HBO's True Detective Season 2 - let's discuss!

[Auric]

No, I don't think that's it.

I think he really was sunburned from actually doing his job for once.

Well she did make a negative implication about his appearance to which he retorted weakly something like "Maybe it was from doing his duty (checking pawn shops?) out in the sun". So, kn51's take makes sense and does not preclude that you are also correct in her assuming wrongly.

This season they seem to be making a similar effort to avoid the dreaded procedural but it's not really clear where we're going - as mentioned by a few others previously. Are we trying to solve Caspere's murder? I don't get the feeling that anyone really cares about that. Are we more concerned with where the state investigation is going? That seems to be the main focus since it's what brings the cast together.

Yeah, S1 began as a murder investigation of a sympathetic victim that turned into a wider unresolved conspiracy (and the perpetrator was presented quite obviously early on). Whereas with S2, the only reason to care about the unsympathetic victim Caspere (or any of these ne'er-do-wells) is their part in the corruption conspiracy from the start (and now how entangled).

 

[MongGrel]

I liked the shootout myself.

 

[bguile]

I liked the shootout myself.

I thought it was pretty cool as well. Wasn't expecting it at all. I am actually enjoying season 2.

 

[zinfamous]

After re-watching, I don't think how the shootout played was as unrealistic/ridiculous as previously thought (regarding armed to the teeth, and shooting the shit out of everything). Here's why:

--the dude they were going after was a known pimp in from Mexico, well-connected
--Earlier in the episode, Vaughn made that deal with the Turks? cutting out the Mexicans for supply
--When the cops are planning the raid, Antigone mentions that State wouldn't have a tactical unit ready, but they didn't want to lose the suspect (so we're basically talking about cops that aren't experienced with infiltration)
--Explosion: obviously a cook lab (I think everyone realized this immediately). This also means these are probably the Mexicans cut out of the deal with the Turks and Vaughn...so at least there is less competition for him, but I think it also suggests how serious this group was.
--I think these guys are Zetas, which are known to operate in border towns and certainly have houses in southern CA to get their product through. Zetas are paramilitary, former Narcos that once operated in Columbia, and they are fucking insane. They are known to be armed to the teeth and absolutely do not give a fuck about shooting the shit out of everything. Inexperienced cops walking into a nest of Zetas camped at their main cook and distribution center....I guess this is probably what would happen.


...as for the accuracy of their rifles and blah blah...I don't give a shit about that. it's a show. Just be glad they weren't sideways-gripping their rifles. The random protest crowd hanging around a rather empty factory district was stupid...forced chaos. It's drama, so I think things can be excused, but the way that crowd acted and the bus showed up (what he hell kind of bus route is this?), I expected a couple of baby strollers tossed in and a some dudes carrying a large plate glass across the street.

Now, I think the least realistic thing in this scene is that the cops didn't show up with 8 military tanks armored transports, M4s, RPGs, and flamethrowers. hell, they do that shit today on a routine 911 call from Aunt May's house.

 

[MongGrel]

It did seem like a couple of well armed groups running into an unexpected situation going WTF.

That dude going off in the floor below the lab had plenty of ammo up there I'm sure, and I saw a lot of reloading, even to the point she had to resort to a knife as she ran out of ammo.

Was a pretty serious shoot out.

Yeah, those weren't your run of the mill drug guys, that was some cartel type of shit.

They did need a lot of SWAT and MRAPS on that one, but not sure they knew they walking into that much to begin with.

 

[deadlyapp]

As someone who actually works in Vernon, California (the real town of Vinci) and knowing what the local cops possess (all of the motorcycle police have short barreled AR15's) I felt it kind of ridiculous that they went into something like this with only handguns, not even long guns.

That said, I liked the scene a lot, although as others have mentioned, the civilian casualties seemed very forced. Nobody would ever protest in Vernon or anywhere near Vernon other than right outside City Hall.

 

[MongGrel]

They are State Police though, I believe in a couple cases and the one local detective was assigned to the group to begin with.

I'm still sorting many things in my self these days to be honest, but I think one of the points to begin with is they are operating at some level to be independent of Local Cops.

The whole group is a task force more or less that might be getting set up a bit to begin with.

We all ready have internal affairs poking into shit before that, trying to bust the cops in one way or another.

 

[MongGrel]

Elvis Costello - Watching the Detectives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Qnt5bx1OI

 

[deadlyapp]

They are State Police though, I believe in a couple cases and the one local detective was assigned to the group to begin with.

I'm still sorting many things in my self these days to be honest, but I think one of the points to begin with is they are operating at some level to be independent of Local Cops.

The whole group is a task force more or less that might be getting set up a bit to begin with.

We all ready have internal affairs poking into shit before that, trying to bust the cops in one way or another.

But as they are setting up for the raid they're setting up in the city police department. The mayor and the city police chief and everyone is there. While I think the raid team is made up of a mix, it seems like the majority of them would be the local PD as it's their jurisdiction. Otherwise you'd have the Sheriff there as well. The CHP would have no presence technically.

The state police here are represented by Woodrugh, the CHP officer. There is no "state" police force in California as far as I'm aware. In California the Sheriff usually is the catch all for outside local PD.

 

[pyonir]

I have to admit, Vince was much better in this week's episode. Much better.

And...I guess it was a one episode wonder. Back to complete shit. And his wife? Kelly Reilly? Atrocious acting. There is absolutely zero chemistry between them. Even if they are supposed to not have chemistry for the story, they are still just moving from place to place...like hitting a mark...saying their lines in a cringe-worthy performance, then moving to the next mark.

I wish they had both been at the shootout...

 

[Auric]

It's drama, so I think things can be excused, but the way that crowd acted and the bus showed up (what he hell kind of bus route is this?), I expected a couple of baby strollers tossed in and a some dudes carrying a large plate glass across the street.

Plus a fruit cart and at least one Wilhelm scream. Also, Dixon could have snarled "I'm getting too old for this shit".

The most bothersome thing about the window shooter was how exposed he was by the lower panes yet he still returned to the same position after losing the element of surprise. Whereas if his aim was to pin down / delay the cops (while the gang made their escape) that could have been achieved practically by blind firing.

 

[thebestMAX]

Ari was going to take a knife to a gun fight. I think we will see more of that knife before the series is over. They just placed too much emphasis on it.

 

[kn51]

Ari was going to take a knife to a gun fight. I think we will see more of that knife before the series is over. They just placed too much emphasis on it.

It would be nice if they placed emphasis on a plot.

 

[zinfamous]

And...I guess it was a one episode wonder. Back to complete shit. And his wife? Kelly Reilly? Atrocious acting. There is absolutely zero chemistry between them. Even if they are supposed to not have chemistry for the story, they are still just moving from place to place...like hitting a mark...saying their lines in a cringe-worthy performance, then moving to the next mark.

I wish they had both been at the shootout...

Totally agree. She is just...awful.

 

[zinfamous]

Plus a fruit cart and at least one Wilhelm scream. Also, Dixon could have snarled "I'm getting too old for this sh--SPLAT".

ftfy...

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Totally agree. She is just...awful.

It's really one of the strangest performances I can recall seeing on a high-end drama like TD. It's as though she pounds a Xanax/Ambien smoothie before every scene. I don't recall seeing her before this - is she always so . . . muted, or is that a directorial choice?

 

[zinfamous]

It's really one of the strangest performances I can recall seeing on a high-end drama like TD. It's as though she pounds a Xanax/Ambien smoothie before every scene. I don't recall seeing her before this - is she always so . . . muted, or is that a directorial choice?

Well, both of them keep referring to "the operation," as some reason why she can't get pregnant.

...maybe she had her amygdala removed for some reason?

 

[qliveur]

It's really one of the strangest performances I can recall seeing on a high-end drama like TD. It's as though she pounds a Xanax/Ambien smoothie before every scene. I don't recall seeing her before this - is she always so . . . muted, or is that a directorial choice?

Pretty sure she was in Flight opposite Denzel Washington, and her performance was better in that, IIRC.

 

[Childs]

Pretty sure she was in Flight opposite Denzel Washington, and her performance was better in that, IIRC.

She was also in the recent Sherlock Holmes movies, and she had her own series in the UK for a few seasons. I dont think its her acting, its the writing and direction this season. Normally shes really likeable, although I dont see anything particularly wrong with her performance in TD. Everyone just seems to be depressed. The only happy person was the dude with the gold teeth, and I dont think he's smiling anymore.

 

[mrjminer]

Going to watch episode 5, then probably call it quits until next season. This season sucks so far. Also, the opening "song" is stupid. It's probably the best representation of the show itself, though, seeing as how it's just like one long drag.

 

[slayer202]

that was a boring episode

 

[zinfamous]

that was a boring episode

aye. worst one so far. the excruciating scene between Vince and his haldol-dosed wife, mercifully cut away to some decent scene between the kid, his fiance and MIL (a rather enjoyed that scene for some reason), then pummel us in the face by going straight back to the same scene with Vince and wife? ugh......


Oh, and this little butt pearl of dialogue:

"It's like blue balls--in the heart."

what the holy fuck?

 

[pyonir]

"It's like blue balls--in the heart."

what the holy fuck?

LMFAO. No doubt.

 

[JSt0rm]

I like the intro. Sounds great in surround.

 

[slayer202]

aye. worst one so far. the excruciating scene between Vince and his haldol-dosed wife, mercifully cut away to some decent scene between the kid, his fiance and MIL (a rather enjoyed that scene for some reason), then pummel us in the face by going straight back to the same scene with Vince and wife? ugh......


Oh, and this little butt pearl of dialogue:

"It's like blue balls--in the heart."

what the holy fuck?

there really are some horrible scenes and dialogue