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True Detective Weekly 3: Maybe Tomorrow

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True Detective Weekly 3:

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Maybe Tomorrow

The plot threads keep piling up–but now we know the characters of True Detective Season 2 well enough to trust them to guide us through. "Maybe Tomorrow," our favorite episode of the season so far opens with an Elvis impersonator and ends with a fistful of teeth. What else do you need?

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I really hope you guys talk about the part where Velcoro (Colin Farrell) and Frank (Vince Vaugh) raindomly start throwing around the word "Apoplectic." That was so out of character that the two people I was watching with and I, all agreed to pause the show, and look the word up. It's still the most memorable part of that episode for me, maybe even more memorable than the guy in the power blue suit doing karoke.

 

ap·o·plec·tic

ˌapəˈplektik/

adjective informal

adjective: apoplectic
  1. overcome with anger; extremely indignant.
    "Mark was apoplectic with rage at the decision"
    • dated
      relating to or denoting apoplexy (stroke).
      "an apoplectic attack"

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It was a really strange bit of dialogue. All that word brings up connotatively in my mind is old SAT prep vocabulary. Who knew the white collar crook and the alcoholic cop were so well read.

 

This episode definitely had the most hits of the 3 so far. I'm still really looking for something like the ideological-tension-as-cop-banter of the first season to really carry me through the hour, cause I'm not sold entirely on the district interplay or the detective work yet.

 

I'm enjoying the characters much more, and I've finally gotten over Vince Vaughn's comedic baggage and like watching his guy for the most part.

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I'm glad we got to see the psychotic gangster side of Frank. It's been hard to know what to make of his character as so far being all bark and no bite. I can't help but think of parallels with Stringer Bell in The Wire, trying to get into the big political level corruption game, but ending up way over his head. I'm not really sure how to interpret the last scene, but I guess we'll see how far back Frank slides into old gangster ways.

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FWIW "apoplectic" didn't feel that outrageous to me. As far as five-dollar words go, I think it's on the more common side. And I think it fit better than a word like "furious" or "incensed" or something else that communicates intense anger. Just saying "fucking pissed" would work but is also kind of a non-choice in the modern profanity-laden gritty TV landscape.

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-Ever since it was mentioned in one of the earlier podcast episodes, I really do see how the show is now a writer's show and not a director's show. And it's weaker for it. The first 5 minutes or so--after the Diet David Lynch dream sequence--feel like they were written for the page. "Pissed myself." Yeah, I could see that. "Soundproofing." No shit, I can see it. Now that Pizzolatto is the name, I worry that the alternating stable of directors might not feel comfortable going off script.

 

-There's a lot of this season that I'm just not liking, but there are some things that have really started to work for me.

 

-Ani--in the first episode--I found incredibly boring. But when she's on duty, she feels much more comfortable and in place than she does in day-to-day human life. I like how she just mad dogs people. She feels dangerous.

 

-Velcoro is not a fit parent and I'm actively rooting against him losing custody. But I do still feel bad for him. I absolutely hated him after the first episode. Now I'm starting to like him merely because he seems to be one of the few people who isn't just the fucking worst human scum, like so much of the rest of the cast.

 

-Ani and Velcoro as a pair are far more interesting than Rust and Marty were. Marty was usually just an inept strawman for Rust to talk at. 

 

-It's hard to see this series attempt to do some of the things that The Fall did regarding having a woman lead investigator. It's just so gracelessly done here.

 

-One of Ani's superiors played D's mother on the Wire! Finally figured it out this week. 

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Was that whole hollywood film set scene just an excuse to take a jab at Cary Fukunaga? I was actually wondering if it was a Fukunaga cameo because it seemed too out of place otherwise. But after googling, it sounds like Pizzolatto may be feuding with Fukunaga.

 

So, What’s Going On Between Nic Pizzolatto and Cary Fukunaga?

 

Also, the article above references plagiarism allegations about Rust Cohle's character/dialog which I had never heard before, but seems to be serious. Especially because nothing so far in Season 2 seems to approach being that interesting. 

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I like this episode because it sets up all the conflicts we've been hearing about in the show. It feels therapeutic to see the characters address their personal issues somewhat head-on, something we often can't do in life.

 

I liked the apoplectic bit. Sort of a wink and a nod from the writer("hey this is a writer's show"), but I can also imagine it as two self-important assholes each thinking they're clever for using a word.

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I'm going to agree with Chris and say that I also did not think apoplectic was out of place. Frank has delusions of grandeur and it makes sense that he'd use that vocabulary. Ray is then just repeating the word and it's not entirely clear if he knows what the word means. Nice little bit that demonstrates their relationship.

In general, I'm really liking this season. Loved the opener with the sad cowboy. It's interesting to watch a mystery show where the muster feels like background noise to all the characters, who are really taking center stage this season.

Please, please let the opening tag of this cast be Paul saying "is that a fucking e-cig?"

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Wasn't it the other way around? I thought Ray said it first.

 

Anyway, I rewatched the first episode and caught up. I ended up liking the first more and feeling pretty good about the show. I'm hoping that the apparent coincidents in the first episode turn out to not be. Why did Antigone storm into her sister's workplace? That could have been intentional. She could also have been chosen to deliver that foreclosure notice which ended up connecting to her father. I'm betting at least one of those questions gets answered. The former soldier (I'm sure he has a name) finding the body does not rate as a coincidence, it's the reason he's in the show.

 

Anyway, loved how this episode began. BTW, the raven head was obviously taken from the murder site -- whoever is wearing it didn't go in as a masked avenger.

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"Apoplectic" (spoken first by Ray) stood out to as me as being noticeably literary, rather than naturalisticaly oral, which I also felt was beginning to emerge in Frank's line prior: "there's a certain stridency here". Past the initial surprise, I saw it as the show doubling down on pulpy noir style dialogue (and possibly as evidence of how writer-driven this season is).

 

I really liked this episode, mostly because it finally seems to be one that is directed well, with purpose and interest. The music/sound design in the scene with Ray and his dad talking about his past was really subtle and unsettling. Ray's dad describing how "before the riots and O.J." police could do their jobs without interference was also pretty fucked up. It felt like there were more flashes of humour in this episode as well.

 

Still iffy on Paul's story thread, there was some nice banter between him an Ani, but he was mostly separated from the rest of the main characters. Looks like he will be tangled back in with the rest of them if the teases of bumping into Frank, and being observed by the other police dude are anything to go by. Also I dunno how the show is going to develop the "closeted gay" aspect without being cliched or doing something really distasteful.

 

And yes, that intro was great. Was quite happy with how economically they resolved last week's cliffhanger.

 

PS. that scene with the movie director was very strange on a meta level. I don't know anything about any behind the scenes beef between Pizzolatto and Fuknaga, but that was the first thing that came to mind.

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All I could think about this week was Sean guessing that Paul is definitely a closeted gay man, with the small touches alluding to the blowjob story, the compatriot from the war alluding to a potential Brokeback Mountain between the two as well as him sitting on a bench near where some park hookup is occurring.

 

These kinds of character developments as well as Ani's comfort now in her own narrative are what are keeping me on the hook for the show because I'm more iffy on Ray or Frank being interesting in the long run. 

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Whoops! My mistake on the apoplectic scene!

I like how feminine the masculinity of season 2 is getting. Ray and Frank have no where near the extreme machismo of Rust and Marty in season 1. I get the sense that Frank really loves his wife and really wants a baby, and that to me feels like a more nuanced take on men and make feelings. Ray's character also has little bravado, which he knows and doesn't seem to mind.

Paul and Ani have their own issues with masculinity, but I'm less confident in where their story lines are going. I think the show is trying to set them both up as being sexually damaged by their parents, which is a nice circle to Ray and Frank's attempts to be parents.

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-Ever since it was mentioned in one of the earlier podcast episodes, I really do see how the show is now a writer's show and not a director's show. And it's weaker for it. The first 5 minutes or so--after the Diet David Lynch dream sequence--feel like they were written for the page. 

This, this, 1000x this. 'Lynchian' is being thrown out there with wreckless abandon on weekly think pieces and it's undeserved. These director's are not the primary storytellers and do not have the chops to come even close to invoking the emotions of a David Lynch directed piece. It takes place near Muholland drive, that's it. Any other coincidences are incidental.

 

I am so board by this season. I care nothing about the main mystery and the main characters are all detestable and uninteresting. The closeted cop story is so played out. Vincent D'onofrio just destroyed as the passive businessman/psychotic gangster, it's so sad to watch Vaughan stumble through the roll. I gave it three episodes, I'm done. I'll continue to listen to the podcast and wait for the season one recaps.

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1) Who is the Police Officer that just hangs out in the hangar? Which police force is he from?

2) Who do we think took the picture of Paul at the track?

3) Frank is so boned, he is withholding information that would be useful to the investigation (like another dead guy) and antagonizing a bunch of low life criminals.

4) I will be interested to see what happens with the car situation. Did the former driver steal it for someone else or is he more deeply involved, still feels like a break in the case.

 

I am getting the feeling that there isn't going to be weird cultish stuff this season :( The bird mask is just part of Caspers weird sex stuff and the guy who burned the car seemed more like a small time criminal. My main question now is one person or an organization responsible. If it is just one person out for revenge I will be disappointed.

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I've been more into this season than season 1. I enjoy learning a little bit about the characters each episode as the plot very slowly thickens.

 

Season 1 was so heavy on the imagery and references that I often felt lost trying to decipher it all. I lost further interest when I saw articles like "The One Literary Reference You Must Know to Appreciate True Detective. I'll definitely watch it again with the podcast because I think hearing the analysis will help me appreciate it more. Also Matthew McConaughey's performance I felt stood out so much that it kind of distracted me from what he was actually saying (if that makes any sense).

 

1) Who is the Police Officer that just hangs out in the hangar? Which police force is he from?

 

Also the actor who plays Ray's partner is Bill from "The Last of Us" !

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1. and 2. - the answer is Ray's Vinci partner

 

Are You sure about #2? It looked like him, but it was dark. I can't find a screen cap of that scene. If he did take the picture, it makes me wonder if he is involved in the murders somehow. He also could be a cop moonlighting as paparazzi or maybe involved in some other investigation, internal affairs maybe?

 

Also the actor who plays Ray's partner is Bill from "The Last of Us" !

 

I recognized him from Deadwood. Its werid seeing him again since Deadwood is the only show I have ever seen him in.

 

Also his IMDB bio is silly: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0114868/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

 

As a rule, W. Earl Brown does not usually speak of himself in the third-person. However, the Internet Movie Database will not accept biographical information written in the first person, therefore:

W Earl Brown was born and raised in western Kentucky. Realizing early in life that he had aversion to manual labor, he knew that farming life was not for him. The first theater he ever attended was on his grandparents' front porch, where, in following family tradition, they would entertain themselves after a day's work with songs and stories. He was much better suited to that part of Kentucky farm life rather than the fields and barns.

In high school, Earl was actively involved, and quite successful, in forensic competition where his coach fired a competitive spirit and taught his students the value of hard work and sacrifice. It was during those years, Earl's love of movies blossomed and he first had the dream of working in films; however, at the point in his life such an idea seemed impossible to achieve. The first in his family to go to college, Earl took an acting class on a whim at Murray State University and it was in that class that he found his Calling. He began performing in numerous productions on campus. It was in a production of "That Championship Season" in 1983 that he first had the experience of craft being elevated to art, and due to that, he was hooked.

Earl received his MFA from DePaul University's Theatre School in 1989. After graduation, he performed in numerous plays around Chicago. His first job on a film set was teaching dialect on Backdraft (1991). Not long after that, his performance in "A View From the Bridge" at the Steppenwolf Theatre catapulted his career as an actor into television and film. He landed numerous roles and within a couple of years had hit the proverbial glass ceiling. In 1993, he relocated to Los Angeles and started over.

Wes Craven was an early supporter of Earl's; he cast him in New Nightmare (1994), A Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) and the role of "Kenny" in the classic, Scream (1996). Two years after the success of Scream, Earl played "Warren", Cameron Diaz's mentally challenged brother, in There's Something About Mary (1998). Among his many other film credits are the highly regarded films: Being John Malkovich (1999), The Master (2012), The Sessions (2012), and Wild (2014).

On television, Earl has guest starred in many series, including: Luck (2011), Seinfeld (1995), American Horror Story (2011), Justified (2009), X-Files (2002), Six Feet Under (2001), and NYPD Blue (2000 & 2005). Among the TV movies he has been involved with, was the starring role in VH1's Meatloaf: To Hell and Back (2000). He is probably best known for playing "Dan Dority" in HBO's Deadwood (2003). During the second season, the show's creator, David Milch, invited him to join the writing staff. In 2007, Earl earned a WGA nomination for writing on a drama series and a SAG nomination for best drama ensemble acting. Establishing himself on a show as critically lauded as Deadwood opened doors for other writing projects, including the Sony release, Bloodworth (2011), which Earl wrote and produced.

In addition to his television and film work, Earl co-starred in Sony's The Last Of Us, 2013 Video Game Of The Year. He also writes music and records with Sacred Cowboys, an LA based Americana band.

One other thing of note, because W. Earl Brown gets asked it often and it seems as hoity-toity as speaking of himself in the third person: The "W" was added to his name upon joining the Screen Actors Guild. The guild has a rule that two actors can have the same name, he was told that there was an "Earl Brown" and a "William Brown", hence he became W. Earl Brown (a name he remembered from the label of an Elvis Presley record)... Then when his recording work in Sacred Cowboys necessitated his joining the songwriter's rights association, ASCAP, (where songwriter W. Earl Brown was represented) he had to become "William Earl Brown." It's confusing - he knows.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: W. Earl Brown

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Are You sure about #2? It looked like him, but it was dark. I can't find a screen cap of that scene. If he did take the picture, it makes me wonder if he is involved in the murders somehow. He also could be a cop moonlighting as paparazzi or maybe involved in some other investigation, internal affairs maybe?

 

Also, Ray says to Ani after being shot, "riot shells, you know like cops use." So pretty clearly pointing to corrupt cop(s) being involved.

 

uTwwLT5.jpg

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I am hoping that the mayor is on a bender for the whole rest of the show. He is a fun drunk.

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I'm really glad that Ani finally got to investigate something without it being directly tied to her family, that was really starting to grate on my nerves. I've been enjoying the season so far, this episode especially, but I don't feel like any of the main characters have very well defined voices. Actually, this probably isn't true for Woodrough, but his voice is mainly just a series of stern looks.

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This was the treading-water episode to me, sort of like episode 4 last season. Actually, it made me appreciate that one more. The decision to focus on the biker gang as a semi-standalone story seems more justified in retrospect after watching THIS episode, which neither contributes to the ongoing mystery nor tells a compelling tale of its own. What did we learn about the victim this episode? Um, that he partied a lot and liked to watch hookers. Which we learned way back at the beginning of episode 2. It was just repeated by every single character they visited over and over this time. What a treadmill.

On the other hand, the characters grow more interesting to me with each episode. I think that's really all this season has going for it right now and I'm not sure if it will be enough but we'll see.

People are mentioning Lynch but to me the most obvious callback of the opening was to The Sopranos' infamous dream sequences (granted, David Chase was heavily influenced by Twin Peaks). Aside from the memorable opening image, whose shock value faded quickly, it just didn't have the gravitas or visual interest of Tony's vivid psychosphere. For a moment I thought we might be getting some more dynamic direction with the departure of Justin Lin, but if anything this episode felt even more by-the-book than the previous two.

So ok, Pizzolatto and Fukunaga. Did anyone read the recent Vanity Fair profile of Pizzolatto? http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/nic-pizzolatto-true-detective-season-2-better-than-season-1 Hoo boy. Somebody needs to invent a term that combines "laugh" and "cringe." There are some interestin insights in there but they are buried under so much portentous puffery. Even Rich Cohen's attempts to paint Pizzolatto in a dark, contentious light present him as some sort of godlike figure.

Aside from everything else, the article never once mentions the name "Fukunaga."

Instead it offers this gem:

"But watching Nic on the set, you realize he has two personas: the guy in the room, churning out pages, and the guy in the action, with cameramen and actors, more akin to a bandleader, or wizard, working levers that send puppets across the scrim."

Um, Rich, there's already a word for this mystical creature: it isn't "bandleader" or "wizard," it's "director" - and last time I checked Pizzolatto wasn't one. The passive-aggressive shafting of Fukunaga's, indeed any filmmaker's, role in drawing us into his world has me as worried for season 2 as anything I've seen in the last few episodes. It's as if people like Cohen and Pizzolatto have no real understanding of what translates the abstract ideas of the writer's room into an audiovisual medium - a suspicion borne out by Pizzolatto's HBO appearances in which he seems to think everything meaningful about a character and situation can be explicitly stated in words.

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