HBO's True Detective - Season II

[javero]

Posted: 7/30/15 at 4:00pm

It's a shame that writer Nic Pizzolatto and director Cary Fukunaga had a fabulous falling out before the end of season 1.  Fukunaga's departure, the CA setting, and this season's writing have left me hate-watching all season.

It's not the worst series on cable tv right now but to me there's been a big drop-off in the quality of both the writing and acting.  In terms of plot, there is little to unite or divide the leads and the off-the-books investigation seems contrived.  Five episodes in and there are still too many characters competing for precious screen time and my attention.

At times the acting arguably lands short of the mark. I admire Vince Vaughn for taking on such a meaty dramatic role, but he's somewhat miscast playing the heavy.  The John Wayne-like physicality is there but he either comes off as someone doing a send up of a villain or acts like he's in a coma.  Worse still, he has to go up against Collin Farrell in several riveting scenes that is when he's not sharing a few tender and turbulent moments with series-wife Kelly Reilly.

Hopefully, Nic will bring in other writers next season.  I give Vince a B+ for effort but he's out of his depth. 

Updated On: 7/31/15 at 04:00 PM

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 7/30/15 at 4:02pm

It's laughably bad so it is fun to hate watch. That shoot out at the bus strike was hilarious!

[Fantod]

Posted: 7/30/15 at 4:03pm

It was a huge mess. I heard the 4th episode was where it got good so I kept watching until then, but it was just as bad. Lazy writing, lazy acting. Boring and confusing.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/30/15 at 6:13pm

Vince Vaughn is horrible in it and he is featured too much. The backstory of the 3 detectives holds my interest a little bit especially the bisexuality of Taylor's character. The plot is a mess and is hard to follow or care about.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/30/15 at 8:41pm

It's such a shame how weak the season is. I don't think it's unwatchable the way other people (my partner included) do, but I think it just kind of sits there. It tries to be a fusion between a Paul Thomas Anderson LA movie (BOOGIE NIGHTS and INHERENT VICE come to mind) and a David Lynch (MULHOLLAND DR.) without any of the intensity, mystery, allure, and excitement of those films/filmmakers.

I agree that the plot is extremely confusing in a way that seems incredibly unnecessary, and what's worse is that they haven't created an interesting enough plot or interestingly enough characters to make me want to either go with it (as I did with SENSE8, which made little sense but was so damn captivating and thrilling) or to figure it out (as with last season or shows with deep mythologies like LOST or TWIN PEAKS).

And I could forgive the pretentious, lazy writing if they had cast actors who could uniformly handle the material. Rachel McAdams does a fantastic job with a character that was so clearly written by a man. Colin Farrell brings a sense of danger and instability to a character we've seen so many times before. But the unforgivable is the casting of Vince Vaughn in a role that is so out of his league that he seems to be playing a different sport. Whoever thought of him for this role really missed the mark, and I can't imagine why (besides ego and money) he wasn't let go when they saw the dailies of the first day of shooting. He is so unbelievably awful. Few times I've felt so bad for an actor as I do with Kelly Reilly, who is practically begging him for something, anything, in all of their scenes. It's a real testament to her acting that the performance doesn't fall completely flat when her scenes are opposite a completely lost Vaughn. And Taylor Kitsch may have potential but his acting choices are expected and uninteresting.

I thought last season was stunning, with all three main actors (McConaughey, Harrelson, and Monaghan) turning in career best work. Sadly, this season is a huge failure. And yes, I think Cary Fukunaga's absence is felt in every frame. 

[dented146]

Posted: 7/31/15 at 1:55am

The first season was just brilliant. This season is just the reverse. What a letdown.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 7/31/15 at 4:48am

I think Vince Vaughn looks lost. It is like watching an actor who has no idea who his character is and he is just saying the lines and trying to get through it. It is so hard to watch.

 

I will say he looks better slimmed down....

[Margo319]

Posted: 7/31/15 at 12:49pm

It's boring, confusing, and Vince Vaughn's character is like a cartoon character.  It's horribly embarrassing for all involved, and such a shame given the brilliance of the first season.  

[javero]

Posted: 7/31/15 at 2:04pm

"Rachel McAdams does a fantastic job with a character that was so clearly written by a man."

Ding, ding, ding...

I don't find the female characters well written this season.  Poor Kelly Reilly has the misfortune of having to share most of her precious screen time opposite Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams was cast as an asexual lady cop with unfortunate hair coloring and daddy issues who has to infiltrate a white slavery ring.  She's even been encouraged by a female heading up an anti-corruption task force to feign interest in Collin Farrell's character simply to work him for intel on said corruption.  In other words, her greatest asset as a detective is her hoohah.  That's very last millennium.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/31/15 at 3:13pm

Yes, the whole time I just think of the Coens' version of FARGO (I didn't see the TV series), which so expertly created a female cop who was very much marked by her femininity (ie her pregnancy, a former friend trying to get together with her) without boiling down the character to her sexual offerings. David Fincher and Gyllian Flynn also did a great job with the female detective character played by Kim Dickens in GONE GIRL, not to mention Elisabeth Moss' great character in TOP OF THE LAKE. Ani is such a poorly written role any way you cut it even though I think McAdams is one of the few elements of the season that work.

 

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 2:38am

I hate that they killed off Taylor but I saw it coming....

[javero]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 12:16pm

Dare I admit that this season reminds of the really awful season of TRUE BLOOD with Terry's PTSD and the Efrit curse...smh.

After Taylor's character was offed, my reaction was 1 down 3 more to go starting with Vince Vaughn.  It's so bad that I haven't been able to remember the names of the lead characters or bothered to look them up.