True Detective (HBO)

I don't know why it took me 6 episodes to realize that taking a shot for every stupid line of dialogue would be a great drinking game.

"These contracts.... SIGNATURES ALL OVER THEM!"

Also "If you sit with a gun on me again you better do it behind my back so I don't see you coming"

These guys were all special forces and all had been in the military, presumably, and they kept their flashlights on while they tried to hunt someone down in the dark? Is that a good play there? And they allude to those tunnels being all over the city... so of course Paul decides to exit the same way he entered?

Frank finally showing up. I will be surprised if Frank and Velcoro are still alive at the end of the show. I want ani and ray to go all natural born killers on the Vinci elite.

Fargo > True Detective

Fargo was great. Will be checking out the True Detective finale tonight. Last weeks episode was good but a mess. I had no idea what was going on a couple of times. I am usually pretty good with keeping up with multiple storylines but man they have me twisted up real good with this.

Finally got around to watching the last episode. It wasn't the bang that the season was in desperate need of, but I still don't think the season was bad overall. It had some really strong moments and some really weak ones. By the end of the season it became clear that it was too convoluted for it's own good and crammed in a lot of characters that really didn't add much in the end. But Velcoro remained the most compelling storyline in the season, even when the actual mystery itself didn't unfold spectacularly. Overall I liked the season enough, but I certainly can't argue for it against any of its detractors. Not the disaster some critics have pegged it as, but I'm hoping for much, much bigger things from Season Three.

Not yet, but they gotta do another one. I'd hope it runs 5 seasons, but we haven't heard anything at all about any future episodes.

Yeah, Paul's character was really useless. Even in those last couple episodes his interactions and input on the case were almost non-existant. At first I thought he was interesting in a self-destructive kind of way like Velcoro, but he never really went there in later episodes. This is definitely a season I need to digest more and I'll likely revisit it at some point, but like I said earlier I really cannot disagree with anyone's negative reviews of the show. It's convoluted and despite the framework being there doesn't really lead up to much when it's all said and done.

I mean, Caspere was a real piece of shit, he deserved to die like that, and ultimately who did kill Caspere hardly mattered at all (in fact that was another tacked-on plotline that didn't pack the emotional punch it should've). The mystery itself isn't nearly as engaging as season one. There we have an occult murder that unfurls into larger conspiracies and deep rooted power that can't really be touched. Here we are essentially told what we already can suspect (that the rich men behind the shady land/railway deals surround the "mystery") and aside from their parties, it really doesn't get all that weird or engaging. Season one's lasting impact on me was this whole concept that evil can never truly be destroyed; there are too many untouchables and power players here to really bring them down especially since most of their faces are never revealed. Here we have all of them out in the open, easily destroyed with the right evidence (which they conveniently attempt to wrap up in the epilogue) if it's ever brought to light. Politicians, business men, it just isn't quite as interesting that they're doing shady stuff compared to a religious cult that has its roots firmly in the community, and yet the biggest players are left untouched. That's the haunting reality that Marty and Rust come to realize. Season two the shady people are the shady people you expect. I know it isn't entirely fair to compare the two seasons because no one would ever argue for season two, but it's easy to reflect on the "wow" I felt after finishing season one and the ho-hum attitude I feel after season two.

As a full-blown Catholic.

Edit

Stephen Dorff joins Mahershala Ali for season 3.

Looks like our prayers have been answered. The show has gone back to its roots, and I am so excited for this season.