True Detective Season 2 Episode Recaps

True Detective (2014-)

Season 2 - 8 episodes (2015)
Rent True Detective on Amazon Video (paid link)
Created by: Nic Pizzolatto
Starring: Colin Farrell,  Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Reilly, Vince Vaughn
Rated: TV-MA
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Plot
Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.

Verdict
This season is about a murder mystery as much as it is a salute to the California department of transportation. It started too slowly and ended too quickly. I really wish this season had a cult or something supernatural. It was hinted at, but the lack of those elements is why there wasn't fervent fan speculation about what tiny details represented. The show is frequently too indulgent and pretentious.
It depends.

Review
Early reports indicated season 2 would investigate supernatural occurrences in subway tunnels. The first episode indicates more of a police procedural, but that is an early observation. Keep reading to dive into this episode. Spoilers beware.

Episode 1 Recap
True Detective season 2 episode 1 was highly anticipated. I knew I wouldn't leave the television thinking, "best episode ever", and thus I was not severely disappointed. I'm discussing the entire episode, so expect spoilers.

Capturing the magic of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson is no small task. One potential issue is that this season splits screen time with four characters who don't seem to be linked. In season one the leads spent a lot of their time together.

True Detective finally starts after an hour.

The biggest problem is that the plot is not unwrapped until the very end. It would have worked much better if back story was integrated into the plot to weave a cohesive story. Instead I'm loaded with exposition that has little context before the big reveal.

Even for a television show, I didn't buy that these two were related.

I said out loud, "There is no way that is his kid. He's adopted. This strains the very limits of credibility." And of course, the kid may not be his. It turns out his wife was attacked and raped. Farrell's character is Ray Velcoro who I will reference simply as Colin Farrell. 

Let me introduce you to Punchy Farrell.

This went over the top. I get Colin Farrell is a bad cop due to what happened to his wife, but a lot of bad cop tropes are forced onto this one character. He subverts the law, wears a bolo tie, is dirty, buys his kid Lebron shoes, and is a loose cannon that drinks. Can he really beat up anyone with impunity? The brass knuckles were so edgy.

"Never do anything out of hunger. Even eating."

My favorite quote by far is from Vince Vaughn, who did a great job.
"Never do anything out of hunger. Even eating."
It's good advice that comes off hokey. Rest assured I will be adopting that quote to every situation I encounter. "Never do anything just to be accepted. Even wearing Lebron shoes." Or the converse. "Never do anything out of a bowel movement urge. Even defecating on shoes."

Don't talk about defecating on shoes. Colin Farrell doesn't want to hear it.

Main cast member number 5. Mister crow head.

The real hero of the story and the most mysterious character is the crow's head. I want to know more. Mainly what is the point?

Our friendly city manager Casper.

Hinging upon the crow's head, why the Weekend at Bernie's treatment of City Manager Casper? Why wasn't he thrown in a trunk for transportation? Why was he placed precisely at a park bench in a sitting position? Is his name a play on his pallor?

When the body is moved, at first I thought they missed rigor mortis with the swinging arm, but the legs were left in a stiff sitting position.

Get me the number of this guy's decorator.

How spooky. The city manager either hosts a lot of parties or absolutely none. It depends on the crowd with which he's running. Did they know he was an avant-garde decorator?

The sweeping landscape shots looked great.

The same cinematic notions from the first season are present. Sweeping landscape shots became too prevalent. It was a good thing overdone.

I will definitely return for episode 2. Season 1 provided few answers along the way, I hope this season gives us answers earlier.

Episode 2 Recap
I couldn't wait for True Detective Season 2 episode 2. Would I get answers or more questions? Would Mr. Crow reveal himself?

This episode falls into the problems of the first. The plot advances very little. Maybe the dead end leads are to make it seem real, but at least the mystery is provided some amount of purpose and detail.

The few and proud member of the investigative team.

 Not to worry, we have a top team working on the case, Knifey, Drinky, Punchy, and Popper.

Stains on a ceiling transition to a dead man's eyes. Did rats eat the eyes? Vince Vaughn might think so.

The conversations between characters feels forced and unnatural. We start with a Vince Vaughn monologue on living in the basement with rats as a child. It just feels a little heavy.

'Punchy' is a dedcicated dad.

 'Punchy' Farrell threw no punches, but surely wanted to.

Vince Vaughn shows us the hard road to the top.

 This is what I'd like more of. Developing the characters through actions instead of exposition. I like how this was handled. Vince Vaughn provides a primer on how corruption is done.

Feels like the typical Hollywood therapist, or at least how I imagine him.

At least the therapist didn't claim to need a warrant and doctor-patient privilege

The car conversations still leave a little to be desired.

We get a few car ride conversations that aren't Rust-Marty level, but they are pretty good. At least Colin Farrell "supports feminism by having body image issues."

'Punchy' Farrell learns about police work.

Vince Vaughn's character Frank Semyon shows Colin Farrell how to do police work.You'd think 'Punchy' Farrell would have a handle on this, but he doesn't. It took Vaughn two minutes to get a lead on the case, something the cops couldn't do the entire episode.

More sweeping landscape shots.

Sweeping landscape shots seem to punctuate each location change. A few are fine, but this episode had too many.

Mr. Crow Head returns.

My favorite part, Mr. Crow Head returns. My least favorite part, he shotguns Colin Farrell twice. Yes, twice. Does 'Punchy' Farrell die? It sure looks like it with point blank blasts, but it seems awfully early to erase him. The thing is, either Mr. Crow was following Farrell which is unlikely, watching the house with a crow head and shotgun ready, or living in the house with the radio playing wearing the crow head. It's one of the last two, but neither seem logical.

It seems a bit early for a shocker ending. Would they kill off Farrell this early? If they don't it's going to feel cheap, and he does have a story line set into motion. What was Farrell about to find? Tune in next time.

Episode 3
So the big question for episode three is how would they handle Colin Farrell getting shot? We knew he would live, but would it be credible?

This was a good episode. I bought the explanation for Farrell living. It was still a cliffhanger for the sake of it, but the explanation was not the disaster I was expecting. The episode moved the plot forward while balancing all the characters and providing additional insight. It's just going to get better from here.

Awaiting team captain Punchy Farrell

This episode, like the second started oddly. I had to wonder if the blue suited man singing a bizarre tune was some kind of joke. Of course it's a dream, but is Farrell dead or unconscious?

He's feeling blue, get it? The episode gets much better after this scene.

Colin Farrell's Ray Velcoro makes it, of course, but both he and Vince Vaughn's Frank Semyon feel apoplectic, which is extreme anger and indignation. It's an odd word choice. One may even say pretentious.

Frank's feeling apoplectic.

Taylor Kitsch's Paul Woodrugh is experiencing love lost more so that PTSD. This still doesn't explain the extensive burns on his body, but it could tie into the strange relationship with his mother.

Paul is feeling more than just PTSD.

Who is taking pictures of Woodrugh? It looks like Velcoro's partner, in an uncharacteristically industrious moment. At this point it's anyone's guess as to who that is or why.

Who watches the watchers? The mystery photographer of course.

The mandatory shared screen time for Vaughn and Kitsch. Why was this even needed? Because they're big fans of each other. Or just as the red light denoted Farrell's descent upon first meeting Vaughn, maybe this is the start of a downward spiral for Paul Woodrugh. Frank Semyon destroys everything he touches.

This may be the only shared screen time they'll have.

Semyon didn't get to the top by being nice. "You can keep your rings on. It won't matter to me." Do Frank's buddies always carry pliers or just at important meetings?

Don't mouth off to Frank or he'll pull the pliers on you.

Season two isn't going to miss a chance to show off the highways.

Highways, always highways.

Someone is playing with the cops. Why set the mystery car that participated in The Weekend at Bernie's romp on fire right next to them? Why wait around until they see you to start running? Why didn't he wear the Mr. Crow mask?

The masked men club member number two.

Is Mr. Crow really after Vince Vaughn? Why was one of his body guards killed? Vince Vaughn has the potential to become extremely unhinged and violent.

Rachel McAdams character Ani Bezzerides may develop a friendship with Farrell and overthrow the powers that be that may attempt to throw Farrell under the bus for Vinci's crimes. Why is Farrell's partner on the team? He's dead weight at this point. It seems his sole role is to recline in an office chair and look at pictures. Though there might be more to him than we realize.

Could it be Punchy Farrell's dad is the real mastermind? Did he throw away his badge after having shot his own son?

The mayor seems to be complicit in more than a few crimes.  He will either die or tie into a larger conspiracy.The movie and director I'm guessing are a red herring. Why the pictures of Woodrugh? He seems the least likely to garner that attention.

A solid episode save for the first scene.The conspiracy is starting to build. I'm excited to see how the story is expanded.

Episode 4
This episode I was expecting to see Vince Vaughn's character go even further into the violence that got him to the top, another masked individual furthering the conspiracy, and character development for Rachel McAdams character Ani Bezzerides. Did my predictions occur?

And then there were three.

In the present Vince Vaughn's Frank Semyon is reacquainting himself with his old lifestyle. He wants Colin Farrell's Ray Velcoro to quit the police and join him in the venture.

Join me Ray as I try to take over the world.

Taylor Kitsch's Paul Woodrugh and Rachel McAdams's Ani Bezzerides past comes back to bite them. He after spending the night with a former flame,  her for burning bridges in the department, and the fire bombed Cadillac provides no leads.

 Also, Paul Woodrugh's girlfriend is pregnant and he instantly falls in love with her and women.

I love women now that I see you as my way out.

We saw no masked individuals, but the psychiatrist seen earlier in the season and the Vinci Mayor Chessani have a connection through Ani Bezzerides father. The deceased Casper also visited Bezzerides's father's commune.
We get a glimpse of the past for Vince Vaughn's wife who had an operation in the past linked to her difficulty in conception. Of course no specifics are provided. Are Frank Semyon's perfect teeth involved?

Frank Semyon: "I've never had a cavity."

Woodrugh opens up to Ray Velcoro who wishes he was anywhere but in that car.

Ray Velcoro: Noooooo!

Bezzerides is suspended, most likely due to retribution from Vinci Mayor Chessani, though she has managed to irritate many people in her department.

Ani Bezzerides: "This would not be happening to a man:

An interesting twist, but Taylor Kitsch may be the most valuable person on the special investigation unit, gaining a lead to a pimp who pawned Casper's watch.

Of course this led to Punchy Farrell's dead weight partner, along with many other cops, innocents and three individuals potentially linked, but most likely not related, to Casper's death meeting their end in a massive shootout.

Shoot it and it will explode.

Of course the three heroes not only lived, but weren't even harmed. Nearly everyone in a twenty foot vicinity of the stars died with pinpoint accurate gun shots to the head.

AND THEN THERE WAS A FIREFIGHT!

No review is complete without an image of the highway system. This season is about a murder mystery as much as it is a salute to the California department of transportation.

The next episode needs to provide more information on Casper's death and the land deals he was into. Between Paulie 'The Kid' Woodrugh, Colin 'Punchy' Farrell, and 'Perfect Smile' Frank Semyon I think they can crack this case, unmask the real criminal, and determine just how deep is the rabbit hole.

Episode 5
In the two months since the firefight that wrecked the city, the true detectives have not fared well
Colin Farrell's Ray Velcoro is now security for Vince Vaughn's Frank Semyon, Rachel McAdams's Ani Bezzerides works evidence, and Taylor Kitsch's Paul Woodrugh is an insurance fraud detective.
While their situations have worsened, Farrell shaved his mustache which is an improvement. It turns out the three cops have kept in touch and now want to solve the case they left behind.

Detective team assemble!

This episode provided more info and was a solid contribution.

Let her share.

Ani is in counseling due to Mayor Chessani, though she doesn't know this. She does find out his son has lofty aspirations of being a pimp.

Paint me like one of your...

But Ani hasn't left the case of Casper alone. These blue diamonds are a big deal.

No! No! No!

Paul has lost twenty thousand dollars. His mom took it,emasculates him, and then regrets his existence. I'm sure she's more loving than actually portrayed.

We know that guy!

The psychiatrist is back, but who didn't see that coming. Ray discovers the psychiatrist knows more than he let one while following Frank's subordinate. Frank would be interested in this info if only he knew about it.

It's good to be a gangster

Frank has problems on the home front. His marriage is falling apart and did I mention the word gangster really bothers him.

Ray and Ani are on the case.

The blue diamonds are missing from evidence. It's time to assemble. Ani convinces Paul, and then she calls Ray. With the promise of keeping his kid, Ray signs up.

Ray finds out that Frank set him up. The guy he ostensibly killed for raping his wife wasn't the real culprit. Who did Ray track down?

Ray and Frank need to talk this one out.

Colin 'Punchy' Farrell is back with a vengeance.

Ray extracts information about parties and political figures from the psychiatrist.

Wait, there's another ticket that came by here?

Looks like Ray's old partner was interested in the diamonds. Too bad he died last episode.

This is crow house!

We see the crow house. Long live the crow. Let them eat crow.

Next episode I expect Frank and Ray to have a terse confrontation, but I'll bet they'll resolve it over a cup of tea and scones.

Episode 6
Episode 5 left us chasing blue diamonds, a crazy shack, and confrontation between Colin Farrell's Ray Velcoro and Vince Vaughn's Frank Semyon.
After watching this episode, and the reality that only two episodes are left, we had too much introduction and filler. The setup stories could have been truncated. The episodes are getting better, but it feels like two episodes isn't enough time.

I'm going to give you something. Put it in your shoe.

Frank didn't force Ray to do anything that wasn't already in him.

This was a good start to the episode. There was no fight between Frank and Ray with Frank blaming Ray and washing his hands of any wrong doing.

He looks nothing like you, which is true for both of them.

Ray determines his earlier retribution targeted the wrong guy. While he threatens to go after the guy, it seems at odds after his Frank conversation. Ray can tell this guy is the real culprit, though he looks nothing like Ray's son.

Dollars to donuts we've already seen these kids all grown up.

Are those Mayor Chessani's 'kids'? How deep do Chessani's crimes go? The picture is a boy and girl, similar to Chessani's kids. With what little we've seen we know his adult kids are nothing short of messed up. I think we know why.

Have a chat with Uncle Frank.

Now we see why Stan's death was given such prominence, they were going to come back to it. They could have given him a scene before his death. Frank proves he is down with kids. Could this lead to adopting Stan's kid? Anything could happen in the last two episodes!

Is Ray an interior decorator? No. He's just on a bender.

Why would Ray DVR the Cardinals? Why not the Dodgers or even the Angels and Athletics? Is DVR'ing the wrong game and his son not picking up on it what really upset him? His wife tells him she doesn't want to win but that seems hard to believe since he's handing her the win and she isn't objecting. My next question was why do a paternity if she doesn't want to win, but the show addressed that question. She needs that for her, which seems to ignore Ray's feelings on the matter.

Hey, why do they call you hammer time... wait, nooooo!!

Frank once again proves he's tough as nails. He wants the girl more than the cops and he's willing to screw whoever gets in his way.

Ani has got something, at least that's what all the pimps tell her.

Ani is all dressed up and ready to party without the dozens of knives she usually carries. Ray and Frank are on surveillance. Just how badly will this go?

Paul's been watching WWE again.

Ray and Paul tag teaming the competition. Paul neutralizes the threat, Ray stands around pointing a gun.

Tacky sweater party this isn't.

The parties are crazier than Eyes Wide Shut. We got nothing on the crazy murder shack, but this party is wall to wall old guys looking for something easy. Ani has some repressed memories. It looks like her dad was aiding  aspiring political types before the parties became a touch too classy for the woods and vans.

No party like a full moon party because  full moon party don't stop.

No party like a full moon party because a full moon party don't stop... until... no, they don't. Ray and Paul save the day and Ani who finds her missing person and a potential murder charge. I doubt they'll press charges, wouldn't want to bring attention to your crazy sex party.

And of course, no recap is complete without a highway shot.

Episode 7
I don't know how they are going to wrap this season up in two episodes based on the pace we've seen thus far. I guess the it could be a rush job, which seems likely. Last episode Ray, Ani, and Paul escaped for the crazy party mansion amidst gun fire, ostensibly having broken the case wide open with a missing person now found and documents linking all of the political leaders in scandal.

It's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

This episode is the best of the season. Since episode four, each new episode just gets better. I wish the tenacity of the last half had been shared with the first.

Fresh off their daring escape, Ani comes on to Ray, which seems a bit silly considering what's happened, but apparently it's foreshadowing.

Paul has a fan

Someone wants to blackmail Paul. It seems a bit late in the season, but as it turns out it's convenient for the plot.

If the club thing falls through, Frank's wife thinks he'd make a killer Applebees manager.

 Frank's back up plan might be working at Applebees. Hey, he knows how to manage a club.

Frank - Show yourself out. I need a chance to process the ins and outs of all this.

Vince Vaughn's Frank and Colin Farrell's Ray have another sit down. Though it could be their last, it's revealed Frank's second in command Blake wasn't just working behind Frank's back, he screwed him over.
As it turns out, Ben Casper's girl Tosha was killed in the party cabin for trying to blackmail Casper. That's one looming mystery resolved.

This episode is chock full of death, destruction, and mayhem.

Blake was the one who killed Stan. Turns out Frank had Stan following Blake, though why did Stan's death not raise Frank's suspicions previously? Blake is also the one who gave up the guy Velcoro killed. Blake just wanted Frank to notice him. Blake claims no one knows who killed Casper. Frank sees no more potential in Blake and pre-emptively punishes him. I doubt Frank liked Blake comparing himself to the king. There's only one Frank Semyon, everyone knows that.

Game over man, game over.

The show is wide open now that Davis the district attorney is dead. She may have been the only one who knew Velcoro was part of a special investigative team (in the show, in real life there is more of a paper trail), which means Ray, Paul, and Ani are on their own.

Frank is planning a vacation.

Franks going to Venezuela. He's got a plan brewing, though we don't know what. As he said, his train is coming in.

Casper's death ties back to the '92 robbery. The rogue cops, Casper, and Chessani have a connection.
Though the detectives still haven't figured out the orphaned kids are Chessani's. Instead they try to link Casper's secretary to the orphaned girl to no avail.

Frank's turning up the heat, literally.

The Russians are pushing Frank out. They bought up Casper's shares, and they bought Frank's clubs and want him to manage. Little do they know what Frank will do next. Frank's going to burn it all down.

Paul's gone and done it now. You never hold a superior at gun point.

The Vinci police chief has a few questions for Paul, like where are the stolen party documents. Dixon took the pics of Paul. Another question answered.

Paul is beginning to realize just how deep this conspiracy is, unfortunately he won't get to share this information with the team. Ani has an A.P.B. out on her for killing the security guard at the party. Ray isn't even in the police, and his contact DA Davis is dead. Paul is out of the picture.

Goodbye Paul, we hardly knew you.

I did not see that coming for Paul. How would the cop guy know what exit Paul would take? Why didn't Paul exit the way he came in since he killed everyone? I wonder if Paul was in the show just to die, he was less developed than Ray or Ani.

In the next and final episode, Chessani should feature prominently. The detectives have to figure out who Chessani's kids are. I've known since the picture was introduced. Will we found out who killed Casper? I'm guessing so, but with this kind of show and with the top political leaders involved, I doubt the culprits will see jail time. Or we'll get a coverup. I predict few happy endings. We better get some answers on the crow head.

And highway!

Highways, always highways.

Episode 8 Finale
This is it, the final moments of season 2. The finale is one and a half hours and I'm expecting big action and big reveals. Will we finally learn who killed Casper? Will the land deal that is a big part of Casper's murder be revealed as fraudulent? Will Frank escape to Venezuela or will the Russians catch up to him? Is Paul's plot complete? Will Ray and Ani live happily ever after? Wait, if Frank's leaving, Ray is jobless! Oh yeah, and the diamonds, are they still important? What about the crow head?

Ray and Ani share one last conversation.

I predicted few happy endings and boy did True Detective deliver. It seems the show set out to do the opposite of season one. Season one ended on a happy note, this didn't... at all.

We open the episode of course with a monologue, that is Ray and Ani sharing their secrets, secrets that have made them who they are. It's clear these stories are wrapping, and the sequence had nice editing.

That was a big diamond. -Frank

Frank is sending Jordan ahead of him for safety, but she's not having it. It's a nice move, if not a bit cliche.

The lost orphan Len has been found by cowboy Ray Velcoro.

The camera guy is back. I was wrong on the orphans. The orphans did it.

Mayor Chessani is gone, the son was the mastermind. This comes out of left field for me. The ground work wasn't there to have the son be the real mastermind. In the only scene we see him in, he seems like a spoiled kid.

The crow head. It was all misdirection. The entire thing explained away as a bad joke.

We know who killed Casper, it was a revenge killing by the kid of the family he disrupted. We finally get closure on the crow head and who shot Ray. His sister, the secretary, infiltrated the organization. It turns out the orphan kids were Casper's. Casper wasn't after diamonds, he was putting an end to a relationship with his mistress.

Frank gears up for one last score and recruits Ray to help him, for Paul.

I guess it was today. -Frank
Frank gets his revenge.

I'd call that a plot puddle.

How in the world is there a puddle only under Ray's car? What a helpful puddle. Why doesn't he remove the tracker? Why doesn't he go to a parking garage to ditch the car.? Why go to the woods, where you likely won't have cell service and WILL want it, and in essence making yourself an easy target for commandos? Go to a public place maybe?

The Mexicans apprehend Frank. This can only end wrong.

As soon as they found him, amazingly lucky as that is, it was only a matter of when not if Frank would die. Frank should have known these guys aren't businessman, because I already knew it. Frank's pride is what did him in, but if it wasn't that it would have been the Mexicans.

Frank taking the walk of destiny.

I like Frank's end, him confronting his past and the hurdles that made him successful.

Ray had to see his son one more time.

Ray's love for his son proved to be his undoing. That and picking a terrible location for a last stand.

Ray goes out as murdering, dirty cop, his final message to his son is never sent, he actually is the biological father to his son, and he has a son with Ani. It's insult to injury ten-fold. What was the reasoning for piling it on so thick?

How will the cops explain the bullets from high powered guns in Ray's body? It's not like those guys were cops. Then again, this is Vinci, the law doesn't matter much.

Ani and Jordan make it to Venezuela, apparently teaming up.
I hope this isn't the premise for season three.

It took much longer for us to care about the characters in this season. It started too slow and ended too quickly. We rooted for the characters, perhaps in spite of how terrible their outlooks were. The real criminals, the politicians, weren't stopped. Maybe the story will surface one day, maybe not.
I was kind of hoping for Ani to get in a jeep, buy gas, and then look in the passenger seat at a photo of Ray. Cue music from The Terminator.

I really wish this season had a cult or something supernatural. It was hinted at, but the lack of those elements is why there wasn't fervent fan speculation about what tiny details represented.

I still much prefer season one. The plot device of jumping back in forth in time created a lot of suspense. This season had a lot of characters and didn't add in episodes to really develop their stories. Season one had something supernatural to it, even if it really wasn't. This season felt more like a standard cop story. I wanted something more.

One last highway shot for the road.