What TV shows are people watching?

The Batlord · 06-22-2015, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

True Detective

So I watched the season 2 premiere last night and while it was a solid effort with a lot going for it, they seemed to have put the mystery on hold for this episode to instead focus on our 3 miserable protagonists. There was some real nice cinematography going on and I loved the dirty and industrialized view of California that you so rarely see. The acting was top notch and the writing was HBO caliber and I suspect this will help reestablish the careers of Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell and maybe even finally launch Taylor Kitsch into something worth a damn. Story wise, it was a little predictable and by saving the crime scene that brings the 3 protagonists together till the very end did help build intrigue for later episodes, but for an opener it didn't leave much to chew on besides guessing why all 3 main characters are so fucked up and who will be redeemed by the end of the series. I'm really hoping for a continuation of the Lovecraftian horror elements and themes from season 1 though, and we really didn't get that in last nights episode.

All that being said, there's a moment where Colin Farrell's character is beating the shit out of a 12 year old kid's dad right in front of him and says that he'll "butt fuck his dad with his moms headless corpse". To me that's worth the price of admission alone.

Wait, what?! Apparently I've been asleep.

Thom Yorke · 06-22-2015, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

True Detective

So I watched the season 2 premiere last night and while it was a solid effort with a lot going for it, they seemed to have put the mystery on hold for this episode to instead focus on our 3 miserable protagonists. There was some real nice cinematography going on and I loved the dirty and industrialized view of California that you so rarely see. The acting was top notch and the writing was HBO caliber and I suspect this will help reestablish the careers of Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell and maybe even finally launch Taylor Kitsch into something worth a damn. Story wise, it was a little predictable and by saving the crime scene that brings the 3 protagonists together till the very end did help build intrigue for later episodes, but for an opener it didn't leave much to chew on besides guessing why all 3 main characters are so fucked up and who will be redeemed by the end of the series. I'm really hoping for a continuation of the Lovecraftian horror elements and themes from season 1 though, and we really didn't get that in last nights episode.

All that being said, there's a moment where Colin Farrell's character is beating the shit out of a 12 year old kid's dad right in front of him and says that he'll "butt fuck his dad with his moms headless corpse". To me that's worth the price of admission alone.

It's going to be tough for it to escape the shadow season 1 cast over it. EVERYONE is going to compare the two to death no matter how much they try to distance themselves from it by giving it its own unique story/feel. If this was a new series, there is no way in hell it would be sitting at 61 on Metacritic right now.

I thought the early scene with Farrell and the lawyer was a nice touch. Made the viewer think it was going to be another flashback-style theme. Felt like it was a nod to the first season saying that they're aware of the comparisons but want to make this season its own thing.

Tough to judge this episode though. It was essentially all backstory and character development. Now that they've all been brought together at the end, the real fun will probably start in regards to actually advancing the plot.

LoathsomePete · 06-22-2015, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Wait, what?! Apparently I've been asleep.

It's a very minute reference to The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, who was an inspiration for Lovecraft. He even incorporated ideas into the Cthulhu mythos, mostly about grand ideas/ revelations causing insanity. The show more focuses on Chambers' writing though, but the ritualistic pagan sacrifice was similar to "The Dunwich Horror" by Lovecraft. While he didn't necessarily invent the genre of Weird Fiction, Lovecraft is kind of the face of it, so when people talk about it he's more likely to be name dropped than anyone else.

Here's an interesting read that showcases the references.

The One Literary Reference You Must Know to Appreciate

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thom Yorke

It's going to be tough for it to escape the shadow season 1 cast over it. EVERYONE is going to compare the two to death no matter how much they try to distance themselves from it by giving it its own unique story/feel. If this was a new series, there is no way in hell it would be sitting at 61 on Metacritic right now.

I thought the early scene with Farrell and the lawyer was a nice touch. Made the viewer think it was going to be another flashback-style theme. Felt like it was a nod to the first season saying that they're aware of the comparisons but want to make this season its own thing.

Tough to judge this episode though. It was essentially all backstory and character development. Now that they've all been brought together at the end, the real fun will probably start in regards to actually advancing the plot.

It's true, this season wasn't going to have an easy ride, but honestly the way people are just jumping all over this one episode really just screams "Everyone look at me, I have a contentious opinion about something that is almost universally loved, aren't I deep and edgy?". That said, it would have been nice to get more of the crime scene in this episode and how these messed up individuals are going to go about solving it, and how it relates back to each of their neuroses.

Here's my theories on each character.

Spoiler for Potential Spoilers?:

The Batlord · 06-22-2015, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

It's a very minute reference to The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, who was an inspiration for Lovecraft. He even incorporated ideas into the Cthulhu mythos, mostly about grand ideas/ revelations causing insanity. The show more focuses on Chambers' writing though, but the ritualistic pagan sacrifice was similar to "The Dunwich Horror" by Lovecraft. While he didn't necessarily invent the genre of Weird Fiction, Lovecraft is kind of the face of it, so when people talk about it he's more likely to be name dropped than anyone else.

Here's an interesting read that showcases the references.

The One Literary Reference You Must Know to Appreciate

Alright, I didn't want to read that whole thing, and possibly ruin a bunch of ****, but just tell me this: is it a possibility that the true villains of the series might turn out to be the Old Ones? Cause if so, I gotta get me some of this ****.

LoathsomePete · 06-22-2015, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Alright, I didn't want to read that whole thing, and possibly ruin a bunch of ****, but just tell me this: is it a possibility that the true villains of the series might turn out to be the Old Ones? Cause if so, I gotta get me some of this ****.

No, like I said, they are just tangential references that might explain the killer's motivation but beyond that there's no supernatural elements to the show for either season (thus far at least).

The Batlord · 06-22-2015, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

No, like I said, they are just tangential references that might explain the killer's motivation but beyond that there's no supernatural elements to the show for either season (thus far at least).

LoathsomePete · 06-22-2015, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Still a great series regardless and most definitely worth your time.

Moss · 06-22-2015, 02:45 PM

Wow, thanks for the King in Yellow article. Very interesting. So much great dialogue in True Detective I found myself rewinding quite a bit to re-listen although it kind of ruins the flow of the show. But stuff like " Look, as sentient meat, however illusory our identities are, we craft those identities by making value judgments: everybody judges, all the time. Now, you got a problem with that... You're livin' wrong."

I so want to start a metal band and call it "Sentient Meat".

Can't wait to start the new season tonight.

Chula Vista · 06-22-2015, 03:53 PM

Late to the party here. Just started watch TD because of the this thread. I'm two episodes in and am absolutely floored with it so far. Took a little while to get use to the slow rhythm of it but damn - super high quality acting, dialogue, cinematography, storyline so far, and a very creepy disturbing undercurrent to it all. McConaughey and Harrelson are each playing characters that they've done many times before but they've got them so freaking perfected that it's not distracting at all.

Great stuff.

NSW · 06-22-2015, 10:07 PM

Because shut up it's good. And Netflix marathons are my life now.

Actually, starting this one over. Because I never finished it the first time, but it's hilarious and needs to be seen.

06-22-2015, 03:53 PM	#3439 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	Late to the party here. Just started watch TD because of the this thread. I'm two episodes in and am absolutely floored with it so far. Took a little while to get use to the slow rhythm of it but damn - super high quality acting, dialogue, cinematography, storyline so far, and a very creepy disturbing undercurrent to it all. McConaughey and Harrelson are each playing characters that they've done many times before but they've got them so freaking perfected that it's not distracting at all. Great stuff. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

06-22-2015, 10:07 PM	#3440 (permalink)
NSW Bigger and Better Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Texas girl living in the UK Posts: 2,596	Because shut up it's good. And Netflix marathons are my life now. Actually, starting this one over. Because I never finished it the first time, but it's hilarious and needs to be seen. __________________ Hi. Last edited by NSW; 06-23-2015 at 12:27 PM.

06-22-2015, 02:45 PM	#3438 (permalink)
Moss Scuttle Buttin' Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Boulder Colorado Posts: 972	Wow, thanks for the King in Yellow article. Very interesting. So much great dialogue in True Detective I found myself rewinding quite a bit to re-listen although it kind of ruins the flow of the show. But stuff like " Look, as sentient meat, however illusory our identities are, we craft those identities by making value judgments: everybody judges, all the time. Now, you got a problem with that... You're livin' wrong." I so want to start a metal band and call it "Sentient Meat". Can't wait to start the new season tonight.