"True Detective S4 Thread" Thu Jan-18-24 09:00 AM by Nodima
S1 was a thing, I loved it but I get why it's more of a meme than anything now.
S2 was peak schadenfreude, even more understandably seen as a clown show, though I enjoyed it for the ideas tumbling out of a coupe that it was.
S3 seems like it might actually be the most plainly recommended of them all, despite being the least watched thanks to what went on with S2.
S4, obviously we can't really judge until it's over because what's left of us here are all professionals...but after finally seeing this first episode, I'm shocked how much this sucks. It reminds me of the HBO period between The Wire and Boardwalk Empire with an extremely healthy dose of "bet you haven't seen THIS culture on screen before."
I love what Foster's doing with what she's got, and all the pre-release talk about paying homage to Northern Alaskan cultures sounded extremely ripe for the conceit of this show. But in practice, at least through one episode, it's all the worst parts of the last third of The Outsider compacted by some really heinous editing and callbacks.
Whatever might've went wrong with the second season, it wasn't lack of vision. This first episode felt like a Disney take on the concept. Ram "well, shucks" jokes down the dialogue, pretend to give a shit about marginal people to make their use as props seem more significant, and downplay whatever the hell the central story is supposed to be.
Early response seems overwhelmingly positive, so I'm left wondering if I'm alone in this? Maybe it's just coming relatively soon after Mare of Eastown but this shit is lacking as shit.
1. "I'm trying to let this cook " In response to Reply # 0
but I thought the first episode was pretty bad and Foster was terrible.
This is a series that even in the worst of times relied on strong performances from magnetic leads.
I might like this more if it was divorced from the True Detective brand because other than the name it really has nothing in common with any of the previous seasons of TD and feels like a project they slapped the TD banner on thinking that it'll sell but staggers under the weight of expectation.
It really feels more like one of the attempts at prestige tv that the big networks tried and consistently failed at or an Amazon show or an American remake of a Norwegian crime show.
It's far and away the weakest premier episode the series has had and I think the fact no one was running in here to talk about it speaks volumes.
Even if you liked it it isn't essential
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
3. "agreeing with all this" In response to Reply # 1
it was all over the place -- maybe a record number of subplots introduced in the first episode -- and feels influenced by other shows or movies in a thin way (its own title series, Wind River, etc).
I've divorced True Detective from its own brand since S2 so I wasn't really expecting anything in line with the name. that said, as you mention it feels like "fake prestige television" you watch in the offseason
2. "The Outsider is a great comparison" In response to Reply # 0
I feel like this will be a similar experience, where I'm entertained enough to keep watching, will end up more or less hating it by the final third and completely forget everything that happened a week after it ends.
also S1 will never be just a meme. one of the greatest, if not greatest, limited series of all-time. will always hold up.
11. "Pretty spot on with The Outsider comparison" In response to Reply # 2
although to be fair to that show it had one of the strongest first episodes of any show since True Detective and some great performances and a general creepy vibe, that until it becomes silly, is really effective. Sure it falls off a fucking CLIFF by the end but man did it start strong.
This show has none of that. There's really nothing redeeming here and the S1 easter eggs/connections feel increasingly cynical because of how poor everything else is.
How is EVERYONE bad? From Foster and Reis down to a day player that has one or two lines? How do you get a bad John Hawkes peformance?
It's poorly written, it's poorly directed, it's visually dull. We've got fifty leven tropes posing as subplots and not a single one interesting.
Everything about this feels like a cash-in sequel that comes out 15 years after the original film to keep the rights or some bullshit.
So far, I'd actually put this behind even season 2. Although I feel this will ultimately end up being less maligned for the simple fact that everything about it is so forgettable.
Honestly, this would have worked better as a The Killing sequel
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
13. "This sounds pretty dismal" In response to Reply # 11
I was planning on binging this when the season ran its course as 1)I don't have Max but I do have illicit means to watch most streaming shows and 2) I'd rather binge this in one sitting rather than having to wait week for week to get resolutions.
In addition, I was planning on giving this season the benefit of the doubt that I wouldn't come close to the level of season one seeing as 1) the prior two seasons have been rancid trash and also more importantly 2) Nic Pizzolatto to my knowledge has nothing to do with this season outside of having Exec. Producer credits attached to the show.
Sounds as if the poor quality coupled with the fact the show is actually referencing characters from the first season will make this a brutal experience.
Out of curiosity, did the second and third seasons reference the third season at all? I don't recall that being the case, but I could be wrong. I was under the impression those were strict anthologies and each of the three seasons existed in their own separate universes.
"Sean sparks like John Starks, nah, Sean ball like John Wall" - Rest In Power Forever Sean Price.
14. "I mean, take it for a spin yourself " In response to Reply # 13
I wouldn't take my word for it. I'm tougher on things than a lot of people.
You might like it if you liked season 1 for no other reason than creepy vibes and hints cosmic horror and if you enjoy getting spun up about easter eggs relating to the show's one good season instead of an actual compelling story. If you can't discern good acting from bad or good writing from bad or good cinematography or really any of the reasons why the first season works like it does then, sure it's a tv show with a famous film actor in the lead and an ominous score trying to solve a weird crime that's probably part of some vast conspiracy and once in a while something creepy happens. If that's all you need then, this has that stuff.
Personally, I honestly can't imagine trying to binge this because I can barely make it through an hour at a time and this week I started just skipping through subplots. I can't imagine you enjoying this if you think Season 3 was bad. That's the only other season outside of 1 I'd be remotely interested in revisiting and think has a lot going for it. This, in my mind, is inferior on every level.
What's interesting is despite the explicit ties to Season 1 this show feels the least related to that season and the furthest from the TD brand and the HBO brand of any of them. I in no way believe this exists in the same universe as season 1 at all. It's certainly in a different universe in terms of quality from every other season.
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A lot of you players ain't okay.
We would have been better off with an okaycivics board instead of an okayactivist board
4. "Dialogue was a lil' clunky, but the vibe is on point." In response to Reply # 0
I don't know if people hear that they're writing for an HBO show and feel like they gotta stuff the cussing in, but that's what this felt like. Lots of uncomfortable "motherfuckers". The sex scene was weird, too, because why are you ass naked making this dude shoot your club up, but kept on your sports bra?
Outside of those nitpicks, I'm enjoying it. I knew some shit was up with "Travis" being out there in the cold with minimal clothing and no shoes.
I just watched S1 a few months ago, so I was kinda primed to receive this for whatever it's trying to do.
8. "Another potential Easter egg/tie-in" In response to Reply # 6
They mention that the Tsalal station is being bankrolled by Tuttle United. Tuttle was the name of the Reverend in Season 1, father at least one of the killers in Season 1. It can't be a coincidence.
25. "I only know of the plot points" In response to Reply # 23
based on watching Youtube videos discussing the ending, so I have no clue on how terrible the acting was, but based on the divergence in terms of this season seemingly being more fantasy and horror driven, it appears the show would have been better served not trying to tie this season to the first season. The connections I saw from the Youtube breakdown videos seem pretty ham-fisted and also seem to hurt this season since it appears this last season was way way worse compared to the first season. Anything that would lessen the need to compare this season to the first one would seem to serve this show better.
"Sean sparks like John Starks, nah, Sean ball like John Wall" - Rest In Power Forever Sean Price.
28. "LMAO I do want to finish at some point and I SHOULDN'T be giddy but..." In response to Reply # 26
As little as I post anymore I randomly find myself in my free time worrying I came in too hot with this one and that when I finally re-opened this thread it'd be a bit of a roast...but it's the show getting roasted, not me!
At this point, my big worry is that I genuinely enjoyed how stunningly bad the first episode was in a schadenfreude way, but the rest of the show won't be able to recapture that.
Season 2 held the line because the cast was stacked (and I think at least Farrell and Vaughn were in on the joke, spiritually if nothing else) but I have a hard time imagining this one has that kind of juice. The first episode didn't seem to realize how silly it was at all.
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