It's really fun, and the dialogue is playfully awesome. You need to give it a chance beyond the first few episodes though which fall into the standard procedural TV trap.
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True Detective - Season 2 - We get the Season we deserve - Sundays on HBO
- Thread starter Cornballer
- Start date
It's really fun, and the dialogue is playfully awesome. You need to give it a chance beyond the first few episodes though which fall into the standard procedural TV trap.
RatskyWatsky
Hunky Nostradamus
timetokill
Banned
I'm glad you mentioned this, because the last time I tried watching it, I only got through two episodes and wasn't blown away. I'll give it a few more episodes this time around.
Tim the Wiz
Banned
Way less masochistic than watching S2 of TD.
YESBeasts of No Nation is receiving early rave reviews.
Pizzolatto right now:
In fukunaga we trust
Yeah, man, so pumped. Considering the city in which I live, it'll probably get a release here. I really want to see it in a theater.
Freedom = $1.05
Banned
Beasts of No Nation is receiving early rave reviews.
Pizzolatto right now:
where? I wanna read them!
Here you go.
It just premièred at the Venice International Film Festival.
There are other reviews floating around, too, that Metacritic hasn't or won't add.
Cornballer
Member
While Beasts of No Name looks great and is worthy of discussion, let's not derail the TD discussion in this thread. Thanks.
Regarding Fukunaga and TD, he did have a few comments on the show in a recent Variety interview:
Regarding Fukunaga and TD, he did have a few comments on the show in a recent Variety interview:
Cornballer
Member
Most definitely.
dead souls
Member
At least someone got something out of season two.
Anton Sugar
Member
S2 was like blue balls in your heart.
Seriously, though.
Seriously, though.
Completed S2 the other night and I thought it was good but not great.
Like a solid 8/10 though obviously nowhere near as fantastic as S1. I loved Harrelson and McConaughey, never expecting their characters to be topped off in this season.
A particular highlight was the shootout at the end of ep4, holy crap was that shit intense.
Also special shout out to Vince Vaughn who seemed to grow into his role as time went on, and had the best character arc of the season.
Like a solid 8/10 though obviously nowhere near as fantastic as S1. I loved Harrelson and McConaughey, never expecting their characters to be topped off in this season.
A particular highlight was the shootout at the end of ep4, holy crap was that shit intense.
Also special shout out to Vince Vaughn who seemed to grow into his role as time went on, and had the best character arc of the season.
Vince's ending was the best ending.
Most of my friends who watched it out of the week to week bubble, ended up really enjoying it. Maybe it works better on a bingen maybe it's because they were outside the bubble? Not sure.
Rewatched S2 with my gf.
Still enjoyed it, but obviously S1 is the better season by a long shot.
My problem with S2 is the lack of any kind of Lovecraftian horror element. It had many opportunities to fill that, but every one of those arcs was a total bust in the end (the bird man, the "cult").
I'm still in for a Season 3 as long as Pizzolatto is at the helm, but hopefully he goes back to what made S1 so great.
Still enjoyed it, but obviously S1 is the better season by a long shot.
My problem with S2 is the lack of any kind of Lovecraftian horror element. It had many opportunities to fill that, but every one of those arcs was a total bust in the end (the bird man, the "cult").
I'm still in for a Season 3 as long as Pizzolatto is at the helm, but hopefully he goes back to what made S1 so great.
Anton Sugar
Member
S1 would have been great even if it didn't have allusions to cosmic horror, though, because the creators knew how to do character and tell a story.
S2 didn't.
S2 didn't.
The lack of "horror" wasn't a problem with season two. In season one, it wound up amounting to nothing, anyway. It was just a yellow red herring. It was an interesting detail to add to the series.
Any kind of "horror" or mythology in season two would have made it worse because it was already a jumbled mess with nary an intelligent or insightful thing to say.
Any kind of "horror" or mythology in season two would have made it worse because it was already a jumbled mess with nary an intelligent or insightful thing to say.
It gets better.
Actually, the awful characterization and character development were the biggest issues.
Speaking generally, though, the overall writing was at fault.
Lamiafusion
Member
Yep, that was pretty funny! 10/10 will watch more
Also..I'm down to do a guest voice
True Savior
Member
As always , I think early reviews consensus generates such a strange hive-mind phenomenon on the web. Right now we have these new insult type of opinion that is falsely advertised as reviewing.TD S2 is not a great season , it’s very much below the standard for this kind of police procedural mini series of recent years (being Top of the Lake and TD S1 the landmarks) but its still an enjoyable piece , especially in a medium that produces so much shit.
The problem with TD S2 is how much it derives from television rules. The rushed pre-production , the rushed post-production (some ugly ass visual editing , visual cues , no flair whatsoever) and a quota of episodes that needs to be fulfilled. And TD S1 in that aspect is a total oasis. Arkapaw/ Fukunaga duo are the main stars of season 1 , as well as Matthew’s Rust (written by Pizzolatto). That’s what differentiated it from the rest. It wasn’t the plotting. Nor the writing , much less its subtlety (today completely obliterated by some people , but hidden behind the talent of great polishers in S1) . It was the visual identity. The constant motifs. The buildups. The virtuosity of the camera. The great editing. The integration of music. It’s was a type of show tv rarely produces. It doesn’t seem like tv , while S2 never makes us forget that this is just television.
Contrary to many people I actually think the first episode is one of the best of the season (even technically albeit it has some odd stylistic choices), and strangely enough it is so informative about everything that makes quite a bit of the show completely redundant (the episode quota thing). We are introduced the 4 characters and we get to know basically everything. Who is Velcoro, what motivates him , what destroyed him , his relationship with his son and wife. We know Frank, what he sought , what happened with Casper , the suspicions that the Russian and possible Blake immediately generate , his relationship with his wife (I don’t remember if the kids situation are revealed nor his past as an infant). Bezzerides troubled past , her stoic behavior on the field contrasting with sexual desires and Paul’s repressed feelings and inability to cope with them (either his sexuality and the black mountain stuff) that lead him to a tragic destiny. And through the show none of them really leave this state until the final 2. You could say , well that’s because the plotting takes the foreground…but that’s not the case . At all. As it goes along , the season feels redundant , characterizing repeatedly the same characters over and over. The events that occur should be represented in a much brisker pace. Nobody would be surprised if this was a 4 episode show.
Even plot-wise we know basically how rotten and corrupt the city is , and that’s actually the main point of it. The whole brothers/police robbery is just a small tangent. The article presented in the first episode , is not very different from the one that is going to be written in the last.
The initial point is interesting, all the 4 characters are interesting, the main case plotting is also interesting , yet the development is fragile and stretched beyond imagination. These characters don’t even interact at all until the final episodes (culminating in a forced romance) or the Frank-Ray plot connections which go nowhere thematically. They don’t influence one another’s. And Pizzolatto is not Milch , that can fill hours with characters verbalizing intentions , environments and emotions. Which seems to be the main thing going on in TD S2
In terms of talent , its way below the first season (especially the director/dp combo) and in the acting department Kitsch is cringe-worthy. His work on the series is kinda unbelievable. Farrell shines in the first half and Vaughn in the second, after he’s grown out of the monologues. His desert scene is the best thing in the entire show. Dude is tall , but only seems to get intimidating after quite a while.
If TD S3 wants to be as relevant as the S1 it needs to do the same thing. Hire talent. A good director. And a good dp. With that alone it’s already above 90% of television. And TD S2 sadly doesn’t sniff that 10%. But it also doesn’t deserve the vitriol it gathered online.
The problem with TD S2 is how much it derives from television rules. The rushed pre-production , the rushed post-production (some ugly ass visual editing , visual cues , no flair whatsoever) and a quota of episodes that needs to be fulfilled. And TD S1 in that aspect is a total oasis. Arkapaw/ Fukunaga duo are the main stars of season 1 , as well as Matthew’s Rust (written by Pizzolatto). That’s what differentiated it from the rest. It wasn’t the plotting. Nor the writing , much less its subtlety (today completely obliterated by some people , but hidden behind the talent of great polishers in S1) . It was the visual identity. The constant motifs. The buildups. The virtuosity of the camera. The great editing. The integration of music. It’s was a type of show tv rarely produces. It doesn’t seem like tv , while S2 never makes us forget that this is just television.
Contrary to many people I actually think the first episode is one of the best of the season (even technically albeit it has some odd stylistic choices), and strangely enough it is so informative about everything that makes quite a bit of the show completely redundant (the episode quota thing). We are introduced the 4 characters and we get to know basically everything. Who is Velcoro, what motivates him , what destroyed him , his relationship with his son and wife. We know Frank, what he sought , what happened with Casper , the suspicions that the Russian and possible Blake immediately generate , his relationship with his wife (I don’t remember if the kids situation are revealed nor his past as an infant). Bezzerides troubled past , her stoic behavior on the field contrasting with sexual desires and Paul’s repressed feelings and inability to cope with them (either his sexuality and the black mountain stuff) that lead him to a tragic destiny. And through the show none of them really leave this state until the final 2. You could say , well that’s because the plotting takes the foreground…but that’s not the case . At all. As it goes along , the season feels redundant , characterizing repeatedly the same characters over and over. The events that occur should be represented in a much brisker pace. Nobody would be surprised if this was a 4 episode show.
Even plot-wise we know basically how rotten and corrupt the city is , and that’s actually the main point of it. The whole brothers/police robbery is just a small tangent. The article presented in the first episode , is not very different from the one that is going to be written in the last.
The initial point is interesting, all the 4 characters are interesting, the main case plotting is also interesting , yet the development is fragile and stretched beyond imagination. These characters don’t even interact at all until the final episodes (culminating in a forced romance) or the Frank-Ray plot connections which go nowhere thematically. They don’t influence one another’s. And Pizzolatto is not Milch , that can fill hours with characters verbalizing intentions , environments and emotions. Which seems to be the main thing going on in TD S2
In terms of talent , its way below the first season (especially the director/dp combo) and in the acting department Kitsch is cringe-worthy. His work on the series is kinda unbelievable. Farrell shines in the first half and Vaughn in the second, after he’s grown out of the monologues. His desert scene is the best thing in the entire show. Dude is tall , but only seems to get intimidating after quite a while.
If TD S3 wants to be as relevant as the S1 it needs to do the same thing. Hire talent. A good director. And a good dp. With that alone it’s already above 90% of television. And TD S2 sadly doesn’t sniff that 10%. But it also doesn’t deserve the vitriol it gathered online.
NotTheGuyYouKill
Member
Good call
Cberg's idea of what a director does in TV nowadays is a little off but he's characteristically on the money when it comes to the script quality
dead souls
Member
So true. Nobody wants that marring their resume.
I just watched all of season 2 over the last 2 days. I managed to avoid any reviews, or spoilers (as if there could be a spoiler for this turd). I liked season 1, I didn't think it was great but it was really solid. S2 was a massive drop off. Casting was so ridiculously bad I couldn't believe it.
First of all, everyone in the movie talks like they just woke up. Everyone talks in this sleepy monotone voice, it's fucking awful. Colin's accent kept going in and out. It'd go southern, to sort of Californian, to a hint of Irish. I don't understand why he couldn't just use his natural speaking voice? As if no American has an Irish accent? If the character absolutely had to have an American accent, maybe don't cast a guy that speaks with a heavy Irish accent?
Rachel Mcadams was not believable to me. She's a pretty good actor, but something was off. Maybe it's because she's 5'4 105lbs trying to act like an angry badass?
Vince Vaughn was cast solely because he's a big name. He was decent at best in this role. No real emotion, and his delivery was flat.
Overall I thought it was terrible, I barely made it to the end. I didn't care about any of the characters, or what was happening to them. The dialogue was pure ass, the performances were ass, and the story was ass. Next season they should focus on getting the right actors, not just big names. Also, inject some life into it. Make the characters believable with real personalities, everyone acted and talked the same in S2. Don't make every character depressed, suicidal, and on elephant tranquilizers.
Sorry for the bump. Finally got HBO back, and had to talk about this garbage.
It's not like they don't have much worse on their IMDBs.
Cornballer
Member
- Deadline: ‘True Detective’ Creator Nic Pizzolatto Re-Ups HBO Overall Deal, Still No Decision On Season 3
EDIT:
More from EW:
I'm surprised they still haven't made a decision about this.
EDIT:
More from EW:
dead souls
Member
I'm glad to hear it.
With strong creative voices like Pizzolatto HBO will remain unstoppable in the drama space. Television doesn't get much better than season 2 of True Detective.
With strong creative voices like Pizzolatto HBO will remain unstoppable in the drama space. Television doesn't get much better than season 2 of True Detective.
biosnake20
Member
It really doesn't
Grizzlyjin
Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
Give him the majority of 2016 to write and a writer's room and Season 3 will be just fine.
I'm surprised HBO isn't trying to put a fire under some asses for Season 3. Maybe they're being cautious since a repeat of this season would probably make the brand worthless
I'm surprised HBO isn't trying to put a fire under some asses for Season 3. Maybe they're being cautious since a repeat of this season would probably make the brand worthless
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
I like s2 more than a lot of other people here. That said, that post is some funny material. You write a great joke.
Not rushing is the right tact to take. He likes involved, intricate, stylized stuff, so let him take his time. Find a director available for an entire run and work from there.