After a sluggish 3 and a half episodes, I thought this season would be a big flop. I could relate to Bezzerides and Velcoro, but nothing else - no other characters, no subplot and certainly not the main plot. The only reason I kept watching is because my stepson insisted - hey, it's True Detective, we can't miss it. So I went along.
But since the shootout at the end of episode 4, things really picked up. The plot is becoming tighter and some sense of urgency is coming about. Most importantly, things are finally becoming interesting with Frank. The uninteresting subplots were either abandoned, reached a solution or were at last incorporated to the main plot. Episodes 5-7, plus the set piece in episode 4, made this second season more than worthwhile. If the final episode tops last year's finale (in which the showdown was less exciting then expected), I think season 2 will be almost on par with season 1, lacking the tour de force of Rust Cohle's iconic character, but not being a big letdown in terms of storytelling. Needless to say, episode 7 was the best so far, and an excellent pre-finale buildup. Not many critics agree with me that the series really picked up in the second half, but IMDb users sure do - just look at the marks.
The best way to cut the problems that plagued BOTH seasons is to reduce the number of episodes from 8 to 6 next time. It is not that we have to withstand "filler" episodes, but the fact is that seasons 1 and 2 were plagued with too many uninteresting subplots and characters. A shorter season will tighten up things. But we know it is not going to happen, since a longer season is more profitable, and the fans sure like to see more hours of TD.
But since the shootout at the end of episode 4, things really picked up. The plot is becoming tighter and some sense of urgency is coming about. Most importantly, things are finally becoming interesting with Frank. The uninteresting subplots were either abandoned, reached a solution or were at last incorporated to the main plot. Episodes 5-7, plus the set piece in episode 4, made this second season more than worthwhile. If the final episode tops last year's finale (in which the showdown was less exciting then expected), I think season 2 will be almost on par with season 1, lacking the tour de force of Rust Cohle's iconic character, but not being a big letdown in terms of storytelling. Needless to say, episode 7 was the best so far, and an excellent pre-finale buildup. Not many critics agree with me that the series really picked up in the second half, but IMDb users sure do - just look at the marks.
The best way to cut the problems that plagued BOTH seasons is to reduce the number of episodes from 8 to 6 next time. It is not that we have to withstand "filler" episodes, but the fact is that seasons 1 and 2 were plagued with too many uninteresting subplots and characters. A shorter season will tighten up things. But we know it is not going to happen, since a longer season is more profitable, and the fans sure like to see more hours of TD.