Monday, July 13, 2015
Third Thoughts on the Second Season of True Detective
That was an intense firefight. Full-auto AKs and explosions and lots of redshirts caught in the spray and pray from the gangsters. I liked very much how the visual narrative cogently followed the three detectives through the chaos. All of them acted bravely but Farrall's character clearly was the bravest and Kitsch's was the most competent (very good gunfighting stance). I think he shot the majority of the bad guys. I even liked it that the female detective, who was out of ammunition and could not find any help on a slain cop nearby, pulled out her curved knife with a finger hole (like the knives of the second baddest ass in The Raid 2) as if she was actually going to take a knife to a gun fight.
I'm thinking without real evidence that the gangsters were tipped off just before the cops arrived which allowed them to prepare to fight but not to get away cleanly. The cops were in the middle of the street rather than along the building, after all, but perhaps nothing would have hidden them in the broad daylight. There were several headshots but that is not necessary for a suddenly fatal shot with the intermediate round the AK fires (7.62 v 39mm). The bullets go right through the class of vest the cops were wearing (only really heavy military vests stop intermediate rounds--nothing stops full sized rifle rounds). The headshot is dramatic though.
Oh, and there were some developments before the firefight but for the life of me I can't recall them now.
It's possible that the single take, moving camera filming of the botched robbery in the 4th episode of the first season was purer cinematically, but this was very exciting, even harrowing. See, I told you the series was coming along.
Look upon these works ,you cynics, and despair.
I'm thinking without real evidence that the gangsters were tipped off just before the cops arrived which allowed them to prepare to fight but not to get away cleanly. The cops were in the middle of the street rather than along the building, after all, but perhaps nothing would have hidden them in the broad daylight. There were several headshots but that is not necessary for a suddenly fatal shot with the intermediate round the AK fires (7.62 v 39mm). The bullets go right through the class of vest the cops were wearing (only really heavy military vests stop intermediate rounds--nothing stops full sized rifle rounds). The headshot is dramatic though.
Oh, and there were some developments before the firefight but for the life of me I can't recall them now.
It's possible that the single take, moving camera filming of the botched robbery in the 4th episode of the first season was purer cinematically, but this was very exciting, even harrowing. See, I told you the series was coming along.
Look upon these works ,you cynics, and despair.
Labels: True Detective; Season Two
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Second Thoughts on the Second True Detective Series
I think it's coming along pretty nicely. I still hate Colin Farrell's character but he's not 100% a dick. And the general improvement after a slow start is not one good episode but the combination of the first three. Just like the first series. Still don't believe the gambit to beat up the journalist and steal his lap top (or whatever) would ever succeed in the real world. Nor that Farrell would not get caught for beating up the dad. But I'm not hung up on these.
The shooting of Farrell with rubber shotgun pellets, however, remains an unsolvable mystery to me. It has to be the same guy or the same outfit that shot the corrupt city manager, Caspere, in the privates with a real shotgun blast. So why the rubber pellets? If you're not going to kill the guy, why shoot at all? The shotgunner is in the car apparently waiting for anyone to arrive; if he wanted to get the camera and hard drive memory, just go in there and take them. I guess he could have followed Farrell to the place but there is no evidence of that. It's not like he kept the place hidden by not killing Farrell. It's not like he scared anyone off. I can't figure it out.
I guess I could have guessed the Kitsch character was gay from his need for Viagra and his other than enjoying the blowjob face. Is this a necessary background story? Is it going to resonate later? Or is this merely PC inclusion without adding depth to the plot or fulfilling some other purpose?
And the Vinci mayor has to die horribly. Anything else than torture or burning alive will not be sufficient.
I don't think we have enough information to make a prediction about the show with even the slightest possibility of being right. That's a good thing.
The shooting of Farrell with rubber shotgun pellets, however, remains an unsolvable mystery to me. It has to be the same guy or the same outfit that shot the corrupt city manager, Caspere, in the privates with a real shotgun blast. So why the rubber pellets? If you're not going to kill the guy, why shoot at all? The shotgunner is in the car apparently waiting for anyone to arrive; if he wanted to get the camera and hard drive memory, just go in there and take them. I guess he could have followed Farrell to the place but there is no evidence of that. It's not like he kept the place hidden by not killing Farrell. It's not like he scared anyone off. I can't figure it out.
I guess I could have guessed the Kitsch character was gay from his need for Viagra and his other than enjoying the blowjob face. Is this a necessary background story? Is it going to resonate later? Or is this merely PC inclusion without adding depth to the plot or fulfilling some other purpose?
And the Vinci mayor has to die horribly. Anything else than torture or burning alive will not be sufficient.
I don't think we have enough information to make a prediction about the show with even the slightest possibility of being right. That's a good thing.
Labels: True Detective; Season Two
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
First, Short Impressions of the New True Detective
1) The music in the second season opening kinda sucks.
2) The fact that there really is a proposed fast railway from nowhere in particular to nowhere at all in the center of California is delicious.
3) Has there ever been four more desperately miserable people depicted in modern media than the lead guys and gal here?
4) It's difficult to imagine that this season will span years and years like the really good McConaughey/Harrelson first season did and I don't know if that will be a good thing or not.
5) I believe everyone who really liked the first season is really bummed by this first episode of season two.
2) The fact that there really is a proposed fast railway from nowhere in particular to nowhere at all in the center of California is delicious.
3) Has there ever been four more desperately miserable people depicted in modern media than the lead guys and gal here?
4) It's difficult to imagine that this season will span years and years like the really good McConaughey/Harrelson first season did and I don't know if that will be a good thing or not.
5) I believe everyone who really liked the first season is really bummed by this first episode of season two.
Labels: True Detective; Season Two
