True Detective Season Two Finale Review (No Spoilers)

HBO's second season of True Detective has come to a close, and to be honest, I thought it was a wonderful slow burn of a season.

True Detective starred

Colin Farrell as Detective Ray Velcoro, Rachel McAdams as Detective Ani Bezzerides, Taylor Kitsch as CHP Officer Paul Woodrugh, Kelly Reilly as Jordan Semyon, and Vince Vaughn as Frank Semyon.

Other cast that passed through the season included James Frain, Timothy V. Murphy, Leven Rambin, Abigail Spencer, David Morse and a few more.

I've seen some of the reviews and I am not sure why some folks are tearing into the series saying nothing was resolved or there was some kind of weak plot. Did they not like someone in or behind the show? I don't know. Maybe they were looking for a happy story. THIS is NOT that show.

This show took you on a journey of good vs bad, and the very gray area between these two sides that they transgressed.

Vince Vaughn as Frank was priceless as a gangster, I've never seen him in a series role like this and it is his calling.


I finally liked Kelly Reilly in a role, as Frank's wife.

When the season started, we were introduced to Ray (Farrell), Ani (McAdams) and Paul (Kitsch). Each a cop in different arms of the law. Each with some seriously f*ed up flaws that drag them into a serious grey area of just what they stand for. But in the end, they are good people using flawed methods. Ray is on the take with Frank and other crime bosses no to mention has some violent tendencies, Ani just has some dark inter-department issues and Paul, as a CHP officer, is prey to his little brain below his belt.

The season starts with a murder and as our cops stories start to pan out, we find them pulled together on a very unique task force. And these three on the same task force, makes for one f*ed up task force.

Through the season we follow developments that bring it all to a head. But it is one dark, delicious finale that gives you exactly what you might expect from bad people catching bad people, while being bad people. (OK, that made a lot of sense when I thought about writing that).

The only sort-of spoiler I will say is that the finale is perfect for this daunting tale of the dark underside of life, taking care of itself. It was like Sons of Anarchy but in business suits. It was like Breaking Bad, but it just started Bad. I enjoyed this show because I loved watching Vince Vaughn being a fairly shrewd thug boss.

If you don't like dark, True Detective season two IS NOT for you. But if you like seriously flawed characters struggling with their own lives while dealing with the primary issues of the plot, then this show IS for you.

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