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OT: HBO's True Detective

D

Degaz-RU

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Did anyone watch this HBO show this season? I generally liked it, but the plot lines were so confusing. I watched every episode, including Sunday's finale, and I still can't figure out what actually happened.

I mean, I get the basic story of corruption, etc., but I cannot figure out what the connection was between the 1992 jewelry store robbery/execution, the blue diamonds, the 2015 land deals, and the Caspere murder that started the whole investigation. Very confusing to me.

Can anyone handicap the plot?
 
Thanks. That was quite helpful, to say the least. Such a complicated plot.

Maybe they could simplify the story for Season 3.
 
That was a good...and long...read.

I said before the big mistake with TD was trying to fit so many characters and storylines into 8 episodes. All it did was confuse the viewer.

While TD1 also had complex issues it had a much smaller cast and story headed in one general direction all along. It also didn't hurt that TD1 had main characters that you cared about. They had flaws but they were flaws many people could more easily identify with. Never felt that way with TD2.
 
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knightfan7 said:
That was a good...and long...read.

I said before the big mistake with TD was trying to fit so many characters and storylines into 8 episodes. All it did was confuse the viewer.

While TD1 also had complex issues it had a much smaller cast and story headed in one general direction all along. It also didn't hurt that TD1 had main characters that you cared about. They had flaws but they were flaws many people could more easily identify with. Never felt that way with TD2.
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You had a hard time identifying with a corrupt, alcoholic detective, who's wife was violently raped by a man he then murdered, subsequent to which his wife gave birth to a child that looked nothing like him?

Or was it the knife wielding female detective who was raised on a hippie commune, subsequently abused, and then rebelled against her commune leader father and drug addicted prostitute sister to live a life of authority in the police force?

If you can't relate to those common threads of Americana, I don't know what to tell you.
 
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We had a thread on this after the first episode.. and I did not (yet?) watch another episode.

I compared the two seasons introductions tot he show and characters.. in the first season, we saw a horrific crime.. an interesting crime.. and the threat of more to follow.. and were introduced to the two main detectives.. and were shown one was troubled.. and gifted. And were shown, mostly, what would become of them.. based on the interviews in :current" time by the other detectives.

All that in the first episode.

In the second season.. man.. we got down in the gutter, did not care a damn about any of them.. and they don't even meet each-other until the end of the first episode. And the victim.. a bad guy... did anyone care what happened to him?

Just really stupid storytelling. I see something like that.. that that first episode got past all the writer meetings, the actors (who often don't know the full story while filming), the director.. who is the main one responsible for telling the story... and it got past the HBO gatekeepers.. and the editors, of course... I mean.. wow.. how many people saw that first episode as a pile of crap and let it pass on ot the next guy/gal?
 
2 reasons Ole

(1) I wouldn't have killed the wrong man.

(2) If I'm going to go from a beat up, disheveled, and world weary detective to a high end prostitute, I'm gonna at least look good doing it. I'd have rocked that black dress :sunglasses:
 
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Ole Cabbagehead said:
You had a hard time identifying with a corrupt, alcoholic detective, who's wife was violently raped by a man he then murdered, subsequent to which his wife gave birth to a child that looked nothing like him?

Or was it the knife wielding female detective who was raised on a hippie commune, subsequently abused, and then rebelled against her commune leader father and drug addicted prostitute sister to live a life of authority in the police force?

If you can't relate to those common threads of Americana, I don't know what to tell you.
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I think he murdered the wrong guy, not the rapist. Got a bad lead from Vince.
 
GoodOl'Rutgers said:
Just really stupid storytelling. I see something like that.. that that first episode got past all the writer meetings, the actors (who often don't know the full story while filming), the director.. who is the main one responsible for telling the story... and it got past the HBO gatekeepers.. and the editors, of course... I mean.. wow.. how many people saw that first episode as a pile of crap and let it pass on ot the next guy/gal?
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My quick take: Season 2 was one massive troll-the-world exercise by Pizzolato. I hope he's happy.
 
Armor and Sword said:
My quick take: Season 2 was one massive troll-the-world exercise by Pizzolato. I hope he's happy.
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I've seen this opinion a few places and I have a tough time with it. The premise is that Pizzolato went to the extraordinary effort to put season 2 together, with big name actors, a huge budget, and his name plastered all over it, just to say "F you" to the handful of critics who didnt like of season 1?

Its just crazy. The same issues appear because it is the same director, and of course he has the same tendencies. This show is his baby. Why would he tarnish his art, and his legacy, to thumb his nose at some critics? I'd bet he couldn't care less what any of them think any way. Season 1 was a massive success, I am sure he feels emboldened, if anything.
 
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Degaz-RU said:
Did anyone watch this HBO show this season? I generally liked it, but the plot lines were so confusing. I watched every episode, including Sunday's finale, and I still can't figure out what actually happened.

I mean, I get the basic story of corruption, etc., but I cannot figure out what the connection was between the 1992 jewelry store robbery/execution, the blue diamonds, the 2015 land deals, and the Caspere murder that started the whole investigation. Very confusing to me.

Can anyone handicap the plot?
Click to expand...

I purposely go out of way not to watch much TV, but this show is one of the few that I do watch. I thought the 1st season of this show was awesome....different...but still pretty darn good.

So obviously for this season I am super excited because Vince Vaughn is doing it which was such an out of left field choice that I don't think many people expected so I thought was a good sign that this season was willing to take risks and was going to be great.

And then the actual show started....

I made it halfway through the 5th episode and I just had to cut my losses. The show was OK, but I for whatever reason just did not ever care what was going on and what might happen. I wasn't involved int he story line at all and in the end I heard from multiple people that the finale was in the "so-so to bad" range so I guess I didn't miss much anyway this season.

What a bummer! They could have started such an interesting series if they had continued where season 1 had left off and looked into the "dark and seedy" underworld that seemed to exist in the rural, backwoods type of town.
 
The first season was awesome. Finally something different. The second season wasn't quite as good, but I still loved it. Pizzolato is a great writer even though most critics didn't like season two. The plot was complicated and hard to follow and in the end there are a lot of loose ends and I think that turned most people off the show. I liked it because that's how real life works. Not every bad guy gets what's coming to him, not every good guy gets to live happily ever after. You basically had one good person survive and the rest was messy. Most people didn't like Vince Vaughn in this, but he was great. "I didn't live my life to go out like this". Too bad he didn't live, but there was no way you're going to get my suit (and the diamonds in the pocket). He got to say "f**k you to all those who stood in his way and be with the woman he loved even if it wasn't real.
 
Knight177lb said:
The first season was awesome. Finally something different. The second season wasn't quite as good, but I still loved it. Pizzolato is a great writer even though most critics didn't like season two. The plot was complicated and hard to follow and in the end there are a lot of loose ends and I think that turned most people off the show. I liked it because that's how real life works. Not every bad guy gets what's coming to him, not every good guy gets to live happily ever after. You basically had one good person survive and the rest was messy. Most people didn't like Vince Vaughn in this, but he was great. "I didn't live my life to go out like this". Too bad he didn't live, but there was no way you're going to get my suit (and the diamonds in the pocket). He got to say "f**k you to all those who stood in his way and be with the woman he loved even if it wasn't real.
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Haha nice spoiler there, hope nobody planned on watching the show or hadn't gotten around to watching the finale yet! Don't worry "Knight" I don't mind at all though because like I said I have cut my losses with this show.

You're right about the writer though he seems like he is capable of writing different, but good shows which is key in my opinion. This season it seems like he might have just got off track a little. I will probably give the Season 3 a shot for the first few episodes again to see if the show is back to Season 1 quality levels.
 
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I think season 2 suffered due to the popularity of season 1. And the characters did as well. You just were not going to get another performance like we saw from McConaughey(but let's not act like his character was one we could easily relate too).

I still liked it. Well acted and while confusing at times, it was certainly not predictable.

And I liked the Finale as well. Frank's final scene I thought was maybe the highlight of the season.
 
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Loved season one. Watched season two. I have three college degrees (two in Engineering), and I don't have a freakin' clue what the story was.
 
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