What I’m Watching: True Detective

True Detective: Season 2, Episode 7 “Black Maps and Motel Rooms” (B+)

Part of the appeal of a limited series, or in this case a series that returns year after year with an entirely new cast and storyline, is that there need be no attachment to any character or his or her survival since there’s no reason they would be brought back no matter what. I didn’t realize until I started writing this review that the next episode of this season is the finale, and I don’t feel this show is close to ready to be done with this arc. That it took until the penultimate hour for it to really get interesting is hardly commendable either, but at least it’s something. For Paul to survive several near-death experiences and then get felled by a bullet in the back by Lt. Burris was devastating, and that was the second shocking death of the hour, following Ray unknowingly sitting down in a car next to a very dead Katherine. When those in charge of a secret investigation get taken out, you know things are bad, and this season’s theme fully becomes the corruption of law enforcement agencies, who throw horrid sex parties and murder to cover their illicit deeds. Ray and Ani sleeping together while Paul gets killed is a meaningful moment that says a lot about the loneliness they feel, and let’s hope that having each other will be enough to help them survive the finale. Fortunately, Frank’s arson acts indicate a frustration he’s feeling with his supposed allies, and it’s very possible that he might end up being more of a good guy than a villain by season’s end.