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

[Remobz]

Correct me if I am wrong but each season is a different story with different actors right?

Am I to assume that everything will be wrapped up in the season finale for good?

 

[Charmonium]

Correct me if I am wrong but each season is a different story with different actors right?

Am I to assume that everything will be wrapped up in the season finale for good?

Yes - to the first part. It's an anthology series. One of the things I like about Murder in the First is that there is some continuity between seasons in terms of characters. TD is more like the various incarnations of American Horror Story.

As to the second part, not sure. There was some speculation earlier in the season that there might be some overlap with the previous season but so far that is still just speculation as far as I can tell.

 

[zinfamous]

Do we really need all these recap articles? I have yet to learn anything new from any of them. Am I the only person capable of actually following a plot line with more than a "the president's daughter has been kidnapped and it's up to me" garbage?

DUDE THAT SHOW WAS FUCKING AWESOME@@@@!!!!

...actually, season reboot of 24, whatever that was last year...was so horribly awful. Never thought Jack Bauer would annoy me...but that show blew

 

[Gryz]

Everything you need to know for the finale

http://www.businessinsider.com/true-detective-season-2-plot-summary-2015-8

Thanks, that was really helpful.

I noticed that Dixon and Teague were involved with the diamonds. But I didn't know who they were. I suspected the "fat detective" was one of them. Now I know. I had almost forgotten Teague (until the last scene of S02E07), and I certainly had forgotten his name. Your article got all the little fuzzy things cleared up.

An alternative would have been to rewatch episodes 1-7, before I watched episode 8. Luckily I don't have to do that now. I feel it would have been a huge waste of time.

I think I watched episodes 1-7 of season 1 at least 3 times each. Watching and rewatching them was fun in itself. This season is different.

 

[Coulrophobia]

Wow, pretty good ending. Dark as fuck but...

 

[Charmonium]

Wow, pretty good ending. Dark as fuck but...

IDK. I didn't really buy the Semyon part of the story unless the Armenians ratted him out. That would make sense but I didn't see any hint of that. It's like they just materialized out of the ether.

I knew Velcoro was dead meat as soon as he looked at the exit sign. I think he had a death wish given how things ended in the forest. My guess is that we're supposed to assume that he had too much guilt about killing the wrong person for the rape.

I figured that at least one of them would make it. That would have been a much better ending.

 

[smackababy]

IDK. I didn't really buy the Semyon part of the story unless the Armenians ratted him out. That would make sense but I didn't see any hint of that. It's like they just materialized out of the ether.

I knew Velcoro was dead meat as soon as he looked at the exit sign. I think he had a death wish given how things ended in the forest. My guess is that we're supposed to assume that he had too much guilt about killing the wrong person for the rape.

I figured that at least one of them would make it. That would have been a much better ending.

You saw how the Armenians looked at him after. And, he might not even had to be ratted out. The Mexicans knew the clubs burned down and were looking to take Frank out for that. His payoff helped him and his reluctance to give up his suit (and the diamonds he had hidden as his real money) got him killed.

I knew Velcoro was going to fuck up his son's message, as he was a fuck up.

I actually liked the ending. It was dark and not super cheery like the first one. Both detectives living was kind of silly, in my eyes.

 

[Charmonium]

You saw how the Armenians looked at him after. And, he might not even had to be ratted out. The Mexicans knew the clubs burned down and were looking to take Frank out for that. His payoff helped him and his reluctance to give up his suit (and the diamonds he had hidden as his real money) got him killed.

I knew Velcoro was going to fuck up his son's message, as he was a fuck up.

I actually liked the ending. It was dark and not super cheery like the first one. Both detectives living was kind of silly, in my eyes.

The problem is how did anyone find either Semyon or Velcoro? They were both in hiding. Semyon once he burned everything down and Velcoro from 2 episodes ago.

In Velcoro's case you can say they picked him up at the school and that makes sense. But where did anyone spot Semyon unless he was ratted out. If there had been a tracker on him they could have caught him when he was buying the diamonds or doing the deal with the Armenians. But no. He seems to get away clean and then, from nowhere, there's a dozen Mexicans. That's just some straight up bullshit.

 

[smackababy]

The problem is how did anyone find either Semyon or Velcoro? They were both in hiding. Semyon once he burned everything down and Velcoro from 2 episodes ago.

In Velcoro's case you can say they picked him up at the school and that makes sense. But where did anyone spot Semyon unless he was ratted out. If there had been a tracker on him they could have caught him when he was buying the diamonds or doing the deal with the Armenians. But no. He seems to get away clean and then, from nowhere, there's a dozen Mexicans. That's just some straight up bullshit.

The Mexicans may have stumbled upon him. He was in with old associates.

And with Velcoro, they just camped out on his kid. That is simple shit. He should have known that.

 

[Childs]

I knew Velcoro was dead meat as soon as he looked at the exit sign. I think he had a death wish given how things ended in the forest. My guess is that we're supposed to assume that he had too much guilt about killing the wrong person for the rape.

As soon as he was on the highway thinking about the exit sign I thought of the movie Heat. It was dumb. He knew it was dumb and he did it anyway. In the forest I think he made a conscience decision to let the escape plan and evidence die with him. I think it was more about saving McAdams than any previous guilt he had.

Whats dumb about that is when he made that decision, his odds or surviving were better than when he got out of the car! Didnt even use his shotgun. He could have kept fighting or kept moving. No way those guys would find me in an open forest, especially after I bushwacked a couple of their guys. They would be moving too slow checking trees to keep up.

 

[blurredvision]

The problem is how did anyone find either Semyon or Velcoro? They were both in hiding.

I'm assuming they found Frank because the two guys (that gave him the passport, guns and car) ratted him out. They had this long stare at him as he drove away that made me think they were up to something.

 

[kn51]

1) The opening scene, egads. Just go, no I'm staying, no go. Sounded like he was trying to get rid of a stray dog. And where the heck were they at? Looked like a train station or something but they left in cars.

2) The tracking device. So they sliced the fuel line as well? Tracking device had a nice red light on it that he could see from above? Even if he didn't see it you'd bet your behind the smell of that much gas would be overpowering anyways to take a look underneath.

 

[Bird222]

1) The opening scene, egads. Just go, no I'm staying, no go. Sounded like he was trying to get rid of a stray dog. And where the heck were they at? Looked like a train station or something but they left in cars.

2) The tracking device. So they sliced the fuel line as well? Tracking device had a nice red light on it that he could see from above? Even if he didn't see it you'd bet your behind the smell of that much gas would be overpowering anyways to take a look underneath.

Yeah, I thought gas too, but it must not have been. He drove to car quite a ways.

 

[PottedMeat]

i thought the finale was pretty decent.


"You can't act for shit"

lol

nah, your character was just given shitty lines

As soon as he was on the highway thinking about the exit sign I thought of the movie Heat. It was dumb. He knew it was dumb and he did it anyway. In the forest I think he made a conscience decision to let the escape plan and evidence die with him. I think it was more about saving McAdams than any previous guilt he had.

Whats dumb about that is when he made that decision, his odds or surviving were better than when he got out of the car! Didnt even use his shotgun. He could have kept fighting or kept moving. No way those guys would find me in an open forest, especially after I bushwacked a couple of their guys. They would be moving too slow checking trees to keep up.

Yeah velcoro had a lot of options. I was thinking he would be motivated by his son acknowledging him to get out alive...


There's gotta be a better way of telling the audience a car has a tracking device than a little box with a bright red LED. -and the pool of liquid giving it away? i thought it was gas too, but that would stink. and that can't be a shitload of A/C condensation unless it was plugged forever.

I'm assuming they found Frank because the two guys (that gave him the passport, guns and car) ratted him out. They had this long stare at him as he drove away that made me think they were up to something.

I think the mexicans said they got their drugs from the armenians, so they didn't have a place to sell.

 

[kn51]

There's gotta be a better way of telling the audience a car has a tracking device than a little box with a bright red LED. -and the pool of liquid giving it away? i thought it was gas too, but that would stink. and that can't be a shitload of A/C condensation unless it was plugged forever.

Had to be gas. Only sensible thing is to think they cut the line so he would run out of gas quicker when tracking him.

To be honest when I saw it I thought oh, they cut the line, that is actually a bomb and it will go up in flames any second.

But a red light? They couldn't cover with a piece of electrical tape?

Whatever it was, this is another example of lazy writing that allows Velcoro to find the tracking device in a convenient fashion.

Sad thing is all he had to do was to grab the bag of cash and hike it a few blocks to a bus stop.

 

[Grooveriding]

It was okayish as a season 2, but the first season was so much better that the second can't be qualified as good.

 

[Childs]

2) The tracking device. So they sliced the fuel line as well? Tracking device had a nice red light on it that he could see from above? Even if he didn't see it you'd bet your behind the smell of that much gas would be overpowering anyways to take a look underneath.

I thought it was a car bomb. I was puzzled when he got in and drove away and the car didnt blow up. I even rationalized it by thinking he was trying to get the bomb away from people before it blew up. lol

 

[Gunslinger08]

I found the final episode to be okay. It wrapped stuff up, but I wouldn't say it was satisfying or really enjoyable. I agree that some of the writing seemed lazy or rushed. I think they could have done more with an extra 2 episodes. I am disappointed that they felt the need to take an almost exact opposite approach to the end of season 1 and kill most of the protagonists.

 

[smackababy]

I found the final episode to be okay. It wrapped stuff up, but I wouldn't say it was satisfying or really enjoyable. I agree that some of the writing seemed lazy or rushed. I think they could have done more with an extra 2 episodes. I am disappointed that they felt the need to take an almost exact opposite approach to the end of season 1 and kill most of the protagonists.

I am glad they killed them off. My main gripe with season was that that after getting hit in the head with a fucking hatchet, Russ lived. It is insane they survived.

 

[Attic]

Terrible.

That's all that really needs to be said about it.

One or two good episodes early/mid season. Most of it was crap and the finale was horrible.

Vince Vaughn was horrible as Frank, only positive was he was better than Kelly Reilly. That match was atrocious and the dialog and heavy dramatic BS between these two the entire season was pure garbage.

I love Vince Vaughn, but he shit the bed here, not the right guy or whatever but it was a big smelly mess.

 

[blurredvision]

Vince Vaughn was horrible as Frank, only positive was he was better than Kelly Reilly. That match was atrocious and the dialog and heavy dramatic BS between these two the entire season was pure garbage.

I love Vince Vaughn, but he shit the bed here, not the right guy or whatever but it was a big smelly mess.

Vince was definitely underwhelming in the first couple of episodes but he definitely owned that role in the last half of the season. You're out of your mind to say he was "horrible" and "shit the bed". Must've done a somewhat decent job, you still watched the entire season.

 

[KLin]

I hope they bring back woody and mconaguacamolehey next season.

 

[kn51]

Vince was definitely underwhelming in the first couple of episodes but he definitely owned that role in the last half of the season. You're out of your mind to say he was "horrible" and "shit the bed". Must've done a somewhat decent job, you still watched the entire season.

Underwhelming was a kind word...and it carried across the whole eight episodes.

While I like Vaughn (Old School, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, etc.) , he was definitely miscast for the role.

Given the gimpy writing, he was dealt a rough hand of cards.

 

[Childs]

I am glad they killed them off. My main gripe with season was that that after getting hit in the head with a fucking hatchet, Russ lived. It is insane they survived.

I dont mind them dying, but both died dumb. Colin still had a fighting chance and just gave up when he didnt have to. Vaughn could have lived if he simply gave up the suit. He capitulated to the Russian when the odds werent in his favor, so I dont know why he chose that moment to make a stand when he had absolutely no shot. Even if he lost the diamonds, he'd still have his life.

The orphaned brother also died stupidly. He was crazy with rage so its somewhat understandable, but still. Waiting years to plan out your revenge then losing your shit when you hear Caspere screwed your mother and he was the sisters father. Its not like he wouldn't have killed Caspere and those cops anyway, so stick to the plan!

 

[smackababy]

I dont mind them dying, but both died dumb. Colin still had a fighting chance and just gave up when he didnt have to. Vaughn could have lived if he simply gave up the suit. He capitulated to the Russian when the odds werent in his favor, so I dont know why he chose that moment to make a stand when he had absolutely no shot. Even if he lost the diamonds, he'd still have his life.

Vaughn wouldn't give up the suit, because he would have lost the diamonds. He couldn't reasonably take them out of the suit without the Mexicans taking them. My guess is he figured he would have simply been smacked around and not stabbed. A gamble of sorts that ended up fucking him.

Velcoro's death, in my eyes, was him finally breaking. He attempted to prolong his life until he got his message uploaded to his son and when it failed, he simply gave up. He was done. His final act of trying to reach out to his son failed. That was his undoing. It broke him and he simply gave up.

The orphaned brother also died stupidly. He was crazy with rage so its somewhat understandable, but still. Waiting years to plan out your revenge then losing your shit when you hear Caspere screwed your mother and he was the sisters father. Its not like he wouldn't have killed Caspere and those cops anyway, so stick to the plan!

The brother freaking out was something I knew would happen. Honestly though, I though he would just turn around and slit his throat, rather than jump on him. But, hearing his sister wasn't really his whole sister and his mom was pregnant sent him over the edge even further than it already had.

And, all those bitching about Vince are just being ignored by me. He wasn't the greatest early on, but he did well once his character started going. The biggest problem Vaughn had was the other characters really overshadowed him in terms of their performance.



I should say when the Mexicans took Vaughn, I actually thought it was Tony Chissani. He faked an accent early on, and while it was kind of a meaningless scene, I figured when he turned up as being a major player, he was in with the Mexicans as well.