True Detective Season 2 | An Incomprehensible Disaster

[@Zodezz94]

I heard they made the actor that plays Caspere shit his pants while he was playing dead so he would be less willing to move and get poop on him. Crazy directing techniques!

[@MacabreStorytelling]

aCtInG

[@BlackTestament]

more like abusive directing techniques i hate how hostile work environments like that are just kinda…. glossed over

[@TheOrian34]

Were they taught by Jared Leto?

[@warlordofbritannia]

That seems highly unhealthy…also unnecessary

[@LSB44446]

@@BlackTestament I'd shit my pants for acting pay

[@benjamingentile1660]

Clearly Nic Pizzolatto loved writing that overdone dialogue for Rust in season 1. The difference, and what made that work so well, is all of Rust’s pretension and pessimistic philosophy spouting was revealed to be a coping mechanism for dealing with his daughter passing. It’s not something you can just throw on any old character and make it work.

[@Vashthestampede967]

Kinda its more that what made rust cole work was that there was a clear idea of who he is and what dynamics he had. In this season? I only know whats happening from wikipedia.

[@earlpipe9713]

Overwrought/stylized dialogue coulda been the noir influence too

[@SphenForTheWin]

Matthew also wrote tons of pages on the character as a personal study before starting filming. The actor alsp goes a long way towards making the dialogue believable.

[@TempestRequiem0]

Rust was also amazingly counter balanced by Marty which made for some hilarious comedic moments in the first few episodes.

[@benjamingentile1660]

@@earlpipe9713 for sure but in a modern show or movie you have motivate that in a realistic way

[@cloudsombrero]

ill still die on the hill that colin farrell carried this season

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Objectively correct

[@ARTHURDASILVEIRAFORTES2023]

​​​​​​​@@MacabreStorytellingColin Farrell is truly underrated. Great videos as usual, Mr. Storytelling, some suggestions I think would be cool to see are: Finale Face off between The Shield and The Wire finales, the repugnancy of Clay Morrow, face off between Antz and A Bug's Life, and some underrated shows I think you would like are Legion, Terriers and Venture Bros. Keep up the good work, Mr. Storytelling. Also, I already saw L.A. Confidental and it is great, maybe you should make a full analysis about the movie.

[@SethHMG]

I’d watch an entire show about Ray Velcoro

[@earlpipe9713]

I think the Alexander movie he starred/was miscast in unfairly earned him a kinda critical reputation as an acting lightweight for a period of his career, til he proved just how absurd that view of him was.

[@reginaphalange9417]

​@@earlpipe9713 in Alexander one problem is the attempt to make Farell look that blond, it looks artificial and awful and it would have been better to keep darker hair even if it didn't match the historical representations of Alexander

[@marekkapusta7825]

This season had some great moments and huge potential. It was just undercooked. It gave me blueballs, but like in my soul.

[@chriscarter2509]

I see what you did there

[@ljc3484]

😂

[@jakek1735]

My friends wanted to stop watching halfway through, I said "No, there's potential here". But it just shit my carpet.

[@macfilms9904]

So I was at HBO while all of this went down. Season 1 was the best pilot script that ever crossed my desk - I read it and instantly wanted to see more. You are correct in identifying one of the big problems: HBO didn't give Nic the time he needed to develop Season 2 - we had un unexpected hit & wanted to instantly follow it up. Another problem was Michael Lombardo - he was my boss for a decade in Business Affairs & after Chris Albrecht's unfortunate departure, Mike ended up on top. But he wasn't a creative guy, he was a lawyer. And a lawyer wasn't able to guide Season 2's development. Season 2 needed fewer main characters and a more coherent storyline.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

[@Poookoook]

I mean that and the writer of the first season plagerized how many of those dialogues Ligotti the philosopher wrote

[@derekkras]

the main problem is the casting , there is not believable characters , hiring the wedding crashers for NOIR movie ? Mc Adams i mean come on , she smiles all the time even if she doesnt ,

[@derekkras]

@@Poookoook examples?

[@baTonkaTruck]

And more esoteric, deceased (but talented) sci-fi writers to plagiarize.

[@ericthomas6726]

"You don't remember memories, they remember you," sounds like some shit Matthew McConaughey would say.

[@BoleDaPole]

Hhehehe allllright 😎

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

Sounds very Yakov Smirnoff!

[@nabetse1999]

Vince Vaughn's Frank is one of my favouirte characters in any TV show ever. He is freaking hilarious in every scene he's in, he says the wildest shit all the time, and dispite constantly being fucked over and bullied, he keeps steamrolling through it all. I honestly think Vaughn did a great job and the character feels flawed, charismatic, and menacing at the same time. He’s the embodiment of “Fuck it, we ball.”

[@MrStupididy]

watch him in dragged across concrete and cell-block 99 he's a monster(in a good way)

[@CircuitRider]

I kind of hated Vaughn in this initially but his performance and character really grew on me on re-watches. His last scene is actually really beautifully tragic, and Frank’s relationship with his wife was surprisingly moving considering a lot of the dialogue was over cooked. It’s very noir meets David Milch-speak. People say everyone in S2 talks like that but I think it’s mostly Frank tbh. Ray and Ani get some Rust-isms but aren’t nearly as verbose and faux-intellectual as Frank.

[@DaveyFish1]

@@chonchjohnchI would be too if I had people claiming they were my cousin

[@fangal12]

​@@DaveyFish1 Vince Vaughn: I don't know you and we're not related. Random commenter's half brother: He's my cousin but he's kind of arrogant

[@earlpipe9713]

You're not kidding about the "keeps steamrolling along" part - he kept moving forward even after his own death!

[@ActualHonestReporting]

Velcoro beating the crap out of Aspen’s dad to teach him to stop bullying other kids was the joint fury of all fathers of bullied children captured in one scene.

[@hashvendetta7226]

It also contributes nothing to the story

[@HHTwice]

@@hashvendetta7226so what? It was a great scene that had a level of build up and payoff to it

[@hashvendetta7226]

@@HHTwice no it doesn't

[@HHTwice]

@@hashvendetta7226 yes it did

[@hashvendetta7226]

@@HHTwice nah

[@PViolety]

“Never do anything out of hunger, not even eating.”

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Caspere clearly didn’t know this

[@thirdguy4589]

Imagine not understand what this line says about the character. Linear reddit brains will never understand

[@Gofaw]

​@@thirdguy4589i think it's mostly reddit people that shit on season 2, I guess not having le epic atheist philosopher spewing edgy lines is all it takes for them to not like something

[@dayne6475]

do people actually dislike this quote? Its obviously not life changing wisdom but I think its funny and fits Frank really well while not being dumb either, its makes sense and explains his philosophy a bit

[@Agnes1322]

I love Frank so much, not even joking

[@Wyllies11]

What I am hearing is they need to do a meta True Detective series where Carey and Nic are the partners trying to work together.

[@Ptrm594]

As long as Pizzolato dies in he end, and horribly. He's an extraordinarily irritating person. He spent a decade writing one story, much of it lifted from other places, and that became season 1. He even published it into a novel with different names for the characters but essentially the same characters and themes. He was hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Cary Joji, on the other hand, had made brilliant work before TD and kept doing so afterward. Pizzolato just isn't very creative and isn't a very good writer. Imagine asking him to write a happy show with well adjusted characters. Say, a story about tv executives in the 90s or something very different. If he was good, he could do that, but he's not and it'd just be all about how the executives are tortured souls and blah blah blah, the one note he spent a decade (with his buddy who he threw under the bus) creating. He's unimaginative, but worse, he's just an incredibly annoying person. Self absorbed is far too mild an expression for him. But if he and Cary Joji did a show about themselves, Pizzolato would have to be the Rust Cohle badass, knows how to interrogate, knows how to hunt and track like a freaking Recon Marine, tough as nails, tortured, can't sleep but toughs it out, etc etc. Someone else would have to write it. Pizzolato should never be allowed to write anything again. After you learn, if that's possible, the season 2 plot, one is forced to come to that conclusion. Cary Joji could write it. It'd actually be interesting if he did. But almost anyone else could too. As long as Pizzolato isn't involved it could turn out to be a pretty interesting little concept.

[@John_Notmylastname]

One thing that is often overlooked when comparing the two seasons is the setting. Having season one set in Louisiana was a perfect place for that story to be told. Can you imagine how boring it would have been if it had been set in New York or Chicago? Using a place that most Americans simply don’t see in film was an incredible decision. There was a lot of attention to detail in the first season because you had this rich and deep culture to draw from which made it that much more believable. God damn that first season was so good lol.

[@marksmith3991]

Could have gone with Florida the hurricane rating keeps the architecture set in the mid 70s and not have had Vince Vaughn love him but he's a crasher

[@Thor-Orion]

Nic also grew up there. He knew how to make Louisiana Bayou into it’s own character, much like David Simon knows Baltimore and brought that to life as a character in The Wire. There’s an intimacy of familiarity that enables an artist to capture the nature of the thing in a way that is both personal and universal.

[@al1665]

They had to shoot it there, it's Southern Gothic at its finest.

[@Thor-Orion]

@@al1665 I mean aesthetically, obviously. But as I stated Nic is a Louisiana native, the entire story is built around the personality of the location.

[@zanpakutoman4225]

So, I just started watching True Detective and I noticed this immediately. I think a True Detective story in a sunny environment is possible, but they're still trying to act like it's an abandoned and empty shell of a place. When they're walking through Caspere's home the music is ominous and scary. But, the setting is brightly lit, with sunlight coming through pretty much every angle. It made me think of how scary it was just seeing Rust explore the abandoned school.

[@augoosto11]

I'm embarrassed to admit "that's one off the bucket list, Mexican stand-off with actual Mexicans" actually made me laugh

[@calvinware7957]

That's actually a really good line. It wouldn't have been said by any other character and all those other weird Frankisms kinda make that one.

[@icchampion5]

Goddam. I can see why Pizzolatto. NEEDED to be reigned in with this. Within 25 minutes of you explaining the plot, I was like "damn, certain things needed to get cut and organized." If the plot would've focused on the events of 1992, season 2 could've been better, if not coherent.

[@Blexg]

yeah, listening to him explain the plot made me think that a plot this complex can only really be communicated across like 4 seasons, not 8 episodes

[@nicanornunez9787]

At least 16 episodes and 2 seasons, but probably even with that it would needed to be rewritten.

[@ShaneMichealCupp]

Because all the characters are dead. “Western Book of the Dead” is the name of the first episodes. This whole season is about 3 dead souls making there way to the afterlife. The guy who made this video is a dick.

[@valentinegonsalves7322]

Its starts off like its gonna be this divorced cop and the female detective. Then its about murder and land deals and railroads and corrupt government. They could've ended there. But then it becomes about drugs and prostitution and LA Confidential-style massacres amd shit. I hated the damned plot. My favourite part was the character moments. Colin Farrell starts off bad but crushed it by the end. Rachel McAdams wears one expression the whole show, but damn, her story is pretty dark also. Vince Vaughn was great. But I wanted him to spill more blood. He didn't come across as a mob boss at all. Loved how Kelly Reilly's Jordan is ride-or-die till the end. Woodrugh was just wasted. I like how bleak and dark the show is. You will never see grape be the backstory for several characters and handled in such a nuanced way without being fucking cheesy and just a revenge plot. But there were too many pieces. Not enough time. This should've been 16 episodes. Not 8

[@dayne6475]

I dont think it shouldve been set in 1992, just focus a lot more time on frank and ray, flesh those characters out and dont spend time on other character arcs that wont get finished anyway

[@VideoHostSite]

They really needed to just cut the entire Taylor Kitsch subplot. It added nothing, and some of the worst plot holes occur during it. Like the "we can't find him in the incredible maze of sewer tunnels... er, wait, the bad guy will somehow magically know exactly where Kitsch will exit the tunnels."

[@lordofthebuckets2676]

I’ll excuse that bit because it subtracted one main character from this bloated season.

[@calvinware7957]

Yeah I think that character and Bezzerides could have been merged into a single character and we'd have been fine

[@lifeisstr4nge]

All the gay stuff sucks and feminism sucks

[@Iknowwhereyoulive66]

"You know in the sixties NASA spent millions of taxpayer dollars to invent a pen that works in space. Millions of dollars for a pen that works upside down. You know what the Russians did Ray? They used a fucking pencil. That's what the Russians do Ray, they think they can erase anything that they've written down. Caspere knew this. But what the fuck did he know right? He's dead for fuck's sake."

[@coollemon7607]

So glad someone pointed out the similarities between Ellroy's novels and this season! Season 1 took elements from L.A Confidential (the false arrest, the conspiracy, etc), but season 2 was like watching an adaptation of The Big Nowhere that was changing just enough elements so the creator wouldn't get sued.

[@powerbite92]

Pizzolatto was obviously ripping off a lot of previous material.

[@valentinegonsalves7322]

Season 2 has the whole B plot be just the massacre from LA Confidential. I mean what the hell. 1992-riots? Diamond heist? Bent cops and LA Admin? Come on, man! When they made it about land deals, I expected either there's be a mass grave somewhere, or they actually found diamonds in the mines that were shut down. Like a good old western. P.S. LA in this season doesn't feel like a cool setting. Louisiana was scary and had a life of its own. Like the forests and cabins and shit! LA is just factories and city lights and waste plants. Why even show any of that?

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

I want True Detective Season 5 to be about investigating Velcoro beating up that kid’s dad, and they solve the case only to run smackdab into the nonsense that is Season 2’s plot.

[@lordofthebuckets2676]

And the detective investigating it presumably goes insane right?

[@YungM.D.]

Season 1 was too good for its own sake as an anthology Season 2 had more traditional TV season writing process, written in a year with more writers and more directors vs. Pizzolatto writing it all himself over the course of a decade, slowly refining it and pairing with a singular visionary as a director for the whole season. It might even be considered ‘good’ if not for that stellar first season Edit: also my favorite random Seymon quote, was when he was taking the dudes grills out and he just goes “Never liked these things. What kind of way is that to greet the world?” Just a bit out of pocket while you’re being a vicious gangster Also the fact Pizolatto used ‘grape as backstory’ for not one but two lead characters (Bezzerides AND Velcoro) is insane And Velcoro’s last message not going through due to lack of signal was just needlessly cruel

[@earlpipe9713]

The online hyperbolic hate machine didn't help at the time either

[@NelsonStJames]

Yep. The lighting-in-a-bottle syndrome has been the downfall of many a film and television series, and you can count the number of franchises that avoided it on two hands with fingers left over.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

Bezzerides could have been interesting if she was written by an actual woman. Instead she came off as a trope- yet another female character that was stripped of everything remotely feminine about her. Also Cary Fukunaga is a genius and was sorely missed from s2.

[@AmandaVieiraMamaesouCult]

​@@ripwednesdayadamsYeah, I agree that Cary was missed. Some of the acting was too flat - and I know the actors were good, so it must have been a directing problem. The editing was so choppy and weird too.

[@HHTwice]

⁠@@ripwednesdayadamsshe was a childhood rape victim survivor and she carried that with her throughout her entire life, her behavior made sense, if a woman wrote her trauma would have been her entire character

[@Spider_Gooch]

I think your point about scenes and sequences is really good. A lot of people demonstrate the innate desire to complete the sequence independently. When you look up the bully scene most videos cut it together as one sequence.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👆👆👆

[@Tepes1980]

I actually remembered Tasha much better than the rest, because she was the one described in a different way from the others. The others were all humans, but Tasha was just a drawing.

[@calvinware7957]

Caspere knew this

[@kinghadbar]

I was so confident at the beginning of the video that I would have survived that hostage scenario but it’s scary how I didn’t remember any of that diamond shit.

[@naplockblubba5369]

I've watched this video 3 times and still have yet to figure out when parents of the people who killed Caspere died

[@eviekims]

@@naplockblubba5369when they were robbed of the diamonds they were also executed in the store in front of the kids. the security cam videotapes were removed afterward to prevent evidence surfacing

[@weareallbronies9031]

It's always a rare treat when macbre storytelling uploads.

[@Bwoodlyy]

Fantastic job talking about Season 2 in a fair light. My OCD didn’t allow me to skip the season even tho it’s an anthology. Honestly for the first 2 episodes I was ready to say the hate was overblown and that it was just still good just not great. Obviously the season collapsed under all the pressure but there is still genuinely something there. Even after the disgusting taste the finale left in my mouth I didn’t regret watching it at all. Matter of fact I found it to be vital in viewing S3 as without that stumble in the middle it’s a little harder to appreciate S3 for what it does. Really wish they took more time on this season because the cast is stacked and they really could’ve had a crazy ensemble of characters.

[@Thor-Orion]

I just made this same point. About season 2 being worth watching to put 3 in proper context of what it does for the show

[@nestorarranz3179]

Its pretty clear shit hit the fan when It took like 8 characters to get to the first main character

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👆👆👆👆👆👆👆

[@cernunnos_lives]

That first season grabbed you viscerally and intellectually the way the other didn't. It was so iconic and was a slow dive emotionally. It was southern gothic at it's best.

[@jaytonius560]

Only a few minutes into you explaining Season 2’s plot and I’m already lost… 😵‍💫

[@OlYables]

Yeah wow lol - convoluted is putting it lightly.

[@gregorysgarrison]

A lot of shows are doing that extremely annoying editing where they bounce back and forth in the middle of scenes.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I honestly don’t get it. It’s infuriating.

[@Megabomberman87]

They don't trust the attention spans of modern audiences and they are possibly right. I recently revisited The Conversation (Hackman) and couldn't get over how patient the editing was, real slow burn stuff. Lynch appears to be one of the only modern directors who sticks to his guns and says to his audience take it or leave it.

[@exnihilonihilfit6316]

It's for the TikTok kids, yes...

[@calvinware7957]

​@@MacabreStorytellinga lot of the cuts kinda seem like they were built for a commercial break and upon return you'd be put in the different scene and then bounce back to the one you left for break

[@MikeMarlowe-ym3zy]

@@exnihilonihilfit6316yes the tik tok kids who were probably not even born when Lost came out, that’s who it’s for

[@itsliqs]

That montage of the horrible dialogue was so funny. Great video, it's nice to hear someone tear this season apart critically instead of just shitting on it

[@jmha2428]

The dialogue especially between 2 characters during a conversation was cringe. Colin and Rachel McAdams had no chemistry in my opinion

[@jakek1735]

Here's a good question I don't hear anyone asking: how are the diamonds even still in Caspere's posession after all this time? Like, if the four of them used the diamonds as bribes to secure positions of power in Vinci, doesn't that mean that... like, they USED the diamonds? And even if we assume maybe they didn't need ALL the diamonds to do what they wanted, why would they hold on to these incriminating pieces of evidence for all these years instead of just fencing them for cash?

[@kousetsuhana]

i just came to the comments to ask this when the plot recap mentioned them... makes no sense they still had them!!

[@derkcast620]

Yeah! I was thinking the same thing... Like what they succeeded in bribeing on a layaway plan?!

[@jasonbourne1218]

​@@derkcast620 LMAO

[@broghad8241]

​@@derkcast620 Lol

[@coopersepulveda9872]

I always just thought that There was probably more diamonds and Caspere just had 4 left.

[@SethHMG]

“I’m feeling a little apoplectic myself” “Then go stand in front of a tank” “Life is a 20-piece chicken McNugget meal…Caspere knew this.” I’m dying

[@BoleDaPole]

Whoever invented chicken nuggets, yo he off the hook

[@FirstmaninRome]

I just rewatched the whole season, and it's rewatchable, It was emotional, I pondered my life in this corrupt empire, and hopelessness, it's a Flawed masterpiece.

[@tylersmith2854]

Anybody else coming back here after slogging through Season 4?

[@rickyflare5104]

I love season 2 and the LA Confidential comparison has changed the way I look at it. Never seen it, but you really did a good job pointing out the similarities

[@SquishyEggo]

Season 2 has its problems, but I still like it.

[@foo3268]

one of the few channels that I'll absolutely watch whatever comes out from

[@SeanTxty]

I have a lot of bones to pick with this - but I'll just leave it at this: I love the batshit dialogue - it feels like a constant stream of hilarious shitposts. It's so good. I think it might just be a taste issue

[@colemax4041]

Some of it is absolutely hilarious. Ass-pen whole scene had me dying. The never act out of hunger line had me laughing but only because it was just cringey and ridiculous. Velcoros likes were a lot better than simeones

[@ripwednesdayadams]

46:27 That sequence is one of my favorite sequences ever- in tv and film. Cary is a genius. You feel like you are with Rust, running for your life

[@scizophreniafriend]

Every time I see an upload from you it’s a treat for sure. You inspire me in my early storytelling career to refine what little craft I have, and most of all push me to understand and analyze my favorite pieces of art.

[@SnakeWasRight]

Yeah, I remember not following a single thread if the mystery plot while this was airing. The characters were all I could understand, and they were hit and miss.

[@fire_rises]

Okay stop ✋️ Frank's "out of pocket" lines were the best lines in the movie. "I'm Chinese not Korean" "OK go stand in front of a tank" Bro that's really funny 😁 😂

[@gianni206]

So true. Even Caspere knew this.

[@Ptrm594]

Why does he even mention Khe Sanh if the dude is Korean ? Khe Sanh is in Vietnam.

[@derodomtommy3716]

Thanks for making this. I couldn't get into S2 back when it was airing precisely because I had no idea what "it was." Wasn't sure why I was watching any given episode and it never cleared it all up in the end.

[@TNT011gaming]

“Never do anything out of hunger … not even eating” 😂😂😂😂 Wisdom of Frank

[@connordebruler3264]

Can we agree that the soundtrack was the best of the three? I mean, Lera Lynn, Nick Cave, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy? Come on what a match made in heaven?

[@kernc7786]

The dumbest thing for me in Season 2 was Frank's death. He dies because he won't give the guy his suit, WHICH ISNT EVEN THE WHITE SUIT HE TOLD HIS WIFE HE WOULD BE WEARING WHEN THEY MET AGAIN.

[@matthewalbert8469]

I thought it was because he had the diamonds in his jacket. So he didn’t want to let on that he had something to hide, he tried to play it off as if to say “Fuck off, I’m not giving my jacket” that’s what I thought

[@mysticfellow9843]

​@@matthewalbert8469 oh shit you're probably right. He cashed it out for the diamonds and that's probably all he had left. Still, though pretty dumb to fight the guy when he's surrounding by guns

[@Agnes1322]

I mean, I get he didn't want to give them the suit. The diamonds were in there, probably what he felt was his last resort to get to Jordan and be able to really start a new life there. What annoyed me so much about it was that the mexicans wouldn't even have wanted his suit if he had just shut the fuck up and let them drive away. To me it felt like the writers just really wanted him to die for the tragedy but didn't know how let the scene play out organically while also coming to that conclusion.

[@stratrovarius]

This video is the answer to all the questions me and my wife were left with after watching this season of True Detective. Thorough work. Well done. Cheers.

[@russellaplin7375]

I struggled with this series, I thought it was me. I came here for the truth, and the truth set me free.

[@DH1984-d7d]

Compared to season four, season two isn't so bad. Definitely inferior to the first season, no doubt about it. But nowhere near as incoherent and insanely idiotic as season four.

[@marumae]

I'm watching season 4 now, was going along steadily, slowly building, expecting a few more episodes to build up an explanation for all the mystery, only to realize I have ONE episode left to wrap all this bullshit up.

[@MistyTheFangirlyLady]

As someone who never bothered to watch past Season 1, this was an entertaining watch! And thanks for reminding me to rewatch it as well as L.A. Confidential and Chinatown!

[@earlpipe9713]

If you're really into old-school LA history, check out James Ellroy's LA Quartet novels, one of which is actually LA Confidential

[@shhs1227]

​@@earlpipe9713 regardless of LA. just read Ellroy. possibly the greatest crime writer of all time

[@Thor-Orion]

Watch season 3

[@Oneiriel]

Well done. The scene with Ray and Frank at the table was like when you're having sex with a person and you're building up to the climax, and then the dude just pulls out and goes to play video games without any satisfaction. Sorry for the crude analogy, but Season 2 did this constantly. I couldn't even keep my head wrapped around the sequence of events, subplots, and extra characters. Also the dialogue with Velcoro saying that smoking an e-cigarette was like "sucking on a robot's dick", was taken directly from a joke by comedian, Dave Attell who made the joke on The Conan O'Brien Show a year previously.

[@daysofapril2667]

Nice catch on the L.A. Confidential vibes. Anyone familiar with Ellroy’s work will clearly see the “similarities” in TD2. I consider it an homage 😉.

[@Jffeeney3rd]

That shootout was yes, ridiculous, but what an incredible watch haha.

[@StevelyBruckShut]

I do appreciate how every single woman they casted was ridiculously beautiful. Thats my silver lining

[@VanirTraditionalist]

The bar owner is a sultry smokeshow even with her face scarred up.

[@hansjuker8296]

Velcoro's tragedy is that his FEAR of not being the father kept him from actually being one.

[@yggdrasil2]

Lukewarm defense of one aspect of the season: The reason Velcoro sacrificed himself was the fact that the villains knew he had stopped at his son's school, meaning they could get revenge by killing his family even if he managed to remove the tracker and escape

[@aura3064]

Vince Post: Ray, I can't get my wife pregnant because I shoot blanks. That’s why my handgun is always loaded. Casper knew this.

[@warlordofbritannia]

It sounds like Laura’s hunt for vengeance should have been the focus of the season, not this convoluted mess of red herrings and backstabbings. Could have made a whole show about her tracking down Caspere, reconnecting with her brother, slowly uncovering a greater conspiracy going to the highest levels of local government, etc.

[@warlordofbritannia]

Oh boy, a new Mac video about a show I know absolutely nothing about! Can’t wait to watch this later

[@BlackTestament]

you should watch season one, just some of the absolute greatest television I have no interest in watching the others seasons in my mind nothing can top season one

[@warlordofbritannia]

@@BlackTestament Hmm, perhaps I shall. Who doesn’t love a good whodunnit mystery, after all?

[@TdF_101]

If you've ever read James Ellroy, this season seems like an amalgamation of the plots from some of his novels. Complete with a plastic surgeon altering models, a robbery to secure better careers ...

[@sblinder1978]

I wonder if any of Frank's batshit dialogue was just Vaughn riffing- he trained as Chicago's Improv Olympic.

[@yidingliu8663]

What did I find? Someone who knows what he's talking about, not afraid to call bs on either 'side' of the internet, and capable of presenting his arguments in good format? You have my subscription good sir.

[@lisetteeliseparis7070]

Subscribing! Comparing L.A. Confidential and Season 2 of TD is brilliant. I finished Season 2 yesterday. Thank you.

[@helpfulcommenter]

Really nice work. I was wanting a ninth episode when it all finished, I think because I still needed some more resolution from all the convolution. And your video delivered.

[@moejuggler6033]

The Ask Jeeves bit was perfection 😂😂😂

[@panterxbeats]

42:00 I actually liked this moment of the scene cutting away to the brief moment where Velcoro finds Davis dead. It kept me on edge for the previous scene and continued the intensity. It gave the feeling that everything was falling apart, but asides from that, yeah the editing was very jarring. I still enjoyed the season as the episodes went on, and I think something truly amazing is hidden within it, but it was clearly rushed and you nailed it.

[@NelsonStJames]

Honestly I like the Frank Semyon character and the way Vince Vaugh played him. Also his final scene is the one scene in True Detective season 2 that I still remember. The main problem most people have with TD season 2 is that it wasn't a continuation of season 1. If this season didn't have Rust and Martin, half the viewers weren't going to give it a chance no matter how good it was, because the majority of complaints about season 2 don't tend to touch on any of the problems brought up in this video. This tendency for fans to not let creators attempt something new and simply want the same thing that hooked them rehashed is the reason a lot of franchises simply overstay their welcome until they become stale.

[@TheMaddWatcher]

I know that this season can be very messy and it’s a very large departure from the first season, but I still love this season with all my heart. I’ve rewatched it about 5 times and it gets better everytime.

[@jplonsdale7242]

Completely agree I have watched the entire season every year since it aired

[@yvesheinrich5013]

Likewise!

[@dracula1980]

After watching season 4 this is a masterpiece

[@Ziegrif]

Colin Farrels curse is being the best actor and making the best performance in garbage.

[@fabriccouch]

This season has always reminded me of Chinatown. I absolutely love it. The plot line isn’t that hard to follow - if you watch with intent you should be fine. Super underrated.

[@VersusArdua]

The best thing about the show was rust cohle and even his character was ripped almost word for word from Thomas Ligotti's book 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race'. Working on it since 2010 my ass, that Nic guy is a fucking hack

[@Megabomberman87]

It actually took you nearly a full hour and half to cover why and what is wrong with this season and that was with you going at a nice brisk pace. Fair play. Excellent video.

[@Verboten-xn4rx]

Eh? Was one of best posts of 23. He took this spaghetti plot and never gave up. Amazing. TD season 4 is about a Polar bear 😂

[@Death13Horseman]

You have to do a video on True Detective season 1, dude. To see what made it one of the greatest seasons of television ever made. Great work as always. I started this season but never managed to finish it, it just didn't feel anything like season 1, in terms of writing of course, not that I was looking for the same thing again.

[@CircuitRider]

Honestly I’ve always liked Season 2 even though it took a repeat viewing to even understand the whole plot. It’s clearly flawed and feels like an early draft more than a polished season like S1 but I love a lot of it, Farrell and McAdams being very effective imo. And although the first 3-4 episodes are pretty dull, the last few hours are really intense and where it finally takes off. Yeah there’s some cringey dialogue throughout but it’s not too terrible. I like the influences it’s riffing on even if it’s not as good as them - feels like Pizzollatto combined David Lynch and Michael Mann’s LA noirs, along with Chinatown, Eyes Wide Shut and The Wire. I think it works pretty well as a very dark and very complicated neo-noir. But it’s easily the weakest of the three TD seasons for sure. I do really like (or love) all 3 seasons though. I know S1 is easily the best but S3 is a near-masterpiece as well, and S2 really just isn’t as bad as consensus dictates. You wanna see a show that utterly collapses in its 2nd and 3rd seasons, check out Westworld lol. I just watched that and the drop in quality after S1 is truly insane, I imagine people who hate TD s2 feel the same as I do about Westworld post-S1. Anyways, great work as always Mac, even if I don’t fully agree. I think it’s fair to say TD S2 needed more time, Nic having to pump it out in less than a year surely didn’t help matters as you note.

[@sunnysalt]

I agree i loved season 3.

[@davidhenderson9707]

Your comment is very helpful as I arrived here after falling asleep after 40 long, drawn-out minutes of S2E1 and then wondering what went wrong. I am however a big fan of Eyes Wide Shut…. What aspect did you find similar as I’m looking for motivation to give TD S2 another chance.

[@DrDoomBloom]

Thank you for mentioning a show that truly went downhill after season 1: WestWorld. By the time it reached season 3, I deemed it unwatchable

[@johnv6806]

I was so pumped after season 1 of westworld. I think midway through season 2 i hated it.

[@sfcSpidey]

@@sunnysalt I like season 3 I just don’t like the explanation of what happened with all the hints of a connection with season 1 lore hope season 4 will go back to that

[@Cyber_Noot]

Vince posting was truly special

[@warlordofbritannia]

My best friend thinks Woody Harrelson looks like a goomba from the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie.

[@richardofredemption]

Holy shit you’re right

[@Coburnify]

Dude him and Mattew might actually be real half brothers. It's bonkers.

[@sangerdace]

You do expect to storyline in this season be the main perceived element, when it's not. Confronting this series and this particular season with no empathy, just like a scheme to solve - is wrong from the beginning. In life portraying, in characters development this season did the same, if not better job than season 1. We got 4 traumatized yet really unique main characters to unravel their lifelines in interfering with major web of crimes. It is enough by itself to be spectacular in connection with chaotic nature of criminal world and the world as a whole. Get empathic and learn to appreciate things as they were intended, people. It will get you places.

[@tianz4441]

Well said mate.I don't really think s2 deserves this type of review by this youtuber,i mean, way too much. S2 has a different sense of vibes which I love better.

[@andrewclodfelter3782]

Season 2's cast was amazing such a shame it wasn't a masterpiece.

[@DB1960-k9p]

Fantastic explanation. The only reason I kept watching the annoying drunken season 2 was because it kept reminding me that I must have seen it before but now I realize it was due to my sub conscience connecting with L.A.Confidential and I didn't even know it until just now. Wow, thank you. Great job.

[@villagemonkey1190]

The explanation of the Plot is like that Michael Spicer video satirizing Christopher Nolan’s exposition, which really shows how ludicrously over complicated it is.

[@dinndorf2011]

Such great actors, incomprehensible plot, still has great atmosphere

[@derpmcmaster4248]

I remember the moment the show died. It was when they were walking to the location of the pivotal shootout. My friend yelled "Why are they WALKING!?". Just killed it.

[@jmha2428]

After watching S1, then recently S4 ,and a few days ago finishing S3 I can honestly say that watching S2 last few days was like watching some other tv show, it might be ok as some standalone mini series but stackee against the other TD seasons it really lacks the cohesion, direction and settings the others had. I also believe the acting and chemistry wasnt there, I like Vince Vaughn, but to me he just comes off as a comedic actor, he didnt sell me as mobster/gangster. The rest of the cast did ok but idk if it was the dialogue, direction or chemistry but some of the scenes between two characters in conversation were painfully dry and paper thin. The ton of cast of characters also just made it harder to follow and the LA setting was never captivating to me. It was hard for me to finish it last night, I did it out of duty for being a completionist since i had watched the previous seasons, but cant imagine rewatching this again. After season ones masterpiece the next best for me would be S3, Stephen Dorf impressed me with some serious acting chops and Maserhala is just great, the dialogues, chemistry flowed in that season. In my opinion by order of best to worst seasons it would be S1-S3-S4---S2

[@jamesabernethy7896]

Great episode, full of great analysis and so funny. I loved the first season, even though this had a great cast list too, I only watched 3 episodes and was still struggling to follow what was happening.

[@turbotegs2102]

imagine colin farrell as one of the leads in true detective but writing as good as season 1's

[@GooblyWoobly69]

I actually felt like s2 did a great job of getting to know multiple main characters. Season 1 is a masterpiece that I love, but I actually found season 2 to be more entertaining

[@kennymarotta9924]

This makes me understand why i was looking forward to watch every week but fell asleep every episode until the finale

[@diegowushu]

Holy crap, even though I quite enjoyed the season back in the day (rushed as it felt), it's incredible how you pointed out things I had in the back of my mind (the editing, the characterization). Well done sir. Never ended up watching S3, maybe it's time I give it a shot.

[@TheGodFr0mTheMachine]

Considering the accusations of plagiarism made against the first season, it does not surprise me that season 2 is largley plagarized from another story as well. It just suspect that even after the controversy that Nic felt comfortable doing it again. It may be for the best that he is no longer involved in the show.

[@Brothercole1994]

I loved this season, honestly., Obviously it can't match the success of S1 but the story itself and how it captures the corruption of the people and the city is really well done.

[@valentinegonsalves7322]

I liked the season too. Wasn't as bad as everyone says. The characters are superb. Its just that the main plot sucks. Would've preferred if it was just Ray and Ani and Frank Semyon in an LA Confidential plot. The main deal is supposed to be about land, but then its about diamonds. I expected someone in the government or the mob or the cops found diamonds in the mines, used the river pollution as an excuse to shut them down so they could establish their own order in Vinci. Or alternatively, everyone was buying the land and uncovered a mass grave, either the cops of the mob put those bodies on site and corpses ruined the groundwater table.

[@luc.juan333]

Maybe the core idea was very good but I feel there were at least 3 seasons condensed into one. Trying to keep up with the events while at the same time remembering countless names and faces can be quite the challenge.

[@perkypat5604]

I want to point out a nuance in Bezzerides' abuse backstory. I found interesting she points out that, if I remember correctly, the abuser didn't force her at all. She went with him just because the guy flattered her and she really liked it. For me, one of the enjoyable parts of this mediocre season was the sexual traits of the main characters. They all have, somehow, a twisted malfuction related to sex. Besides Bezzerides, the other three main characters struggle with their manliness: Velcoro's honor is questioned by the rape of his wife and his doubtful paternity; Woodrugh doesn't fit in traditional masculinity as seen in the relationship with her mother and being gay; and Frank encounters problems trying to succeed in business and in keeping his wife by his side, two things we could call "masculine traits", business success and sexual success. Btw you got a new suscriber. I'm on my third replay of your plot summary. I guess I'll get it by the fifth time I watch it.

[@HelbergProductions]

my baseless vindication of season 2 of true detective is that it was created in a lab by scientists seeking to perfectly simulate the experience my adhd ass has watching literally any show or movie i don't immediately care about, and subject an unsuspecting audience to it. (oh and Frank Semyon owns and is probably worth watching the entire season for alone)

[@DarknessAtNoon32]

Now that I’m revisiting this, I notice there’s a ton of overlap with the movie LA Confidential. Three main cop protagonists, corrupt cops involved in organized crime some of whom get whacked, blackmail of elites via prostitution ring involving plastic surgery, blackmail being related to a land deal. One protagonist is a cynic, one by the book, one a total rage machine. Hmmmm

[@goldonder]

While I don't disagree the season could've used more time in the oven, I think the narrative being confusing, frustrating and relentlessly tragic is perfectly in keeping with the spirit of film noir. So when you're going over how poorly communicated major plot details are, it really just makes me love the season more.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Honestly at some point I almost thought it was deliberate, like it was emulating The Big Sleep or something. Kinda thought it would have been funny if they just dropped Caspere’s death and never revealed who did it lol

[@Senoba]

the depressing ending in which the bad guys win and get away with everything is also perfectly in line with the noir aesthetic

[@pavener]

thank god im not the only one that thought this season was super confusing in terms of what is going on...

[@arthurballs7083]

Whilst it's not in the same ballpark as S1, it's not that bad.

[@drownthepoor]

Season 2 has it's own tone/feel vs. 3 which feels like it's desperate to capture Season 1 while trying to be just different enough. Season 4 started yesterday, and it's very distinct so far. The setting of S1 was very important to the story IMO. Louisiana is such a strange and distinct place. S2's setting is far less iconic, but there is a lot of character to it. S3's setting I can't recall, but I think it was also the south-east. S4 is set during the endless night of northern Alaska.

[@downsjmmyjones101]

SO HYPE! I've been waiting for this for a while.

[@odinseye8835]

Awesome video and breakdown. Thank you for the deep dive in the nonsensical plot alone. Believe it’s more helpful for writers to learn from mistakes then success.

[@sardonically-inclined7645]

Any plans for a video on season 3?