Streaming [HBO] True Detective

[Contra Mundum]

Absolutely not.

Thought so critics are like pack animals and lets face it = it was never going to be as good as the first series.

 

[Always Ballin]

Nah, I’m actually being serious.

I absolutely loved the first season (even the ending that everyone else seemed to hate) and I was really excited for the second season and thought the casting was really interesting. The trailer really whet my appetite and I was itching to watch the opening episode as soon as it was available … but I was really underwhelmed. And that just didn’t really change the whole way through the season. There were some great scenes scattered throughout, but they were outweighed by the negatives.

Because of how much I loved the first season, I continued through to the end in the hope that it would somehow be saved and the earlier episodes would be worth it with the eventual payoff. But that never happened.

True Detective has run out of credits now. I made a conscious decision a couple of years ago to only watch TV that I really want to watch and this doesn’t make the cut. The only way I’ll watch again is if friends pester me to give it another chance, but without that, I’m out.

That's great bro but I'll see you next year for season 3. Don't forget some popcorn money.

Now you're "champing" people?

Get over yourself.

Welcome to the internet, champ.

 

[Godchin]

That's great bro but I'll see you next year for season 3. Don't forget some popcorn money.

Welcome to the internet, champ.

Pizza-tier writing

 

[Red mist]

If this season gets binge watched, it's ******* fantastic.

The biggest issue was not recalling week to week some of the characters or the story. Hitting the entire season over a few days, it'd be so much easier to follow.
Really enjoyed the season though and like Buckleys Jocks said, I think some people want to hate it just to hate it.

I've got all the episodes lined up for a binge watch on a cold rainy day. I will enjoy doing that. I got into last season by watching each Ep 2 or 3 times before the next one came along. There was more immersion into the characters and setting.

 

[Loonerty]

I've got all the episodes lined up for a binge watch on a cold rainy day. I will enjoy doing that. I got into last season by watching each Ep 2 or 3 times before the next one came along. There was more immersion into the characters and setting.

I honestly think that'll be the best way to watch this season.

 

[phantom13]

Was it as bad as everyone is saying? Have resisted watching so far

Honestly its only really worth watching if you have watched the rest of the season just for the sake of closure.

 

[phantom13]

I've got all the episodes lined up for a binge watch on a cold rainy day. I will enjoy doing that. I got into last season by watching each Ep 2 or 3 times before the next one came along. There was more immersion into the characters and setting.

Nah, its not worth another 8 hours.

 

[Red mist]

Nah, its not worth another 8 hours.

I've only seen the first 3 eps sporadically so figure banging out the season in a day is make or break.

 

[Gus Poyet]

This one was far more predictable than the first. Thus it wasnt anywhere near as good.

 

[phantom13]

I've only seen the first 3 eps sporadically so figure banging out the season in a day is make or break.

Thats fair. I wouldnt re-watch it (i did it with season 1)

 

[grizzlym]

Big disappointment for mine. I loved season one, but this one just seemed half-cooked to me.

 

[BACCS]

Enjoyed that better than season 1, really sucked for Velcoro in the end. I assume the journo will publish all of the stuff on the corrupt Vinci cops and all of them end up in jail? What about the new mayor Tony?

 

[stringerbell]

Obviously nowhere near season 1, but on its own it was a decent show. It cant be denied though that it was overly confusing and dense more often than not
Highlights were the shootout, the orgy, Franks final scene and the entire time the Mayor was on screen

 

[Gasometer]

Hands up who shit themselves when Frank's window was smashed? I am still stuck to the roof.

All up it was just too convuluted this Season and a bit too smart for its own good.

Thought the last 30 mins were excellent.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Very hit and miss season, I enjoyed it however

 

[Kirby]

The point is that as soon as he made the decision to visit his son Ray was a goner, the only way he was going to be able to buy time for himself was to do what they wanted, which was to drive out of there in that car. If he doesn't do that or tries to do a runner they'll take him down on the spot and he won't be able to get the word out to Bezzerides, if he doesn't do that she probably doesn't take the boat and ends up getting caught.

Ray had no options and it was not sloppy writing. Ray was in the clear and would have got out safely if he didn't visit his son, he made that decision and he lost the only advantage he had which was them not knowing his whereabouts. As soon as he showed up at the school they were in control of the situation again and he knew it, he had absolutely no options. He's a high profile fugitive with his mugshot plastered all around the country, he had no money save for what was in the car and the net was tightening around him. His only window to survive was to make that boat and he knew it, even if he could have got out and done a runner he knew he couldn't take the boat and risk drawing them to Bezzerides, at that point in time driving out in the car with the tracker was the only option he had.

There is nothing sloppy about the way this has been written, the way they've repeatedly explored Ray's dark past and that earlier moment where he said he was a bad man was always foreshadowing his death, as soon as it was confirmed the man he killed wasn't the rapist there was no way he was going to survive IMO. This way he got a shot at redemption though by sacrificing himself to buy Bezzerides time to get out with the case files and he at least was able to attempt to make things right with his son.

He didn't only sacrifice himself to save Bezzerides he also did it to save his son.

Once he realised they made him at the school he assessed the situation and realised they knew where his son was, therefore, there was no way his son could ever be safe whilst he was alive. He knew he had to die from that moment on and the only reason he kept going was to prolong the time for his upload to finish.

The lurch out in front of his trackers was to purposely die.

 

[grizzlym]

Want a thorough explanation of the plot?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat...ide_to_the_plot_of_this_confusing_season.html

 

[Godchin]

He knew he had to die from that moment on and the only reason he kept going was to prolong the time for his upload to finish.

The lurch out in front of his trackers was to purposely die.

In that case, I don't think leaving "UPLOADING VOICE MESSAGE TO CHADVELCORO@GMAIL.COM" on his phone screen was doing any favours for his son's safety.

 

[Starburns_]

Enjoyed that better than season 1, really sucked for Velcoro in the end. I assume the journo will publish all of the stuff on the corrupt Vinci cops and all of them end up in jail? What about the new mayor Tony?

That was left open-ended, you can either believe they had enough to finish off all those major players via the press, or that like in episode one, those people managed to silence the journo.

He didn't only sacrifice himself to save Bezzerides he also did it to save his son.

Once he realised they made him at the school he assessed the situation and realised they knew where his son was, therefore, there was no way his son could ever be safe whilst he was alive. He knew he had to die from that moment on and the only reason he kept going was to prolong the time for his upload to finish.

The lurch out in front of his trackers was to purposely die.

Hadn't actually considered it from this perspective, it makes a bit more sense now.

In that case, I don't think leaving "UPLOADING VOICE MESSAGE TO CHADVELCORO@GMAIL.COM" on his phone screen was doing any favours for his son's safety.

It's more that as long as he was alive, they could try to use his son to get to him (the way Frank articulated to Jordan early in the finale). If he died there was no point in that.

 

[Kirby]

In that case, I don't think leaving "UPLOADING VOICE MESSAGE TO CHADVELCORO@GMAIL.COM" on his phone screen was doing any favours for his son's safety.

Why? They already knew about his son.

Once Ray was dead they would have no purpose to involve his son.

 

[phantom13]

Its funny that alot of people assume you are in two camps

- Loved it because you're intellectual and "get it"
- Hated it only because you liked season 1 and never gave this a chance

I for one was pumped for this season, loved the change of setting and although thought they were a bit slow was still super excited for each upcoming episode up until about ep 3 or 4. The faults (which far more intelligent and astute critics have found) in this season are glaringly obvious and whilst entertainment is wholly subjective (just cause i didn't like it and you did doesn't mean either of us is wrong) saying "you never gave it a chance" or "your criticism is just generic etc." is just a pointless argument.

Some people liked it, some didn't. The argument defending it against those that didnt think it was very good is strange.

 

[djrossie16]

It was a bit of an underwhelming finale after 3 really good episodes. Vince Vaughn became more interesting over that stretch. In the finale Farrell and McAdams suddenly weren't so interesting. Despite not necessarily having great acting chops I think Taylor Kitsch was missed. Sometimes you have roles that fit the actor (see Ryan O'Neal best movies). Maybe it was a bit of a contrast thing that all four leads brought to the table. I think I would have liked to see his character last till the last episode. Having 3 of the 4 going down was a bit much. Colin Farrell played the most memorable character of the series for me.
Overall it was a disjointed and inconsistent series that overreached with the convoluted plot. It took too long to get going. Once it did around episode 4 it was pretty impressive. The casting was actually no problem for me. What they were given as actors wasn't a lot. Needed a more fluid direction throughout the whole thing. The amount of interesting scenes and sequences that were stuffed into the last few episodes should have been spread out over the course of the series.

 

[djrossie16]

I disagree mate, as soon as he knew he'd been made he knew the only way he was going to be able to get out and try and buy Bezzerides time was to play along with them and take the car with the tracker so he could lead them away. If he took another car they'd have pounced immediately and may have even been able to take him alive. His mug shot was all over the news, his only money was in that car and he had a deadline to make the boat that was impossible to make if he was going to effectively shake them off. There was a only a small window in which he and Ani could realistically get out of Vinci alive and he knew he'd blown his, taking the car with the GPS allowed him to convince Bezzerides and Felicia to leave without him, and gave him a chance at being able to say a proper goodbye to his son.

He had no advantage at all, as soon as he'd been made he was a dead man and he knew it, doing a runner would have been an exercise in futility and he knew Bezzerides probably would have missed the boat waiting for him. This was absolutely the way it had to go down, watch the scene again for Velcoro's facial reactions and it's clear to see Ray knows he's stuffed either way there.

This whole thing reminded me of when DeNiro detoured to get revenge in Heat.

 

[Kirby]

Does anyone else agree that McAdams looked super hot there at the end when in Venezuala??

 

[phantom13]

To be fair Season 1 did this a bit as well. It still annoys me how in the 2nd last ep of S1, Rust just suddenly has a thought out of no where that maybe the "Green Eared Monster" had green coloured ears because he had been painting, and low and behold they have before and after pictures of a green coloured house in their files, and they track the killer down that way - all within the space of about 25 minutes. Just seemed very rushed and too convenient.

Not singling this out but just saw it and chuckled, same thing in S02 Farrel: "Hey what about that set photographer, he would be about the right age" BAM You got True Detectived!