Friday, July 17, 2015

What I'm Watching: True Detective

True Detective: Season 2, Episode 4 “Down Will Come” (B-)

This show feels extremely cyclical as the same things keep happening over and over again. Frank going around to all those he did something for at one point and demanding continued payment for it despite full restitution having been made long ago is the worst possible business model, and even if he can beat up enough people to intimidate them into compliance, it still doesn't position him as a terribly intelligent individual since he's bound to be dethroned as a tyrant eventually. Ani being put on leave because of pending allegations about sexual misconduct feels awfully similar to Paul's situation, though she didn't let it phase her and marched straight in to continue working as much as sh can. The major shootout at the end of this episode is reminiscent of a turning point at the same time last year in season one, though I think the crucial difference is that while that showed and told us something about who Rust and Martin are as people, this just underlines the miserable nature of society. A staggering amount of collateral damage occurred in this gunfight, and the fatal blow to the head of a fellow detective was certainly startling. What it left us with was the sight of three equally dedicated cops with equally rocky pasts caught in the middle of something far darker and more dangerous than they had expected. They understand what it is, but it doesn't make the situation any more desirable to watch, though I'm hoping its continued descent into darkness will somehow help turn the show around.

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