True Detective

This show has impossibly big shoes to fill. I knew that going in. Still, I was underwhelmed. Lots of setup, scattered storylines, many characters... It is very different from Season 1.

Pretty good first episode, but I have to agree on the theme music. That was awful.

If I had to guess, I think Pizzolatto made sure that the resolution would be just as good as the build up this time - making the first few episodes more diffuse and less cohesive . Because the only criticism people had of season 1 was the ending was just good instead of great.

Is that true? I thought the ending of season 1 was literally perfect.

Kreugen_sl said:

Well these guys are cheery

Click to expand...

They are broken, just like the good guys in S1.

It wasn't as strong as season 1 opener as I recall, despite the acting and writing being good. I'm personally a fan of starting the story and letting the characters build over time through context like I felt season 1 managed to do. This felt like a prolonged character study, and was a bit slow and not completely engaging for me since we don't really have any story yet, just a situation.

I think a lot of people don't remember what ep. 1 of season 1 was like when it first aired. I actually think this was slightly better structured as an episode. With the whole picture in mind of the first season, this will be difficult not to compare, despite being 2 completely different stories.

Season 1 had such a distinct narrative style that let us start directly with action and interaction of the characters that I almost feel like PIzzolatto didn't know what else to do, so he figured he'd just go ultra conventional. This felt like your typical hack fantasy-novel opening where you get a bunch of expository backstory on several individual characters, are informed of the mutual threat, and then those characters meet up at the local tavern at the end of the first chapter.

It's a structure people are used to, sure. I don't think that makes it better, though, just more comfortable.

This opener was just information and situation, which I don't find nearly as compelling as just starting the fucking story.

It was a fucking pilot. A prologue. The more I think about it the weaker the episode was in general, but especially compared to season 1. I'm not an idiot. I don't need a story set up. I just need you to start it already.

i skipped the pretentious opening theme and yeah the music didnt really match the tone of what was going on on screen, small details. farrell was good as always. vaughn was a walking corpse like always and angry cop chick seems interesting. episode was good, better than what i expected in such a played out cop procedural setting.

I've never liked Vaughn, but I'm not letting it bother me.

I thought it was pretty good. Like said above, it's impossible to compare to season 1 but it's only one episode. Remember that S1E1 starts with the dead girl (as opposed to the dead body being at the end of S2E1) so right off the bat you are off and running on the story. The first half hour seemed to be a little all over the place but all the characters seem to be pretty deep. Only character that seemed a little confusing was Vaughn's character (what exactly is he?). Interesting to see where the story goes.

The 31 most ridiculous moments of the True Detective premiere - Vox


some good points made about episode 1. (and some bad ones)

The only thing I was worried about was if there was going to be a different story line for each cop, but I like how they tied them all together at the end. This one won't have any supernatural overtones to it I think, it's gonna be about city (and maybe state) government corruption. I also loved how all the rich people in the room jizzed in their pants when Vaughn said overages are guaranteed, too funny!

I liked it a lot : interesting characters, good and very good actors, nice plot and story. The opening soundtrack didn't really bother me, I kinda liked how the opening felt stifling and sweaty. Also The Cardigans and Nick Cave. Well done.

Some intros are really good and I'll actually sit through them with no problem. GoT and True Blood (for the first 2 seasons that I actually watched for whatever reason) had great intro music. I'm definitely skipping this True Detective into though.

The harshest of criticism. Take that HBO!

Oatlord_sl said:

The scene with the hippy Zen father daughter talk....Was that the same location from the helicopter sniper scene from Lethal Weapon? The one where the dude gets wasted by Gary Busey in a helicopter outta nowhere?

Click to expand...

I thought it looked just like the commune where Don ended up at the end of Mad Men.

If you ever bully another kid again, I'll come back and butt fuck your father with your mother's headless corpse on this god damned lawn. Twelve years old my ass. Fuck you.

Click to expand...

That was awesome

Its only one episode but Velcoro has to be one of the coolest TV personalities I have seen in a while. Imagine what is was like for Pizzolatto (sp?) to write that character, then ultimately cast and direct it. The scene in the bar with Vince Vaughn was incredible. By the end of this season I predict Detective Ray Velcoro will be a TV legend. His "I welcome judgement" comment alone will live on in time.

As far as Vaughn...I dont know I never liked him but I dnt really mind him after watching how he fits in. Gotta give him credit for convincing HBO and co. to give him that gig. I think there is some weird thing with his screen presence (he is always on the edge of humor for lack of a better way to put it, he just always seems like he is ready to make someone laugh but not exactly, its odd) that fits that character and so far it has worked. You want to take him serious but every part of your body and mind tells you not to. They want that for this character.