TV Show Review: True Detective Season 2

I guess lightning doesn’t strike twice. The second season of True Detective is over and I can’t help but feel “meh” about it.

I just don’t care about the story or the characters. The plot is convoluted and a lot of essential beats are just told through dialogue and exposition. It’s the violation of a basic rule: don’t tell when you can show. There was a lot of very boring telling during this season.

I also felt a lot of the characters were miscast or just lacked charisma. I realize now that the main reason why season one worked so well was because of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Some of the dialogue in season one was kind of fake sounding, but McConaughey and Harrelson carried that season regardless. This season, none of the actors were compelling nor sympathetic. Farrel and Vaughn do their best, but their dark performances just made this season feel like an emo kid’s wet dream.

In the show’s defense, it was nearly impossible to follow up on the wild success that was season one. However, the writing for this season needed a few rewrites and maybe a different direction in regards to casting.

Score: 4.0/10 If you need some crime drama in your life, then this is fine to watch. Otherwise, I would skip it altogether and spend my time doing something else.

TV Show Review: True Detective (2014) Season Two, Episode Three and Four

Details: Airs on HBO.

I just watched episode four and my reaction is WHAT THE SHIT JUST HAPPENED? No spoilers ahead.

So we are now four episodes into season two, halfway through the second season, and True Detective has certainly added some depth to the show. The characters are getting more development and the plot is moving along. Unfortunately, I’m still lost as to what this season is trying to achieve. Season one established a dark and desperate tone, an interesting story structure involving flashbacks, and heavy character development of its two protagonists. There is character development here, but not to the degree of season one. Too many main characters I guess. As for the tone, I’m not really sure what they’re trying to express. I’m reserving judgment however, because perhaps this is the tone that Los Angeles gives. A kind of colorless tone/feeling. The cinematography isn’t really that extraordinary either. I still can’t forget that tracking shot from season one.

Score: 6/10 Not bad television, but I just don’t care about the story as much as I did for season one. I’m hoping they recapture lightning in the bottle, but we are already halfway through this season and my interest has yet to pique.

TV Show Review: True Detective (2014) Season Two Episodes One and Two

The first season of True Detective conveyed very specific things to viewers. It gave a glimpse at the gritty, lower levels of Louisiana society. You got a great character study on McConaughey’s and Woody Harrelson’s characters. You got a freaky crime mystery. And most importantly, the tone of True Detective season one is unique, somber and often terrifying.

True Detective season two does not feel unique. It feels like a series trying and failing at recreating what was great about season one. And they are trying, it’s just not working right now. I think a big part of the reason for this is that it the casting. McConaughey and Harrelson were perfectly cast for season 1. Season two… isn’t as good. There are a lot of core characters versus just the two in season one and I’m not sure they spend enough time with each. There isn’t enough character development. There are also some snippets of Los Angeles and the criminal aspect of that society, but it doesn’t give me the same kind of poignant feeling that rural Louisiana did.

I will give this season some credit. After what happened in episode two, it is clear that this season will try to be a little more unpredictable or shocking than the last.

Score: 5.5/10 This is just a preliminary score. Who knows where the rest of the season will take us. I feel bad for comparing this to the masterpiece of season one. It isn’t as good, but it’s still a satisfactory show.