Oh boy, its been more than a year of waiting for the season 2 of True Detective. The much awaited anthology series is finally back. Gentlemen, presenting my first introductory post for the fresh new season. Well to start with, I must honestly admit, the season one left quite indelible marks on our brains... the storyline, the script, the colorful characters were one of the finest. Comparison of the 2nd season with its predecessor is absolutely inevitable. I'll try to pen down the first honest impressions. Alright lets start with the assessment. Un dos tres ...
The very title song brings back the memories, with its colorful juxtaposed imagery. The choice of the title song 'Nevermind' by Leonard Cohen is debatable I guess. The song tries hard to differentiate itself from the previous one. Cohen's low and mildly raspy voice could be a hit or a miss. The texture of his voice is something that gets conditioned after years of countless singing sessions and regular intake of scotch whiskey :) The song however doesn't quite stand out and is not quite as catchy as the first season's "Far from any Road". I mean I was able to randomly hum the 1st season's tune maybe while taking a piss at a public toilet or standing in a queue. There was a recall value to it, but I can't quite do that with this season's song. Maybe because it just sounds a like a simple plaintext password. You know what I mean? Also,the first season's tune was just such a perfect choice to match with the contemplative philosophical mood of the script. Let's see how the season two story unfolds...
By the end of the first episode, you are pretty much introduced to the main star cast of the show, giving you a feel of its characters. Lets take a quick brief look at them.
Character 1 : There's Colin Farrell as the supposedly compromised detective Ray, who has gone through a divorce, is protective about his child and has an alcohol problem. He portrays a typical guy next door who's going through a mid-life crisis and resorts to alcoholism to escape the mess. Quite similar to Rust Cohle. Though I must say Connaughey pulled off the character with much ease, it seemed like effortless. Somehow, I feel people usually tend to empathize with and relate to the messed up protagonist. Farrell does try to play it natural with a good blink rate of eyes, pauses within the dialogues and a decent body language for the character. Yet it could have been better.
Character 2 : Then there's Rachel McAdams as detective Ani, who's kind of a mixed bag. I feel that as the series progresses, you might either love her or hate her. Her character reminds us that detectives are human as well after all. She gambles at night, has a one night stand with some policer officer and gets back to work the next day. Her character adds some femininity to the series unlike the masculine feel of season 1.
Character 3 : The next character is the patrolling officer Paul played by Taylor Kitsch. He is the guy who just loves biking on the highway, no mater what. On the personal front, he sees a girl, who has no idea what he does for a living, yet gives him a blowjob. So it seems like a relationship with no-strings-attached. Atleast for now. He too seems to be in some kind of a mess. I mean something seems to be eating him from within. Maybe thats why biking is such an emotional anchor for him to remain sane. Something seems to be bothering him, so much so that it leads to a self destructive moment like speeding up with headlights off on a dark highway at night. A perfect example of why you should never ride under stress. The speeding wind tricks our brain when stressed out.
Character 4 : The final important character is that of the 'supposedly' antagonist-with-a-heart Frank played by Vince Vaughn. His objectives are clear and every step that he takes seems to be be a step ahead in that direction. However his life also gets messed up when things don't quite work out for him. It seems someone is after Frank, someone who wants to fuck him up. The death of city manager Ben Casper sets the tone of it. Let's see how the story unfolds. But in general the choice of Vince for this character seems debatable. I remember the whole of internet was divided when it was officially announced that he'd be a part of the new season. I mean even now after 3 episodes, he comes across as an average criminal with basic intelligence. He seems to lack the cool-headed shrewdness to make it work, or maybe the script demands the character be like this. Anyways, fingers crossed. But one thing I believe is that this character could have been better performed by someone else more matured and seasoned. As far as Frank goes, one thing you can instantly notice about him is his fluctuating eyebrows.
Overall, by the end of episode 3, here's the flavor of my assessment :
1. The lead characters seem to be messed up and withdrawn... maybe something on the lines of Ryan Gosling's in Drive.
2. The script seems to be weak and the plot seems to be thin, I mean it doesn't quite seem to be intricate like the previous one. The subtle clues seem be to missing. It seems a bit predictable at the moment. Though I may be wrong. Let's wait and watch :) I'll soon post an observation sheet of the small details, either relevant or irrelevant to the plot.
3. Lots of aerial shots of the LA freeways can be an eyesore at times. Ymmv. The season 1 showed shots of the Louisiana factories, remember?
4. There's a nice unique style to the overall look and feel of the new season though. The colors, the tones, the shades seem to be fitting the LA scenario.
5. Screw the point 5! Let's just enjoy the show :)
Guys, do let me know your thoughts, views, suggestions and opinions about the show. Ciao.
