TV - True Detective Season 2, Episode 4
Distrust seems to be at the core of events this week as Frank can't trust his gardener to grow avocados, can't trust anyone but the Colombians to provide drugs for his club, can't trust the guy running his immigration housing to cut the lawn and can't trust his own team to be by his side when needed. The police don't trust Ani and effectively suspend her for gambling debts and having sex with fellow officers, and Ani doesn’t trust her dad who has links to everyone suspected in dodgy dealings within Vinci. Ray we know isn't trusted and doesn't trust himself but still finds time to try and support Paul who doesn't trust his own sexuality after a night with an ex forces buddy, doesn't trust the press who are now camped outside his hotel to ask questions about his dubious black ops military past, doesn't trust himself to be a good boyfriend but upon hearing he is to be a dad proposed to his on/off girlfriend anyway, and an untrustworthy confidential informant gives them all a pawn shop that leads to a suspect that leads to the loss of many lives in a very public gun battle that means no one will ever trust anyone again.
“Louche” is possibly the most highbrow insult in TV history (disclaimer - it may not be, I don't watch that much highbrow stuff) and sums up my issues, though slight, with season 2 so far... They're all trying too hard. Nic Pizzolatto is writing a really good plot but adding in dialogue that sometimes just does not fit, louche for example does not fit Vince Vaughan, his delivery thus far, and therefore his character. The directors are trying not to be Cary Fukunaga and therefore not succeeding in using what worked. The final ten minutes of this episode were good, don't get me wrong, it was probably the best shoot out on TV for a while, but the way it was filmed detracted slightly from the action and was too jumpy to keep an eye on everything which made me pine for the glorious one take ending to season 1's episode 4. Enough has been different that season 2 is being judged on its own merits so sometimes looking back at what worked in season 1 wouldn't hurt and tonight's finale while great could have been epic.
Story-wise I thought they found their suspect via the pawn shop a little too easily but that's a minor gripe and the fact that Ani and Ray are now clicking and starting to see what this land deal is worth should open some great plot doors in the remaining weeks. Rachel McAdams is doing a fantastic job with a character that's not completely fleshed out yet and seems to get the rough end of the pineapple more than the others, although Taylor Kitsch as an emotionally and sexually wrecked Paul is starting to come to life.
Not great this week but not as terrible as it could have been. We learned some things about all the characters and the action ramped up nicely. The fallout from the public shooting should make for a great episode 5.
Image - HBO
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