SPOILERS for last night’s episode of True Detective, “Down Will Come”
I sometimes feel like I’m half-assing these recaps/True Detective discussions in a way that I would never do with Game of Thrones. In my defense, even when GoT is rage-inducing, it’s still worlds better than True Detective at its best, and TD Season 2 has been far from the best. The first three episodes of TD have been extended character studies of the four main characters, which provided little insight other than “Paul is gay (and having a baby with his former lover),” and “Ani Bezzerides hates her father and loves knives.”
The first half of “Down Will Come” seemed like it would be more of the same and I was seriously ready to just call it quits on this season. Everybody speaks in suicidal haikus, everyone is a nihilist and no one was doing much police work. That’s really been bothering me – each episode maybe devotes five to ten minutes to police work and then the rest of it is just characters staring woodenly at objets d’art and muttering half-assed “truths” about existence. It’s like “What if Jean-Paul Sartre was a cop?”
Well, finally some sh-t went down. They saved it for the last twenty minutes or so of the episode. The lead was basic enough that even Paul found it (he stared at that sheet of paper so long I wondered if he could read). The lead? A pimp and a hooker had pawned a bunch of stuff belonging to Ben Caspere. So the cops put out an APB on the pimp and then they got some sort of sketchy info as to where the guy was and instead of sending in SWAT to what was obviously some kind of massive drug/prostitution den, Ani, Velcoro and Paul lead a group of half-assed cops (mainly from Vinci, right?) on a raid.
Everything went sideways before the cops made it to the building. A dude with a machine gun started mowing down the cops, everybody ran for cover, half the building blew up (meth lab, probably), then the bad guys made it out the back to their SUV. Ani chased them while Velcoro and Paul tried to cut off the SUV on foot. Of course the SUV crashed into a bus and of course the bad guys started mowing down protesters unrelated (OR WERE THEY UNRELATED?) to the situation at hand.
At the end of the shootout, all of the bad guys were dead (it seemed) and easily more than a dozen civilians were dead too, not to mention what seemed like a half-dozen cops. In the preview for the next episode, it seems like the joint task force is declared a success and Caspere’s murder is “solved.” But I think that’s one of the most unrealistic things I’ve ever seen from True Detective. This is LA County. This is California. If that many civilians died during a police action, all three police agencies involved in said police action would have HUGE liability issues and they would be facing major lawsuits. Ani, Ray and Velcoro would lose their jobs and their pensions. There would be no way to sweep this under the rug.
But yes, I’m still going to stick with it. Stupid, I know. But I’m hoping that Velcoro and Ani go rogue and are now forced to solve this crap on their own.
Photos courtesy of HBO.
The writing this season is terrible…everyone talks in cliches (especially VV’s character)…Of course, the writing may have been bad last season, since half the time I couldn’t understand what the characters were mumbling about! There are too many characters for such a short seasoned show…I think there are only three episodes left…How are they going to end each characters story in only three episodes? This season is pretty boring! I only like Colin Farrell!!!!
Excellent review, Kaiser!
My favorite part- Everybody speaks in suicidal haikus, everyone is a nihilist and no one was doing much police work. This is an extremely apt description of the season so far.
I feel like there is zero subtlety this season. We are pretty much being clobbered over the head in most shots and last night’s ending seemed like a desperate attempt to duplicate the excellent S1 tracking shot.
And please, for the love of god, kill the side story with Frank and the no babies problem. It contributes nothing to the overall arc at all and is an annoying distraction. At least Ani’s dad and sister may be connected to the center story and Ray’s kid and ex-wife are tied into the present as it affects how Ray’s behavior over all.
I’m guess I am a glutton for punishment too as I plan to keep on for at least another week. Maybe after this week’s shoot out (in which no one survives but our heroes) things will start to move a bit faster.
I agree. This session of TD is terrible. Taylor’s character needs to be killed off as he brings nothing, and I do meannothing, to the table. But I’m a glutton for punishment too and will continue to watch. I always thought Rachel was a better actress, but I see I was wrong.
Always liked Colin but this series sucks. Actually most of the cable shows are pretentious bullshit.
If you want good story telling (without insult to your intelligence or your morality) check out Poldark on PBS.
Great story, beautiful location, and the gorgeous Aidan Turner. You’ll be looking at a future James Bond in his “early years” 😉
I watch Poldark, too, but not for the plot. I mainly sit there shouting, “Take your shirt off, Aidan! Take your shirt off!”
I think I’m officially lost. What crime are they trying to solve again? *sigh* I’ll watch it to the end nevertheless (for Colin).
Like most of you, I would not even bother watching the show if it wasn’t for Colin Farrell – and before this season started I didn’t even realize I like him as an actor. The fact that he manages to deliver the horribly pretentious lines without making me die a little inside really speaks volumes about what a good actor he is.
Which really cannot be said about VV – sorry but the entire opening scene with him and his wife talking about a baby made my eyes roll to the back of my head as I thought “who the hell talks like this?!?!” It was like a terrible stage play! I can’t even really blame the actors entirely because my God, not even Meryl Streep would be able to deliver these lines….
Also, can we please just stop already with the moody bar scenes with the singer? Ugh.
Hahaha. Last night, my fiancé was all “OH MY GOD, here we go with the horrible singer again!”
When I set the autotune, I told him the only reason we’re continuing to watch this is because I’m still holding out some tiny, shriveled kernel of hope that it will get better. He agrees. I’m well aware we’re both delusional. But there’s nothing else on tv right now anyway…
Vince Vaughan is either “phoning in” this role or thinks that the flat affect that he’s adopting is menacing in some way (he’s about as menacing as my grandmother until he get’s a pair of pliers in his hands). He has absolutely no chemistry with Kelly Reilly.
I’m officially OUT.
Watching The Brink instead and am very happy with my decision 🙂
Glad to see this — I thought it was just me. As much as I looked forward to S2, I just can’t get into it, even binge watching. I had to google who “Stan” was (I think that was his name), so I could properly mourn his untimely demise.
I think one of the big questions for TD viewers this season continues to be “Who the f**k is Stan?”.
I think the story line is very hard to follow, I still havent a clue what its really about. I think Colin Farrell is the best actor in it, I cant beleive how bad Vince Vaughn acting is, hes so drippy and dull. Taylor Kitsh isnt the best actor, but I think hes absulutely gorgeous to look at. I have to say I enjoyed the shootout at the end, I thought it was good. I will watch it to the end just for Colin and Taylor.
The writing/dialogue has been spectactularly awful and cliché thus far, but this little gem from last night really takes the cake for me: when Frank menancingly says to the gangters in the cafe scene “I’ve never even had a f–king cavity.” You tell ’em Frank! You so badass with your perfect dental hygiene – those gangsters will RESPECT.
Yeah, still wondering who is/was Stan? What about the guy in the mask who shot Ray at the end of episode 3? What about the guy in the Scary Movie mask who Ani and Ray chased to the highway? Is there a plot or a point to ANY of this?! It makes no sense, is completely choppy and impossible to follow. Not to mention… as we keep saying here, where’s the “detective” aspect of this show?!? Too much time is being wasted on, among other things, the side plots: Frank’s fertility issues (who cares!), Ani’s daddy issues, etc.
Whoever is writing this mess needs to be fired immediately and the show needs to re-group; otherwise, who will watch a third season. I’m out.
This shootout seemed like a cheap attempt at trying to have something epic happen (like the infamous 4 minute tracking shot from last season) but it fell flat.
I have tried so hard to become engaged with even ONE of the characters this season, but it’s so poorly written that I just can’t.
Also, the magic that Woody and Matthew had just can’t be matched. (Not to mention that gift that was Cary Fukunaga).
I’ll finish the series, but it’s already such a disappointment that I can’t imagine anything could redeem it.
Even if the three of them were forced to go rogue, I’m not sure why they would bother. It’s only the murder of one guy. It’s not like the first season, where the Yellow King was killing women and children and the detectives felt a duty to stop him, even though they were retired. This time, it’s just some bureaucrat who was probably crooked and messing around with stuff/people who got him killed. So… who cares? And that’s actually the theme for this year: who cares?
I guess I’m in the minority, but I loved this episode. Ani’s worst nightmare is coming true with her being investigated about those sexist charges of misconduct Paul lit up when his ex said she was expecting like “Yes, proof that I’m not gay! I just realized I love this woman.” Rat batmanned his way out of that bush and looked like he was suffering from withdrawals, and had really good dialogue with Chad/Ani/Paul. And the shootout? Incredible. I loved Rachel’s acting during the whole thing, she really looked terrified that her little knife was her only resort, and at least took out one of the four shooters. Paul killed 2and 1/2!!! He and Ray got the last one together and I loved watching how tranquil he was at the end while Ani and Ray were breaking down right in the middle of the road, there he was, in his element. And Ray, while my favorite cop, is slower, and nervous, killed the last guy with Paul, searches him, and melts onto the pavement just like the chase in episode 2. He’s gotta be seriously ill, obviously unhealthy, and not cut out for action like the other two. I just loved it.
Eta *Ray batmanned, ha! That was a mean typo.
I thought the last 10 minutes or so was definitely the best acting from Taylor (and Rachel, for that matter) this season. But that might not be saying much 🙂 Though, I did lol HARD at Kaiser’s comment: “he stared at that sheet of paper so long I wondered if he could read”. Hehehe!
I can’t stand some of the stupid f*cking dialogue in this season. It’s ridiculous.
ok so i’m not the only who thinks the writing SUCKS OMG ….and that bar where that girl is playing guitar KILLS me i have to fast forward through her angsty whining and don’t even get me started on the opening music ….but sigh i love me some Colin and rachel
This season isn’t the best, BUT I’m so glad to see Colin Farrell on my tv every week that I’m not going to complain.
This season is ….what’s the right word….WACKADOO! I resolve each episode to pay better attention because I clearly mush be missing something– but then, nope, it’s the same sh&it!
What is with this show? VV is like watching a cardboard cutout of himself not to mention him and his girl have no chemistry and…begging you writers, give up already on the baby storyline. And what the hell is the Operation” she referred to? The only way they could pull off the delivery of that mystery is if she turns out to have won an aolympic Medal 39 yrs ago in the Men’s biathlon and had an operation which may prevent her from being a able to have kids. 🙂 I know, I know.
I do quite like Taylor’s story line and I really liked the shoot out scene. Question for next episode is where does Taylor go post-gunfight; the sexy pg girl or his war time lover.
I am new to this show, started watching with hubby who was familiar with it. I can’t follow it and the characters have no charisma so I can’t give a damn about them. I was looking forward to the hype of Vince Vaughn and Colin but damn, as my hubby says, the writers think they are clever by half but really they can’t get out of their own way. And this wooden like acting/yet filled with angst schtik is just so over done that they look like they are sleep walking through their scenes. Vince and his wife act like sociopathic serial killers, just the kind of people we want procreating. I actually think they will end up killing each other and maybe that’s for the best. I told Hubs I was peace out on this series. It sucks.