True Detective . . Season 2 . . Tonight @ 9

[BillyL]

Just 13 days away, this season stars Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch.

I'm not expecting the second season to be as good as last year's was, but, it should be a very entertaining show.

Starts Sunday, June 21st . .

 

[grillheel]

Yeah, Billy, the first season was awesome. I can't see this season topping last but hoping it will surprise me. Really looking forward to it though.

 

[BillyL]

bump

 

[gunslingerdick]

I enjoyed the first episode last night. Vince Vaughn is a terrific bad guy. I wish he played one more often. If you haven't seen a movie called "Clay Pigeons", do it. He's awesome.

Colin Ferrell's character seems disturbed. He portrays that well. The girl cop is hot and I dig the storyline they set up. Looking forward to watching this season.

 

[BillyL]

The first episode was a lot better than I expected it to be, after I had read a couple of reviews prior to last night's showing, I just wasn't expecting as much. Its going to take two shows to completely set up the story and characters, but, it is suppose to get better by the 3rd.
Farrell's and McAdams' characters are going to take the center stage as we move along through this story. Drinking, drugs, sex issues and character flaws are dominant throughout the players of TD2. The scene with Detective Ray Velcoro pounding his son's bully's father into the ground and then threatening the kid(Aspen) was just pure badass . .

 

[heelmanwilm]

I loved vaughn and the show. If i had to make a complaint it would be that theres at least one too many story lines. Kinda like with game of thrones, they'll have to skip from one to the other so much unless some of the characters get absorbed into each others stories.

 

[gteeitup]

recorded it last night b/c the open was on...stayed away from spoilers all day...can't wait to watch!

 

[coryfly]

I enjoyed the first episode last night. Vince Vaughn is a terrific bad guy. I wish he played one more often. If you haven't seen a movie called "Clay Pigeons", do it. He's awesome.

Colin Ferrell's character seems disturbed. He portrays that well. The girl cop is hot and I dig the storyline they set up. Looking forward to watching this season.

Clay Pigeons is outstanding.

 

[gteeitup]

omg, too many subplots...wtf!?!?!?

 

[BillyL]

"I will butt**** your dad with your mom's headless corpse on this lawn the next time . . "




Oh my . .

 

[BillyL]

This is my least favorite life
The one where you fly and I don’t
A kiss holds a million deceits
And a lifetime goes up in smoke
This is my least favorite you
Who floats far above earth and stone
The nights that I twist on the rack
Is the time that I feel most at home

We're wandering in the shade
And the rustle of fallen leaves
A bird on the edge of a blade
Lost now forever, my love, in a sweet memory

The station pulls away from the train
The blue pulls away from the sky
The whisper of two broken wings
May be they’re yours, maybe they’re mine
This is my least favorite life
The one where I am out of my mind
The one where you are just out of reach
The one where I stay and you fly

I'm wandering in the shade
And the rustle of fallen leaves
A bird on the edge of the blade
Lost now forever, my love, in a sweet memory

 

[HookUNC75]

@BillyL if you haven't seen last night's episode yet I think you'll find the ending a bit surprising. At least I did.

 

[BillyL]

@BillyL if you haven't seen last night's episode yet I think you'll find the ending a bit surprising. At least I did.

I watched it, and usually by this time of day on Monday, I've watched it a second time. Too many chores and errands to get done has gotten in my way though.

Are you speaking of the scene where Det. Velcoro is shot twice by the blackbird mask wearing dude with a shotgun . . ?

I think its a little too early to off one of the major characters of this show. My guess is he may be wearing a vest, or at the least, the shotgun was only holding a non-lethal shell of rock salt or something similar. He(Velcoro) may have felt a set-up coming his way after telling Frank Semyon he wanted out and wouldn't do any more dirty deeds for him. Whatever the outcome of that last scene, it sure made for an interesting twist to the storyline . . it definitely left me salivating for the next installment.

I'm in love with McAdam's and what she has done so far in this story, the girl is just badass. I liked the scene where she was talking of the difference between the 2 sexes and how one had the strength to overpower the other, then she said if anyone tried something with her in that manner that she'd have him bleeding out. It looks like she has at least 4 weapons from watching the locker room scene, her belt-buckle spike, a taser, a gun and that knife she puts in her right boot.

 

[heelmanwilm]

Its okay. I'm gonna keep watching. But so far its not in the same stratoshpere as season 1

 

[gteeitup]

I'm in love with McAdam's and what she has done so far in this story, the girl is just badass. I liked the scene where she was talking of the difference between the 2 sexes and how one had the strength to overpower the other, then she said if anyone tried something with her in that manner that she'd have him bleeding out. It looks like she has at least 4 weapons from watching the locker room scene, her belt-buckle spike, a taser, a gun and that knife she puts in her right boot.

i like that she likes porn

 

[gteeitup]

as far as this episode, it's really still early for me to even understand these roles...i've watched last night's episode once so far, but did i hear right that frank dumped a body for ray?

and the highway trooper, paul, creeps me out...can't figure him out at all.

 

[heelmanwilm]

as far as this episode, it's really still early for me to even understand these roles...i've watched last night's episode once so far, but did i hear right that frank dumped a body for ray?

and the highway trooper, paul, creeps me out...can't figure him out at all.

Yea i cant trust a guy that isnt hittin that hottie whenever she likes

 

[HookUNC75]

Are you speaking of the scene where Det. Velcoro is shot twice by the blackbird mask wearing dude with a shotgun . . ?

I think its a little too early to off one of the major characters of this show. My guess is he may be wearing a vest, or at the least, the shotgun was only holding a non-lethal shell of rock salt or something similar. He(Velcoro) may have felt a set-up coming his way after telling Frank Semyon he wanted out and wouldn't do any more dirty deeds for him. Whatever the outcome of that last scene, it sure made for an interesting twist to the storyline . . it definitely left me salivating for the next installment.

I agree, it's likely a hook so they can reel us back in for next installment, and I do like the McAdam character. She reminds of the Diane Wittlesey role that Edie Falco played in the old Oz series years ago.

 

[BillyL]

 

[gunslingerdick]

Geeze, spoiler alert!

I watched the new episode last night. I thought it was pretty good. Vince Vaughn is such a great bad guy. He's a good funny man too. But he should have branched out a little more throughout the meat of his career. That same fast talking, smart-alec role was getting old.

 

[BillyL]

 

[TarHeelMark]

Yea i cant trust a guy that isnt hittin that hottie whenever she likes

methinks the moto-cop is afraid to come out of the closet....

 

[TarHeelMark]

Geeze, spoiler alert!

I watched the new episode last night. I thought it was pretty good. Vince Vaughn is such a great bad guy. He's a good funny man too. But he should have branched out a little more throughout the meat of his career. That same fast talking, smart-alec role was getting old.

In the 90's, Vaughn was in quite a few more serious roles. He was in the 2nd Jurassic movie (smaller part), but played Norman Bates in the ridiculous attempt to remake Psycho. Anywho, he started getting typecast in early 2000's as you said (the fast-talking, smart-alec) when he did Old School, Wedding Crashers, etc. He needs to break away from those Wilson brothers more often, eh?

 

[TarHeelMark]

I finished season 2 last night. Won't spoil it for those that haven't completed watching yet, but Pretty good overall, just not as intriguing as season 1. All of the main characters were very good.
I did get a kick out of the scene with Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams, as I had flashbacks to when they were in Wedding Crashers - talk about doing a complete 180.

 

[gunslingerdick]

I thought the finale was fantastic. The rest of the season was ok. I agree it wasn't nearly as weird and creepy as the first season. It also had more of a movie feel than a series feel which wasn't the case for the first one.

 

[heelz2345]

I was a fan of this season, but it wasn't close to the quality of season 1 (not that many shows/seasons are as strong as season 1). I really tried to keep the comparisons from cropping up, but it was hard not to. I thought the acting of Farrell, McAdams & Vaughn was all pretty solid. Kitsch could be good, but other times was painful. I just felt all the diversions from the actual case/story were unnecessary. Some people talked about how season 1's killer felt "unimportant" to the story, but I felt he was far more important and it was far more satisfying to watch him get his than anything with Caspere's killer was in this season. Birdman was far less important to what happened this season. It just tried to have a lot going on, with Farrell's wife/kid, Vaughn's wife (I thought Vaughn's worst stuff was when they interacted. The dialogue there was weak), Kitsch's mom/gf/being gay, and McAdams family/relationships all in addition to a main case that spread across city & state goverments, prostitution, various gangs, crooked cops, a military contractor, the LA Riots, and hippies.

If season 1 was an A+, I give season 2 a B-. There were things there that were good, but it just didn't ever have the thing that put it over the top into great. I could point to several things in season 1 that made it great, there just wasn't ever a thing in season 2 that really made it great.

 

[BillyL]

Too many characters and not enough time to build up those same . . I was confused as to who was doing what several times in this 8 and a half hour movie.

Last season was so good with just Harrelson, Monaghan and McConaughey as the main players . . . and of course all of Marty's girlfriends. I'd like to see someone besides Pizzolatto write the story if we have a season 3.

I enjoyed the 2nd season, I was overwhelmed in Season 1 . .

 

[heelz2345]

I'd like to see someone besides Pizzolatto write the story if we have a season 3.

Won't ever happen. If HBO switched the show runner, it would be like digging their own grave. Even if season 2 wasn't as good (which it wasn't), that would seem like a sign to everyone they have no faith in this guy or the show, and would lose all credibility with viewers. It's one thing for a smaller show on a lesser network to do that, but a high profile show like this on (arguably) the greatest network right now to pull that move wouldn't be smart, imo.

Not saying it wouldn't be interesting to see another writer's take on this sort of show, just that I don't see it happening.

 

[TarHeelMark]

If season 1 was an A+, I give season 2 a B-. There were things there that were good, but it just didn't ever have the thing that put it over the top into great. I could point to several things in season 1 that made it great, there just wasn't ever a thing in season 2 that really made it great.

Totally agree... s1 = 10/10, while s2 = 7.5/10

 

[HookUNC75]

I totally lost interest after episode 3, plus I got/am into Humans on AMC and Masters of Sex on Showtime. Then I wrap up the evening with Last Week Tonight on HBO.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Won't ever happen. If HBO switched the show runner, it would be like digging their own grave. Even if season 2 wasn't as good (which it wasn't), that would seem like a sign to everyone they have no faith in this guy or the show, and would lose all credibility with viewers. .

I don't know if I agree with that. I mean, how many casual viewers know or care about the writer?

 

[HookUNC75]

I don't know if I agree with that. I mean, how many casual viewers know or care about the writer?

 

[heelz2345]

I don't know if I agree with that. I mean, how many casual viewers know or care about the writer?

I will say that first, there is a difference between a writer and a showrunner. In this instance, Pizzolatto is both, he writes all the episodes, but he is also the guy in charge of the day to day. To me, changing him out in either capacity would be a vote of no confidence on HBO's part. Most of your major dramas that have come out in the last few years (The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Deadwood, etc.) have kept the same person running the show through the duration. An example of a show changing showrunners would be The Walking Dead, which saw 3 different showrunners over 4 seasons. The result was a show with little to no consistency in writing, directing, and even acting. They finally let Scott Gimple stay on, and the show has gotten much better as a result of consistency behind the scenes. Obviously TWD is a different beast than TD because of TD's season-long narratives as opposed to an ongoing one, but it's the best example I could think of where changing the people behind the scenes really has hurt the product for the viewer.

I get what you mean that most people don't know the names of your average tv writer, and you are right, most wouldn't care. However, in a show like this one, that is a high profile show with a substantial fan base, if you remove the creator in either his writing capacity or his overall showrunning capacity (and I don't see a way to remove him from one without doing the other), I think that is something people would notice, and I'm not entirely sure we would still get a better product.

 

[gteeitup]

i've had to watch every episode twice, and not just because of enjoyment.

one time i had to imdb the series because characters would be mentioned and i had forgotten, or not gotten, their history...to me, that sucked.

i still don't know why i had to learn about the plastic surgeon...anyone?

all in all, it was different than season 1 and i appreciate that...it ended just fine for me, just like the sopranos finale.

 

[BillyL]

i still don't know why i had to learn about the plastic surgeon...anyone?

Dr. Pitlor . . ?

Didn't Velcoro and Bezzerides originally go visit him because Caspere was a patient of his . . ?

Those lavish high end sex parties were being run by Tony Chessani (mayor's son), Caspere and Dr. Pitlor.

Ray really messed him up in his office . . didn't he spit out a tooth while laying on the floor . . ?

 

[heelz2345]

i still don't know why i had to learn about the plastic surgeon...anyone?

I would say he was just another piece of the prostitute/sex party stories. He was "upgrading" the girls for those parties. He also knew Ani's dad and the mayor from way back at whatever hippie commune, so that is presumably how he met up with the mayor's son to get the sex parties going. He was just one of many pieces of that puzzle, which had too many pieces.