Season two of True Detective starts out just as slow as season one, but doesn’t grab you in quite the same way. There are a lot more main characters and intwined storylines this time around.
Colin Ferrell’s Ray Velcoro is the first character introduced. He appeared to be a pretty good guy. But as the episode progressed, he wasn’t a good guy at all. He’s a detective for the Vinci Police Department.
He was introduced with his son and then fighting for extended visitation rights for his son. This seemed to be a good man. But then he was caught drinking on the job right before he put on a mask to kill a reporter.
Vince Vaughn’s Frank Semyon was introduced as a criminal, but with a good heart. He told Ray who raped his wife. Then flash forward and he seemed to be moving into more legitimate business with a casino and a potential high speed rail road.
Rachel McAdams’s Ani Bezzerides was very rough around the edges and a tough girl. That impression of her didn’t really change throughout the episode. She’s a detective for the Ventura County Sheriff’s office.
Taylor Kitsch’s Paul Woodrugh was a very complicated character. He was introduced when he pulled over an actress for speeding. Then he took a bribe of a blow job and ended up getting suspended. Paul then went to his girlfriend’s apartment, but appeared to take viagra before he had sex with her. Then he hopped on his motorcycle and was going more than 100 mph before coming to his senses.
Each of these characters seemed to have been through some hard times. Ray’s wife was rapped and his son may not even be his son. He refuses to take a paternity test, his son is just his son. That incident has sent him down a very bad path. After Frank helped him out in finding the rapist, he appeared to be in Frank’s pocket. He killed the reporter for Frank.
An expose in the paper about the Vinci police being corrupt has Frank and the police department on edge. Especially with the City Manger, Caspar, missing. Frank needs Caspar for his deal to go through and Ray is tasked with finding the City Manager.
Paul ends up being the one to find Caspar, dead. Paul has his own scars, but his are shown all over his body. Some are from the army, but one particular one is from before, but he doesn’t expand on that explanation.
Ani has a sister making porn and a father in a religious institute. She has some serious issues with authority, her father and men. Her mother also killed herself.
The scars of the characters are more interesting than the murder mystery on hand.
Caspar’s murder brings Ani, Ray and Paul together.
Next week Ani and Ray will be enlisted in solving Caspar’s murder and Ani will be in charge. Take a look at the promo: [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYKL5FgAzqg]
