right up there with McConaughey, it's the writing that isn't as good as Season 1.

 

[Insane Metal]

Yup. There's no comparison at all imo. It's just on another level.

And imo Rachel Mc Adams is the best thing in this show. She's the only one to have at least a sense of humor and not so bad one liners.

 

[The Elite]

Farrell's performance is right up there with McConaughey, it's the writing that isn't as good as Season 1.

I think Farrell and McAdams have both been great.

 

[Dany]

YO that was a great finale of the episode.

I knew Frank was fucking with Ray in the first episode.

SCUMMY

 

[rtcn63]

See, I can understand making the characters the focus of the show. Without good characters, plots rarely have as much of a payoff, since you really don't give two shits about the world and the people trapped inside it. But the characters are too stereotypical. I thought they'd take a subversive route, try and make them a little more deep than what a veteran audience to these cop dramas would expect, but no, they're pretty much who you think they are.

Which wouldn't be so bad if this was a new writer or on like network TV. But it's True Detective S2. If it wasn't, we'd be more likely to give it a pass. At least the execution hasn't been totally horrendous, though it's come close. Firth-Farell is practically self-aware that he's in a show where everyone is as confused as he is. I wouldn't be surprised if later on it was revealed that the cast was kept in the dark as to where the plot was going as they were being filmed.

 

[140.85]

I actually thought the show took a turn for the better in this latest episode. The problem is this is where we should have been by the end of ep #4 or even earlier.

 

[Dany]

"He set me up, frank"

I thought the wife knew more, if you looked at Ray you could tell he was shocked to hear that the rapist was still alive.

 

[jett]

I wonder if the actors went in blind or got to read some scripts and thought to hell with it, True Detective. The dialogue is atrocious and the story, well that leaves a lot to be desired at the moment

Last episode was the best so far except for the first episode cinematography and music. Might actually go somewhere.

I have to imagine they signed on without reading the scripts.

This shit is abysmal.

 

[ObiDin]

I want to fast forward every time Vince Vaughn is on screen

Replace "Vince Vaughn" with "Taylor Kitsch" and I agree. I was actually reaching for the mute button during the meet the mother-in-law scene this week. He feels so unnecessary to the overall plot.

 

[The Elite]

I have to imagine they signed on without reading the scripts.

This shit is abysmal.

Career rejuvenation. That's all they see.

 

[Altazor]

does anyone else think Pizzolatto is trying to do "The Wire" during this season and, IMHO, failing? Like "let's focus this one on the corruption of institutions and the effects of unbridled capitalism" but without being subtle or engaging.

EDIT: I still liked this past episode. Colin Farrell is this season's MVP.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Which wouldn't be so bad if this was a new writer or on like network TV. But it's True Detective S2. If it wasn't, we'd be more likely to give it a pass

I don't think this show gets a pass anywhere on TV right now. Even CW which has historically featured fun but ultimately B tier shows has Jane The Virgin which was as good in its first season as True Detective's first season.

True Detective is Low Winter Sun tier right now. Directionless ultra grimdark crime show that I'm sticking with because I've enjoyed a few of the cast in other things.

 

[rtcn63]

Oh man, Low Winter Sun went to levels of ham I couldn't imagine TD S2 reaching. I stopped after one episode it was so cringe-worthy. Like it was trying to be Macbeth or something, I dunno.

 

[kiguel182]

Replace "Vince Vaughn" with "Taylor Kitsch" and I agree. I was actually reaching for the mute button during the meet the mother-in-law scene this week. He feels so unnecessary to the overall plot.

Both of them are almost impossible to watch. Vince Vaughn only has some good scenes because he is paired with Farrell.

McAdams and Farrell are the only thing good this season.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Lol only 3 left

Enough to salvage the season

Does Mcadams' character always seem nervous or self conscious? Her voice cracks half the time

 

[-griffy-]

I thought this was maybe the most boring episode of the season. The show keeps revealing its clunkiness, as if it can't even remember what it's trying to do or already said. You have Ani and Velcoro in the bar catching up, then they start talking about Woodrugh and how he's working insurance fraud or whatever, then Ani says "He belongs in the field."

Cut to the next scene, all three leads meet with that woman outside about re-opening the Caspere case, Woodrugh is there and says THE EXACT SAME FUCKING THING to Velcoro. "I belong in the field." Why, in back-to-back scenes?

That type of clumsiness keeps popping up all over the place in this season.

 

[Floex]

Both of them are almost impossible to watch. Vince Vaughn only has some good scenes because he is paired with Farrell.

McAdams and Farrell are the only thing good this season.

I don't agree. Some of the sub characters have been fantastic, the mayor being a standout along with his family. The plastic surgeon has also been on point when he is on. But I agree what others have said about Vince Vaughn's character, I don't care about anything in his storyline.

 

[talisayNon]

does anyone else think Pizzolatto is trying to do "The Wire" during this season and, IMHO, failing? Like "let's focus this one on the corruption of institutions and the effects of unbridled capitalism" but without being subtle or engaging.

EDIT: I still liked this past episode. Colin Farrell is this season's MVP.

Don't think he's trying to do the Wire, there are just a lot of little nods to it. I think he's a Wire fan.

 

[neoism]

last ep was ok nothin special...

my main problem with this whole season is i dont care if they fined the killer or not..

doesnt matter to me one bit. for s1 one i cared are much as Rust did to fined and kill that motherfucker.... coupled with mostly non believable characters, Vince and his wife are annoying shitty characters and just arent believeable as husband and wife. Collen is most def the best character and actor on the show... Taylors character is meh, and Rachel...dont really like her character all that much...

 

[NaM]

I really don't get why they casted Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kitsch, especially Vaughn, he obviously cannot play his character at all.

 

[Applebite]

And HotAir (trigger warning - right wing web site):

I laughed out loud when Velcoro told Dr. Pitlor to spill what he knew about the Chessanis and the hooker parties and Pitlor suddenly spat out a 30-second monologue revealing more about what’s going on with the central mystery of the show than the detective team had found out in five episodes. That’s season two in a nutshell. Tell, don’t show.

Yup, this nails it. Wasting time on poorly written pseudo-deep dialogue instead of progressing the plot is killing the pace of the show.

 

[thesoapster]

That picture of Ray's son on the wall reminded me of clarinet boy.

 

[graffix13]

My favorite part of Episode 5: VV and his wife sitting down to watch a movie. It was only 30 seconds or so but man. Powerful stuff.

Spoiler

Not really.

 

[Anton Sugar]

That picture of Ray's son on the wall reminded me of clarinet boy.

That shot cracked me up for some reason.

 

[hiryu]

Really good episode. This season is really being brought down by Taylor Kitsch. He's an awful actor and his character is lame. I hope the black mountain and repressed homosexuality has a point. I think the show would be much better so far without him.

Farrell is an amazing actor. I would say he is equal to Rust from the first season. Mcconaughey's acting was all about his amazing delivery of the weird script whereas Farrell doesn't need to say a word, everything comes through is face and body language.

 

[RepairmanJack]

Yup, this nails it. Wasting time on poorly written pseudo-deep dialogue instead of progressing the plot is killing the pace of the show.

See, I kind of thought we didn't get much out of that meeting as viewers other than hearing how the mayor's son was involved directly with Caspere. Which we also could have peiced together when he said he throws parties. It felt more like a sudden dump for the investigation to catch up to the viewers more than anything.

 

[D4Danger]

Yup, this nails it. Wasting time on poorly written pseudo-deep dialogue instead of progressing the plot is killing the pace of the show.

do people expect Colin Farrell to just beat everyone up the first time he meets them? this isn't 24

the show definitely has problems but complaining that they're not solving it quick enough is dumb.

 

[dorn.]

I really don't get why they casted Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kitsch, especially Vaughn, he obviously cannot play his character at all.

Though to be fair, who could? I'm struggling to think of anybody who'd fit that role and could pull off the dialogue. The character itself just doesn't work.

 

[lamaroo]

Though to be fair, who could? I'm struggling to think of anybody who'd fit that role and could pull off the dialogue. The character itself just doesn't work.

I bet Ian McShane could make it work. I'm imagining him saying "it's like blue balls, in my heart" now and it's glorious.

 

[140.85]

do people expect Colin Farrell to just beat everyone up the first time he meets them? this isn't 24

the show defiantly has problems but complaining that they're not solving it quick enough is dumb.

It's not about the speed, it's the handling and pacing. I think everyone can agree it's not good to rush reveals. The problem is things aren't revealed gradually through a progression of events and hints and most importantly - interesting detective work.

I keep thinking of the ominous feeling during that great scene in season 1 when leads lead to Rust finding those twig statues in that lady's shack and how we were deftly led to that point and clues peeled back the onion of what was going on. I feel like we haven't had moments like that this season. Crow dude showed up but then wasn't mentioned or shown again until very recently. We have a mess of confusing events and long sections of character exploration and then suddenly expository dialogue is explaining things and it's jarring and disappointing. That said, the Velcoro arc with his wife's rapist and Frank is being executed pretty well.

 

[Don'tBeWeird]

Just caught up.

Colin Farrell is definitely carrying this show now.

 

[Einchy]

do people expect Colin Farrell to just beat everyone up the first time he meets them? this isn't 24

the show definitely has problems but complaining that they're not solving it quick enough is dumb.

Are these guys such shitty detectives that the only way for them to move along their investigation is to have Colin Farell beat up people? I'm sure Pizzaman could figured out some ways for the plot to move along without anyone getting beaten up.

I really don't get why you think saying their not solving the case fast enough is dumb. This is the fifth episode and this is the first time it has felt like they've actually moved forward with their case. For a season that only has 8 episodes, that's slow as shit.

 

[Blader]

do people expect Colin Farrell to just beat everyone up the first time he meets them? this isn't 24

the show definitely has problems but complaining that they're not solving it quick enough is dumb.

It's not that the show isn't solving its mystery quick enough but that it's not dispensing new information about that mystery well enough. A lot of important plot details are crammed into very quick and sporadic speeches, while relatively far less important subplots are stretched out over very long conversations per for scene for multiple scenes per episode.

Nobody is saying they should have wrapped up the central plot by now, just that it's hard to get your bearings on what exactly that plot is because important information is spat out at you very unevenly.

 

[Einchy]

The whole reason the shoot out even happen was because of 2 quick scenes, right?

Somehow they find out someone pawned a watch and from the surveillance camera they figured out it's a prostitute and her pimp is in the warehouse where the shootout happens.

Meanwhile we've had about 5 scenes about Frank's kid. In the shootout episode we had about 3 scenes about Frank extorting money from different businesses.

 

[SMattera]

The whole reason the shoot out even happen was because of 2 quick scenes, right?

Somehow they find out someone pawned a watch and from the surveillance camera they figured out it's a prostitute and her pimp is in the warehouse where the shootout happens.

Meanwhile we've had about 5 scenes about Frank's kid. In the shootout episode we had about 3 scenes about Frank extorting money from different businesses.

True Detective isn't about the mystery. It was never was. The story about Ray's kid (and Frank's relationship with his wife, etc.) is the real plot.

 

[Mac the KNife]

Atlantic kinda nails it here:

This sums my feelings up.

There's this aggressive sense of apathy surrounding the Caspre case. Frank seems to be the only one with any interest in solving it, but even then his only real avenue is Valcoro, who doesn't even seem the least bit curious as to who shot him point blank with a shotgun.

 

[Einchy]

True Detective isn't about the mystery. It was never was. The story about Ray's kid (and Frank's relationship with his wife, etc.) is the real plot.

Do you mean season 2? Because season 1's mystery was a huge part of what made that season so good.

But I do agree that season 2's real plot is less about the mystery and more about the less interesting plots with the characters, which I think is one of the reasons this season has been subpar so far.

 

[apocalidiot]

True Detective isn't about the mystery. It was never was. The story about Ray's kid (and Frank's relationship with his wife, etc.) is the real plot.

Right, but the issue is that the characters are pretty uninteresting for the most part. Which leads to a lot of scenes of people just talking, about bullshit.

I was going to rewind the monologue given to the psychiatrist that Colin Farrell was beating the shit out of (basically he explained what was going on) because I couldn't follow along (I think he mentioned a guy named Tony). I got up to rewind it but sat back down because I 1) didn't give a shit and 2) figured it'd be repeated in the show/on this board

 

[SMattera]

Do you mean season 2? Because season 1's mystery was a huge part of what made that season so good.

But I do agree that season 2's real plot is less about the mystery and more about the less interesting plots with the characters, which I think is one of the reasons this season has been subpar so far.

Season 1 as well. The whole thing with the molestation cult was a side show; it was window dressing. It was entertaining and it helped move things along, but that really wasn't what the show was about. The real plot of season 1 was Rust's struggles with pessimism and Marty's family issues.

 

[Einchy]

Season 1 as well. The whole thing with the molestation cult was a side show; it was window dressing. It was entertaining and it helped move things along, but that really wasn't what the show was about. The real plot of season 1 was Rust's struggles with pessimism and Marty's family issues.

You really think Marty's family issues were more interesting than the mystery of who the Yellow King was and why if they "caught" the serial killer 15 years ago murders are still happening?

Can't say that I agree with that.

 

[SMattera]

You really think Marty's family issues were more interesting than the mystery of who the Yellow King was and why if they "caught" the serial killer 15 years ago murders are still happening?

Can't say that I agree with that.

Yeah.

Pizzolato literally said he would've written a show about two dudes in a room talking if he could've gotten away with it. The Yellow King thing was just gimmick, a backdrop to hang character exposition, it was not the point. That's why it was never really wrapped up --

Spoiler

the final episode is about Rust coming to terms with his daughter's death, not about The Yellow King

. That was the actual story arc.

With that in mind, the most disappointing part of this season is not that the mystery is uninteresting or poorly paced, it's Vince Vaughn's horrific dialogue. It's Kitsch's thin, almost stereotypical character.