True Detective

Regarding people not caring about who killed Casper, it feels a little different this season in that last season was all about the ritual killings and finding the killer. Casper's murder, while gruesome and all, seems less like the overall main story point and more the catalyst for the 3 main police characters to be united to work on the case that starts exposing what is going on with the land deals behind the rail project and all of the corruption in Vinci.

HBO put this season on during the Summer, because they knew it was a stinker.

People are so impressed by the 50-cent words and half-baked philosophies that they don't realize this season is a plodding mess with no payoff. This shit stinks.

Royal_sl said:

Yeah they've definitely laid the groundwork for her to be finished as a cop, at least in or around LA. Maybe she goes the same path as Rust as works the case as a civilian.

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In the 'next time on' wasn't she wearing a regular beat cop uni, or private security or meter maid, something that wasn't plain clothes detective? She probably gets demoted, and Velcro shaved his mustache so seems there's a time jump. So, yeah, might be following the general formula of the first. Which wouldn't be surprising as there have been other similar structural markers, like totally awesome freeze frames to end specific episodes.

Mist_sl said:

The dialogue was pretty bad this episode. Maybe he's making fun of left coasters for all sounding cliche and phony when they speak.

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Why I outta...

Chanur_sl said:

That was the first thing I said too. I turned to my girl and said it must be a cook house. I've seen enough meth places blown up on TV!

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As one of the more staunch defenders of this show I'd like to hear if you still enjoy it, and how/why?

I think I'm clearly too far into hate-watching to enjoy even the things I'd have maybe enjoyed if everything else was solid. (obviously? hah).

Like the shootout. Okay, cool, shit blew up and guns was blazin', but for what? It was hard to tell if they were rushed to that scene by story/plot points that add meaning, or just because the pace of the show has been uneven. Then you have what I felt was a bad explosion that had little meaning, because I didn't know what was inside, or care, or why it was important. Was it a ton of civilians? Was it a meth lab? Did it matter, or was it just an explosion for the sake of the boom. Typical tropes of firing way too much without reloading, bringing a ton of extra clips, hidden where exactly, but nobody brought heavier weaponry? Did they even have a door ram? Why were they running down the middle of the street out in the open? Even if they're bad detectives sent there into an ambush, wouldn't the other, real cops be a bit more useful than just fodder?

Then everyone dies but the main characters, which reminded me of the Bird-shoots-Velcro scene and how ho-hum-dumb that became because we knew he wouldn't die. And if main character DID die, would we really have cared all that much or just hoped it was the one we didn't like most?

A ton of protestors happen to be near a random warehouse they're serving a warrant on a known criminal gang banger investigating a murder of a public official and subsequent attempted murder (kinda) of a cop, and nobody thinks to clear the area?

It had this seasons typical (imo) bad, overly-quick editing making the scenes like bystanders getting shot look cool, but if it weren't a quick cut right to them you'd wonder why they're all standing around instead of running which is what people do like immediately. Basically, trying to hid shit in editing and make it look far cooler and ramp up the damage in editing whether it was plausible or not.

It was like watching a Everquest raid where everyone kills all the trash and sets up a showdown with the final raid boss at the end.

Her jogging and having to take cover repeatedly but still managing to keep up on foot with the slowest moving fucking SUV in automotive history.

Then more brooding stares back and forth and a freeze frame that I felt was more funny than dramatic.

It was action, for the sake of action, not because it made sense, furthered the story, or was actually all that suspenseful. They would have been better served setting up the fact that this was obviously to set up a fall-guy so they could close the case, as that's more interesting than random bang-bang. Hell, if they'd had less bullshit about characters and who they fuck and why they could better set up the scene to where the cops knew they were going into an ambush, knew they were being set up, knew they were patsies in a bigger scheme, etc, instead of it barely being touched upon and a lot of viewer comments seeming like people were very confused, again, about the actual 'story' even while liking the action.

I'm probably too far down the rabbit hole, though, but fuck if I can't even enjoy a massive shootout.

Mist_sl said:

The dialogue was pretty bad this episode. Maybe he's making fun of left coasters for all sounding cliche and phony when they speak.

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Wouldn't surprise me. LotsaPizza seems to be using the opportunity in the limelight to provide commentary on a lot of things. Or maybe it's just that when things are done poorly we assume the writers is personally trying to make a point instead of it just being a story element.

We have a response to criticism of no strong female leads in Season 1, and now we get one that I feel is forced and feels incomplete and not well thought out. Ah, she has knifes and uses men, so stength!

We now know he hates e-cigs or wants to provide commentary on so many people commenting on them (in fact, he probably uses an e-cig and is hoping if he puts a few dumb moments of questioning them people will be like wtf e-cigs are cool what's wrong with these dumbasses).

The shit that critics/reporters are saying was a dig against Fukunaga.

He hates the media and reporters, so several times we've gotten awkward negative commentary on them that seemed from Nic, not the characters, and fantasies played out of beating the shit out of one.

Maybe it's just because it's not as good, and when shit isn't good it feels like it's coming more from the writer than the characters. But about twice an episode I do a double-take as it feels like a Nic agenda is being pushed, not the story.

I don't get the previews when I torrent. Which is funny because I actually have a year of free HBO.

But if they do the time jump between episodes we don't get the scene of the angry black police chief yelling until steam comes out of his ears.

Anyway I seriously doubt any of them will still be any sort of cop. That shootout was a bigger disaster than the e-cig commentary.

I don't think this season is very good, but popsicledeath's unending retarded rants make me want to defend it.

Alex_sl said:

I don't think this season is very good, but popsicledeath's unending retarded rants make me want to defend it.

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Feel free to defend it, or discuss, or contribute at all? So far, your commentary on this episode has been:

Alex_sl said:

Why I outta...

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Pretty gripping stuff!

I think this show is interesting on multiple levels and worth of discussion. Most shows are just good, or just bad, and aren't quite so polarizing. Which is why I asked a few people some questions about what they posted, admitted I was beyond being able to enjoy even a shootout, and lists of things I couldn't shake while watching the show. That's not quite how I rant.

Way to pick and choose comments dude. That was obviously in response to Mist saying west coasters only speak in cliches. And I responded in a cliche. Get it? Do I have to be heavy-handed about it? Like you missing the raid team having a battering ram? I mean, I know they didn't explicitly SAY they had one, but they definitely did. And what's up with your explosion question? "Was it a ton of civilians?" Where did that come from? People aren't combustible in that way. I doubt it was a ton of civilians. The meth lab thing makes way more sense. You honestly are hating just to hate. I'm all about hating, but there's an art to it. And you have no hate talent. You would absolutely not be invited to a single Player Haters Ball.

It has its moments. The gay guy in denial shit is almost an exact replay of "The Shield" but the rest of their train wreck lives are pretty entertaining.

Hell, odds are next week Mcadams and the PTSgay will be prostitutes working out of Vinny's club that is being run by Velcoro.

wormie_sl said:

Did the mayor, who was in the police station as they preped for the raid, tip off the mexicans and is he working with the mexicans (and against VV)?

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I think the most likely scenario is that someone in VV's inner circle tipped them off and that person is working with the mayor to rip off VV.

Alex_sl said:

Way to pick and choose comments dude. That was obviously in response to Mist saying west coasters only speak in cliches. And I responded in a cliche. Get it? Do I have to be heavy-handed about it? Like you missing the raid team having a battering ram? I mean, I know they didn't explicitly SAY they had one, but they definitely did. And what's up with your explosion question? "Was it a ton of civilians?" Where did that come from? People aren't combustible in that way. I doubt it was a ton of civilians. The meth lab thing makes way more sense. You honestly are hating just to hate. I'm all about hating, but there's an art to it. And you have no hate talent. You would absolutely not be invited to a single Player Haters Ball.

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Attacking me and arguing against me doesn't make the show any better or more plausible.

Pick and choose comments? That was your only comment on this episode, I think. Didn't see any other. We all get that it was a cliche response to her post. It was also a pointless one-liner adding nothing to the discussion at all. And speaking of "there's an art to it" there's also an art to posting funny one liners, and I didn't find it particularly funny. Shrug. Who cares, though, my point was you apparently don't think this season is very good, will take the time to call me to the carpet, will threaten to defend the show, etc. How about just enter into the discussion?

Yes, was it a ton of civilians in the warehouse? Is that why we should have cared? We got little to no background. Just that they're going to kinda raid some warehouse where a bad guy might be and oh shit a shootout and explosion! Why spend time and money on an explosion if it adds nothing to the stakes of a scene? I know people hate the comparisons because season 1 was good, but in season 1 we understood the stakes each time. The 6 minute shot we knew Rust was in deep, shit went bad, there were a mix of innocent bystanders that could be hurt in an operation they weren't supposed to be on. We understood what was going down, so it added to the tension. Same with them raiding Ledoux's compound; we knew they were not waiting on backup, in on their own, these dudes were psychos, again off the grid so anything could happen, and did. It was suspenseful, not just action packed. This sequence was just action for the sake of action, and for what point? Because people who like explosions and give a shit about all else might still be enjoying the show?

My bad, missed that they had a ram amid the stupidity of them casually walking down the middle of the street casually in a group to ensure the bad guy would fire an automatic weapon into them and somehow miss the two main characters in the front and instead hit the two red-shirts. Then, of course, they couldn't get to the ram because it was in the middle of the street where they were walking for no legit reason. So, your main critique is one question asking whether they even had a ram because I didn't notice it amid other bullshit of them being completely unprepared and shit only happen because everyone but the main characters needed to be shot in the head?

The fact you read my rant and somehow thought I was saying the civilians are combustible and caused the explosion? lol wtf really dude?

Seems you're the one ranting and just hating to hate? At least my rants and hate are for the show, in the thread about the show, discussing the show. Why u hate me so much, son?

popsicledeath_sl said:

In the 'next time on' wasn't she wearing a regular beat cop uni, or private security or meter maid, something that wasn't plain clothes detective?

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Still sergeant. Anyway the shootout scene wasn't horrible but it felt mediocre when you compare it to season one episode 4's shootout scene. As someone said, it's your average shootout scene where all the red shirt cops get killed and villains have one thousand ammo magazines. It's not awful, but they could have done it way better. Overall this TD season feels they're being lazy and uninventive, some dialogues lines really sound like late night "I'm gonna close this scene" script job and the main story looks almost irrelevant. Some actors do their job really good, some others not, but I overall think it's basically production (writing and direction) being too light this time.

Frankly anything would look mediocre compared to the season 1 single tracking scene. That scene was the shit and damn near impossible to top how it felt, even on repeated viewings. I'm wondering if there is a time jump as well, would seem weird if Velcoro just decided to shave the stache one day to the next. Plus it would make sense with all of the pressure on her leading the investigation to pin the crazy shootout as her fuckup, and us see her X amount of time down the line.

Hell, time jump could skip most of VV reclaiming his old empire that people probably don't want to see, either.

My complaint about VV is hitting us over the head with how hes getting his groove back. I dont need to see him going to everyone in town and striking deals. Ani's story is the worst imo, I do really like all three characters respect one another even if they just met, Mccadams obviously doesn't want to throw Velcro under the bus and then you have Velcro trying to warn Ani and Woodrugh are most in the firing line