TV Thread - beware, [expletive] can get spoilery

[Cole Burns]

Just started watching True Detective last night, so I've got a little bit to catch up on. Initial thoughts: It's a standard, twisty turvy detective story (with GREAT acting!) hiding a religious/philosophical treatise. I would like either of those, but not sure how I like them together.

[lukethedrifter]

Just started watching True Detective last night, so I've got a little bit to catch up on. Initial thoughts: It's a standard, twisty turvy detective story (with GREAT acting!) hiding a religious/philosophical treatise. I would like either of those, but not sure how I like them together.

it's not hiding it very well

[go birds]

you would have thought that it might've peaked with last week's episode, but oh no, they keep bringing it

[thrill]

Just started watching True Detective last night, so I've got a little bit to catch up on. Initial thoughts: It's a standard, twisty turvy detective story (with GREAT acting!) hiding a religious/philosophical treatise. I would like either of those, but not sure how I like them together.

Nah bruh. It gets WEIRD. Like, Lovecraftian weird.

[heyzeus]

Just got to Ep 11 of Season 2 of HOC, and I think I'm done. That was the shark, and that was the Fonz jumping over it. HOC reminds me of Downtown Abbey now: what started as a fairly interesting study of a culture/society has devolved into a tub of soap opera goo.

What happens in that episode far exceeds the bounds of logic or reason that have been minimally established so far.

[Freed Roger]

Just got to Ep 11 of Season 2 of HOC, and I think I'm done. That was the shark, and that was the Fonz jumping over it. HOC reminds me of Downtown Abbey now: what started as a fairly interesting study of a culture/society has devolved into a tub of soap opera goo.

What happens in that episode far exceeds the bounds of logic or reason that have been minimally established so far.

What is the shark jump? Spoiler of course

[heyzeus]

Just got to Ep 11 of Season 2 of HOC, and I think I'm done. That was the shark, and that was the Fonz jumping over it. HOC reminds me of Downtown Abbey now: what started as a fairly interesting study of a culture/society has devolved into a tub of soap opera goo.

What happens in that episode far exceeds the bounds of logic or reason that have been minimally established so far.

What is the shark jump? Spoiler of course

SPOILER DIVULGED BELOW! But only to save anyone on the fence about watching this series the time.

[SHOW]

The Vice President and his wife just got through a huge tabloid/media scandal that resulted when pictures leaked of her having an affair with a photographer. So what better way to celebrate than having a three-way with their secret service agent.

[lukethedrifter]

Started in on Deadwood. 4 episodes in. Looking down the road at the fact that it got canceled and the movies failed to materialize.

I wish someone would make an hbo series out of Peter Matthiessen's Shadow Country.

[Cole Burns]

Just started watching True Detective last night, so I've got a little bit to catch up on. Initial thoughts: It's a standard, twisty turvy detective story (with GREAT acting!) hiding a religious/philosophical treatise. I would like either of those, but not sure how I like them together.

it's not hiding it very well

Yeah - I'm three episodes deep. Matthew is slinging it now. It's a little tedious and the veil is getting thin. "Okay, we get it. Matthew is the bad guy, but really the good guy because he admits it. Woody is the good guy, but really the bad guy because he refuses to admit it."

Procedurely, it seems to making some miscues. Okay, guys - you're at the school. At least go in and see if anyone's been in there. But nope - straight to the whacko in the gas mask. And the whole, "We want to hear the entire story step-by-step" lends itself to false starts/stops and red herrings, a la The Killing.

However, it is so beautifully scary that I can't get enough of it. Just amazing storytelling.

[ghostrunner]

Just started watching True Detective last night, so I've got a little bit to catch up on. Initial thoughts: It's a standard, twisty turvy detective story (with GREAT acting!) hiding a religious/philosophical treatise. I would like either of those, but not sure how I like them together.

it's not hiding it very well

Yeah - I'm three episodes deep. Matthew is slinging it now. It's a little tedious and the veil is getting thin. "Okay, we get it. Matthew is the bad guy, but really the good guy because he admits it. Woody is the good guy, but really the bad guy because he refuses to admit it."

Procedurely, it seems to making some miscues. Okay, guys - you're at the school. At least go in and see if anyone's been in there. But nope - straight to the whacko in the gas mask. And the whole, "We want to hear the entire story step-by-step" lends itself to false starts/stops and red herrings, a la The Killing.

However, it is so beautifully scary that I can't get enough of it. Just amazing storytelling.

Some of that has occurred to me too.

A couple other things:

Cohle's monologues - there is some degree of amateur philosophizing (is there a professional kind?) but you have to remember he's been profoundly affected by losing his daughter and his divorce. Seems fair to assume that he's both trying to explain and also rationalize that loss. Sort of a "those grapes were sour anyway" attitude toward marriage and family life. I think his points there - the selfishness of parenthood, arrogance of men - are partly true, but he protests too much. It's part of his character.

One exception - the line from episode 1 about aluminum and ash, and smelling the psychosphere, go back and watch that in the context of the scene. I'm 80% certain this is the most deadpan joke ever filmed (that I've seen). Basically, he's just [expletive] with him. It doesn't fit with the rest of his monologue and right before this Hart has expressed his annoyance with what Cohle is saying. I think that's right when Hart pipes up about keeping the car for silent reflection.

I'm a little disappointed with how much the show appears to favor Cohle. Cohle is clearly the star, but a variant of the genius/savant prick that's now prevalent on cop and doctor shows. Which isn't to say McConaughey isn't doing a great job, because he is. Hart on the other hand is kind of a jerk, a remorseless philanderer, and for all the time spent on him he's not even all that great a cop from what I can tell, except to the extent he takes up for Cohle. He's not even smart enough to argue some of Cohle's misanthropy, which would be more interesting than him saying "quit saying that [expletive]." I've been reminded a little of the relationship between Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt in Seven. Pitt's character is a dumb rookie, but he at least takes Freeman to task on some of his pessimism.

The other cops in the department are pretty stock and pointless too. What the scouts were to Paul DePodesta in Moneyball, they are to Cohle. A bunch of unhelpful schlubs that serve to make Cohle look that much better.

Having said all that, it's pretty great. I don't know if it's the best thing on television, but that doesn't really matter.