HBO Television Show: True Detective

[Revelator]

I really enjoyed the ending of the episode but it's really hard to get invested in these characters. I just don't care about them.

[Simple Torture]

I disagree with everyone in this thread. Is this what being LV is like?

[The Argonaut]

I disagree with everyone in this thread. Is this what being LV is like?

No, because he enjoys it.

[Norah]

I don't hate this season, it's interesting enough that I'm staying on board and want to see where it goes. It's just tough to get emotionally invested in any of these characters for whatever reason.

[spike]

at least we got a the leftovers season 2 teaser

[Strat]

I disagree with everyone in this thread. Is this what being LV is like?

Im on your team. We got this, buddy.

[Strat]

I don't hate this season, it's interesting enough that I'm staying on board and want to see where it goes. It's just tough to get emotionally invested in any of these characters for whatever reason.

Were you that much more emotionally invested with the characters in season 1 by this time? I think season 1 seems to be romanticized to a great degree.

[spike]

I don't hate this season, it's interesting enough that I'm staying on board and want to see where it goes. It's just tough to get emotionally invested in any of these characters for whatever reason.

Were you that much more emotionally invested with the characters in season 1 by this time? I think season 1 seems to be romanticized to a great degree.

it was a mcconaissance, strat. it was beautiful.

[Norah]

I don't hate this season, it's interesting enough that I'm staying on board and want to see where it goes. It's just tough to get emotionally invested in any of these characters for whatever reason.

Were you that much more emotionally invested with the characters in season 1 by this time? I think season 1 seems to be romanticized to a great degree.

I'm not even comparing it the season 1. If by the halfway point of a season in any tv show I don't really care about the characters, something is probably wrong.

[Strat]

Fair enough.

[Coach]

This sums things up well:

From EW: http://www.ew.com/recap/true-detective- ... -episode-4

If anything, “Down Will Come” showcased the season’s most alienating aspects in the most alienating ways. As much as I am provoked by the hard-boiled existentialism and intrigued by dystopian Vinci and its western wasteland environs (the show’s version of Southern California is its best wretched character), it’s hard to care about a worthless world that doesn’t want to be saved, and maybe shouldn’t. I’m this close to abandoning hope that a character will pop or a relationship will emerge to engage my emotions. It’s a lot of waiting around for miserable people to get the balls to confront their painful pasts or resolve their conflicted presents, or get so miserable that they finally change their ways, or just destroy themselves, already, and take Vinci down with them. It bothers me that Ani Bezzerides doesn’t have eyes to see what we see: That the conspiracy she is investigating is the secret origin story of her own f’d up life and her own f’d up world. (The closest she got to this epiphany was when she learned that Mayor Chessani, Dr. Pitlor, and Caspere spent time with The Good People, her father’s commune, in the early eighties. “Jesus, that’s some f—ing coincidence.” You think?!) She, like everyone else, has a complicated relationship to the notion of self-knowledge, enlightenment, etc., but the show is struggling to make that idea dramatically interesting.

[Norah]

pretty much

[Simple Torture]

I dunno, man. Everybody keeps writing about how they're not emotionally connected to the characters. That's just not something I seek out or need in entertainment at all. If it happens, it's nice, but it's not even in my Top 5. I've got things about this season that aren't my favorite, but I like the mood and the visuals and most of the characters; Frank's a weak spot, and last night's climax was telegraphed from a mile away, but there are plenty of mysteries to be solved, and the few blood-pumping scenes that have happened so far have kept me hooked.

[The Argonaut]

If this thread hadn't told me that the last ten minutes were something to look forward to, I'm not sure I could've gotten through this last episode.

[VinylGuy]

Man i love this season...the last chapter was great and i dont get why everyone is bitching about this characters; i love how weak frank is and how he is slowly going back to his former self.

[Norah]

If this thread hadn't told me that the last ten minutes were something to look forward to, I'm not sure I could've gotten through this last episode.

that definitely helped me

[Rangi Guy]

I haven't watched past the first episode yet.....

[nyquillyn]

For me, some of the dialog is just plain bad. Rust was able to pull off all that bizarre dialog in Season 1 because he was just a weird, quirky dude. None of these characters are even remotely that engaging and, to me, much of the dialog just comes across as pretentious.
Also not a huge fan of the visuals this year. The show looks like a bad Lynch knockoff much of the time, whereas last year, mostly because of the setting, it had it's own look and feel. These long stares into the camera are only good if the characters are interesting, which they are not.
Then there's the acting, which is shoddy to say the least. Farrell is just flat-out terrible. He's done this fake American cop thing (including big, cheesy mustache) before and it was bad then. I actually kinda like Kitsch, but he's just wooden in this. It says a lot of the other cast members when Vince Vaughan is clearly the best actor of the bunch.
The story is unfocused and not all that compelling.

[psychobain]

it doesnt compare to season 1, everything was better, the location, the story, the 2 lead actors, the whole atmosphere

BUT, season 1 started slow also
4 episodes to go, im expecting a way better second half

[Norah]

I agree with most of that, especially the dialogue.