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Dear Nick Pizzolatto (like you'll ever read this):
I truly was addicted to Season 1 of True Detective. It was hypnotic, fantastically gothic southern noir, and had all sorts of elements (not to mention great acting by the leads and the ensemble cast) that pushed my buttons, plus an amazing soundtrack.
Now we're up to Episode 3 of Season 2. I'm happy the soundtrack is still appropriately foreboding (and thematically similar). I was iffy on the casting up until seeing 2x1. But when I saw 2x1, I was okay with it mainly because all the leads are playing broken, angsty people (<3 <3 <3).
I'm ignoring critics and fan responses to the new season in order to form my own opinion. I have not read a SINGLE professional or fan review or recap of a single Season 2 episode so far (just imdb.com info on cast). So this is purely my opinion.
Your actors this season were *all* cast against type. You had to know going in, people might have a problem with it (I did, and I'm very willing to suspend disbelief for an ultra-noir show like TD). ( why it worked in S1 )
But after 2x1, I was with you and with your cast-against-type S2 characters... up until last night, that is. ( why it isn't working as well in S2 )
I get the intertwining of themes of pollution and environmental degradation in a sunny, beautiful climate with the fertility problems of Frank's and Ray's wives. I get that these hidden toxicities parallel the ingrained, embedded corruption (occasionally shot through with streaks of hopeless attempts at morality) among the ambitious and desperate cops/career criminals/politicians in your beautifully shiny, sleazy, perverse, twisted SoCal noir.
I get that you're saying these categories (cop, criminal, politician) are basically parts of the same inherently immoral patriarchal power structure fighting over finite pieces of a rotten pie. I <3 these themes! It is so great to see deeply cynical noir themes up on my TV screen that aren't my DVDs of classic noir from one or two generations before me, but are lovely postmodern twists.
But, dude. ( your lead characters say stuff they would never say IRL -- or in eps 2x1 or 2x2, for that matter )
If anyone were to say these words, it would be Detective Bezzarides. She's the one reading Hagakure (The Book of the Samurai) ( how do I know that? I checked )
And... ( classic Greek tragedy name? rilly? ) The meta you seem to be going for is a little obvious.
( SPOILERY predictions based on canon implications from 2x1 to 2x3 )
The way everyone with something to gain is willing to pimp out colleagues &/or underlings in order to gain it -- whether cop, politician, or organized crime -- is especially well done. It is so matter-of-fact that it indicates just how ingrained and necessary such exploitation is to the essence of patriarchy. I mean, politics, law enforcement, and organized crime are nothing if not utterly patriarchal structures.
But I truly hope for no more jarring, unrealistic dialogue from your lead characters.
Maybe I'm hoping against hope... It throws me right out of the story
And I'm sorry to nitpick because, as with S1, it's such a well done show in so many respects. But some of this nitpicking is because what little is wrong with S2 ruins my suspension of disbelief, and I don't want that. I want to be absorbed, addicted, and hypnotized like I was during S1!
I truly was addicted to Season 1 of True Detective. It was hypnotic, fantastically gothic southern noir, and had all sorts of elements (not to mention great acting by the leads and the ensemble cast) that pushed my buttons, plus an amazing soundtrack.
Now we're up to Episode 3 of Season 2. I'm happy the soundtrack is still appropriately foreboding (and thematically similar). I was iffy on the casting up until seeing 2x1. But when I saw 2x1, I was okay with it mainly because all the leads are playing broken, angsty people (<3 <3 <3).
I'm ignoring critics and fan responses to the new season in order to form my own opinion. I have not read a SINGLE professional or fan review or recap of a single Season 2 episode so far (just imdb.com info on cast). So this is purely my opinion.
Your actors this season were *all* cast against type. You had to know going in, people might have a problem with it (I did, and I'm very willing to suspend disbelief for an ultra-noir show like TD). ( why it worked in S1 )
But after 2x1, I was with you and with your cast-against-type S2 characters... up until last night, that is. ( why it isn't working as well in S2 )
I get the intertwining of themes of pollution and environmental degradation in a sunny, beautiful climate with the fertility problems of Frank's and Ray's wives. I get that these hidden toxicities parallel the ingrained, embedded corruption (occasionally shot through with streaks of hopeless attempts at morality) among the ambitious and desperate cops/career criminals/politicians in your beautifully shiny, sleazy, perverse, twisted SoCal noir.
I get that you're saying these categories (cop, criminal, politician) are basically parts of the same inherently immoral patriarchal power structure fighting over finite pieces of a rotten pie. I <3 these themes! It is so great to see deeply cynical noir themes up on my TV screen that aren't my DVDs of classic noir from one or two generations before me, but are lovely postmodern twists.
But, dude. ( your lead characters say stuff they would never say IRL -- or in eps 2x1 or 2x2, for that matter )
If anyone were to say these words, it would be Detective Bezzarides. She's the one reading Hagakure (The Book of the Samurai) ( how do I know that? I checked )
And... ( classic Greek tragedy name? rilly? ) The meta you seem to be going for is a little obvious.
( SPOILERY predictions based on canon implications from 2x1 to 2x3 )
The way everyone with something to gain is willing to pimp out colleagues &/or underlings in order to gain it -- whether cop, politician, or organized crime -- is especially well done. It is so matter-of-fact that it indicates just how ingrained and necessary such exploitation is to the essence of patriarchy. I mean, politics, law enforcement, and organized crime are nothing if not utterly patriarchal structures.
But I truly hope for no more jarring, unrealistic dialogue from your lead characters.
Maybe I'm hoping against hope... It throws me right out of the story
And I'm sorry to nitpick because, as with S1, it's such a well done show in so many respects. But some of this nitpicking is because what little is wrong with S2 ruins my suspension of disbelief, and I don't want that. I want to be absorbed, addicted, and hypnotized like I was during S1!
