Previously on True Detective: In the aftermath of the shooting that left many cops killed and the Caspere case “closed”, our four main characters are having a lot of trouble moving on from the firefight and its implications. Whatever the situation, the message from this season of True Detective is clear: The past does not simply go away.
The revelation that Ray’s ex-wife was not actually raped by the man that Ray killed (based on information from Frank) so many years ago was anything, but a surprise. With the paternity test threats becoming evermore frequent and the obvious tension between Ray and Frank, it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light. The first scene of this episode worked really well because of all of the tension that has built up between Frank and Ray. It was enjoyable to see that tension reach a high and then simmer down. All that being said, I was quite surprised that the real rapist in question was….somebody else that we don’t particularly care about. In my opinion, Frank Semyon is way too smart to have given Ray the wrong name so (speculation time, drum roll please) I have to assume that Frank had more to do with Alicia’s rape and Ray’s subsequent fall into corruption than he is currently letting on. Not only would a revelation of this sort bring more meaning to Frank’s character (see lengthy complaints about Frank in the last paragraph below), but it could setup for a great ending to a “Just OK” season.
In my last review (found here), I talked about how Detective Ani Bezzerides is the best thing about this season and this episode proved that more than ever. With the last twenty minutes of this episode mainly being the Ani Bezzerides Show, I was well entertained. A few months back when I heard that True Detective was planning on filming an orgy scene, I was afraid that instead of focusing on the characters, this orgy scene would take over the entire show for a good amount of time where the plot went absolutely nowhere. Instead, and I really can’t believe that I’m writing this, the writers made excellent use of the orgy. Instead of just littering the show with premium television level sex scenes, they took the time to use it as a window into Ani’s mysterious past…and future. As soon as Ani finished her strange flashback, she discovered Vera (a missing girl that is somehow connected to the Caspere case). I really enjoyed the chase scene in the end. It was really well directed with perfect music and just a truly fantastic tone that set this episode above anything else True Detective has done this season.
While many critics of this season have complained about everything from all of the highway shots (admittedly overused) to boring dialogue (definitely better in season one, but not terrible), I continue to find that the weakest point of this series is Vince Vaughn’s Frank Semyon. I am not a huge Vince Vaughn fan, but he has played Frank Semyon extremely well, while the writing has failed him. Frank’s initial problem is that he is completely separated from the rest of the cast ninety percent of the time. This method of character divergence and convergence can work very well and has been a great template that writers have been using since, well… forever. The only requirement for this method to work is that all separated characters have to be interesting. This is where Frank Semyon becomes season 2’s main Achilles’ heel. The writing for the character is just dull beyond dull (see Frank’s talk with Stan’s (apparently we should care about Stan now) son for what seemed like forever) and unfocused beyond belief (he wants to have a child, but then he doesn’t?). Frank has been running around doing so many different things and, yet, none of it is really all that revealing about who his character is and where his loyalties lie (beyond himself). In summary, Frank is a simple single layer villain that does not offer the intrigue that a central character like his should. What are your thoughts on Frank Semyon? Let me know in the comments below.
Rating: 8.9/10 - This episode was highlighted by Ray and Frank's tense conversation in the beginning and Ani's awesome undercover work in the end. While Frank's mindless wandering continued to weight down the episode, the rest of the group managed to salvage a more than decent hour of television.
Favorite Lines:
“That didn’t hurt, but I have a sense of justice…You know that.” - Frank Semyon
"Don't you fucking shoot me Ray" - Frank Semyon
“If they don’t give you life I will have every inch of your flesh removed with a cheese grater starting with your prick. I’ll cut off your nose and your lips, your nuts too, and I’ll make sure you live.” - Ray Velcoro
“You know me. You just didn’t know you did..” - Ray Velcoro
