True Detective - Other Lives - Review

After the epic shoot-out that capped episode four, last week was a decidedly quieter affair. More so than ever, we’re closer to solving the season’s central mystery, and each of our main players seem to be nearing an emotional breaking point in their personal lives.

For me, the MVP remains Colin Farrell as Detective Ray Velcoro. Two months after the shooting, a new lead in the case lures Velcoro away from working security for Frank and back to detective work – it also helps that Katherine Davis promises to help Velcoro retain custody of his son if he agrees to work on the case. Davis also tells Velcoro that his wife Gena’s rapist was arrested six weeks ago, and Gena is now having the court run a paternity test on their son. So far, Velcoro’s personal life remains the most interesting story to me. Farrell is giving a fascinating performance; the moment he realizes that Frank set him up is among the best moments of either season of the series. In the final moments of the episode, Velcoro shows up at Frank’s house ready to confront him. Even if the mystery isn’t keeping your interest, Velcoro’s journey should be.

Meanwhile, Bezzerides has been demoted to working in evidence lock up and is attending sexual harassment seminars. Rachel McAdams continues to impress here – with more focus on Velcoro and Bezzerides, the season would unarguably be a lot stronger. Continuing to investigate Vera’s disappearance on her own time, Bezzerides makes a connection between Vera and the blue diamonds that were stored in Caspere’s safety deposit box. It’s that discovery that eventually brings the three detectives back together and on the case.

Here’s the thing – at this point last season, the mystery was relatively simple. By biggest gripes with season one were the many unexplained red herrings and story points left hanging. Here, honestly, I’m still sort of struggling to follow the mystery. I know a lot of people have been turned off by not really being able to invest themselves in the case, but this episode may help to simplify things.

Bezzerides figures out that Vinci PD has been manipulating the investigation. Velcoro then visits Pitlor’s clinic; he beats him and gets him to admit that Caspere and Chessani were in business together, using parties with prostitutes and influential men to blackmail attendees. Vera’s last movements are tracked to an abandoned house deep in the woods.

So, is that house where the parties are held? Ani approaches her sister hoping to score herself an invite – it looks like tonight we’ll be getting an inside look at the parties.

Easily the most divisive plotlines with viewers are Woodrugh and Frank’s stories. Both Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kitsch are doing fine work – Kitsch is often quite great – but the writing for them is sometimes questionable. Frank really used the phrase “blue-balls of the heart” this week; I don’t think there’s a single actor who could pull that line off without sounding absurd. I see Vaughn's performance getting dragged through the coals often, when the truth is that his character simply isn’t very well written, and I actually think he’s done a good job with what he’s been given. Past episodes have also included some awkward directorial choices, particularly in Frank’s scenes opposite his wife. Still, as Velcoro has discovered that Frank essentially set him up to kill a man who didn’t really attack his wife, I’m eager to see what comes of it tonight.

Woodrugh’s arc is odd, and it seems quite unnecessary to the overall story (so far, anyway). Kitsch gives a fine performance, but his material is redundant and pretty trite. While Velcoro and Bezzerides have kept me guessing, Woodrugh’s story feels like a big, predictable cliché – though I’m hopeful that the last few episodes might change my perspective a bit.

While others have been quick to write this season off, I’ve actually genuinely enjoyed a lot of it so far. The cast is mostly phenomenal, the story has promise, and the noir angle is usually played effectively. Could it be better? It sure can. Is there still a chance that the final few episodes could elevate its greatness? Hell yes. As long as Nic Pizzolatto is able to deliver a satisfying and exciting conclusion to the case (something that season one failed to do for me) I’ll remember this season fondly.

What do you think of True Detective season two so far? Are you excited for the final three episodes, or has it already lost too much steam for you? Hit the comments and let us know what you think, and feel free to follow me on Twitter for all my SpoilerTV updates.