Last week True Detective got a lot of hate for either trying to copy too much of the first season's brooding tone, or the opposite of not capturing the aesthetic of the previous season. To me, the first episode was good enough to separate itself from the first season while also failing to establish it's own identity, if that makes sense. And I feel like this episode actually took a step back from last week. The episode was a lot more dialed back and the directing ended up being a major weak point. Justin Lin, who is known for his over-the-top directing style, didn't prove to nail the flow of what this episode needed. If we are going to focus on 4 main characters, then the episode needs to flow seamlessly and give us a steady tone.
I like Taylor Kitsch as an actor, and he's pretty good in his role in the show, but I'm still failing to see why his character is needed. I understand that he will likely prove to be useful or even end up saving the day somehow, but he is of no use to McAdams and Farrell as of now. With that being said, I'm not all that sure Farrell makes it out of this episode. If he does, that would have been a pretty big cop out. If that's the killer by the way, that's back to back seasons with some messed up animal faces doing the killings. But Farrell's story, although very similar to Woody Harrellson's of season 1, was probably the most compelling out of all the main characters, so it sucks to see him go. I was starting to enjoy those car ride talks with McAdams and him, very reminiscent of season 1 with the two leads.
I also haven't really bought into Vaughn in this role. Something about his character and or performance that just seems off. So whether it was the choppy directing to begin the episode or just the lack of motivation that seemed to plague each character, this episode really took a step back from last week.
+Farrell's performance
+McAdams distinguishes herself
-Choppy directing
-Vaughn
6.6/10
