True Detective (HBO)

[Dotini]

Especially for GTPlanet viewers, a libertarian take on True Detective!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/19/the-most-libertarian-network-on-tv.html

HBO

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Damn, that was a good episode:

Spoiler

So, Frank set Velcoro up with the tip on the rapist.

It's looking more and more like Caspere was killed to marginalise Frank's position and build up the political might of someone. But I can't reconcile the Osip-Pitlor end with Chessani and Geldof just yet.

 

[Dotini]

Spoiler: Speculation

Geldoff ended the Caspere investigation and began a run for Governor using bribe money from Mayor Chessani.

Chessani Jr is working with Ossip to edge Frank out of the land deal.

Pitlor makes 8's into 10's for sex parties staged by Chessani Jr, Ossip and probably others.

Chessani Jr and Caspere used sex parties for extortion.

The hard drive could be in the possession of Vinci PD, or Chessani Jr.

The location of the diamonds is unknown, presumably stolen from evidence room of Ventura County Sheriff.

 

[ultraviolet]

i still don't see the overall picture yet on where its going, thats not to say i don't like it, but, it does seem a little all over the place

 

[Dotini]

As I see it, the world is corrupt and futile. But the true detective, though in the world, is not of it. He/she has a code - something like a knight - which protects the weak and innocent, women and children.

This season of TD will not stop crime or end corruption. But it may redeem one or more true detectives.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So, I was at the greatest bookstore in the world (or at least the city) the other day, and I found Nic Pizzolatto's Gavelston, which was published before the first season of True Detective (and the first season was originally conceived as a full-length novel before Pizzolatto decided it would work better as a television series). It's pretty damn good; it's got a real noir vibe of cynicism and humidity and urban decay.

i still don't see the overall picture yet on where its going, thats not to say i don't like it, but, it does seem a little all over the place

If you think of the Caspere case as a straight line, we have the ends; we just need the middle to figure it out:

Spoiler

At one end, Pittlor is performing cosmetic surgery on girls that he supplies to parties run by Osip. Caspere was in attendance at these parties, as were prominent people - like McCandless - who Osip has been blackmailing.

At the other end, Davis suspects Chessani and Geldof conspired to get Geldof into the race for the governor's house, using the investigation to pin the corruption on Caspere.

So, why was Caspere killed? Was it to cover up the corruption in Vinci and put a (potential) governor in Chessani's pocket? Or was it something to do with the parties?

And what role does Elliot Bezzerides and the early new-age spirituality movement play?

And I'm pretty sure that one of the four main characters is going to die before the end of the season.

 

[ultraviolet]

I was wondering if we where going to get a good verses evil type of thing as the killer in the first episode reminded me of 'evil' and Ani Bezzerides dad (David Morse) was the 'good' with Ani having to turn to her father for help after distancing herself from him

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Nah, that's a bit too much like the first season.

 

[ultraviolet]

Nah, that's a bit too much like the first season.

not seen the first season, tried part 1 and only got about half way through it, didn't like Harrelson or McConaughey one little bit, the whole thing was so dull

 

[prisonermonkeys]

not seen the first season, tried part 1 and only got about half way through it, didn't like Harrelson or McConaughey one little bit, the whole thing was so dull

The first season was very much about the subjective nature of good in the face of an objective evil - in other words, are acts that would be considered bad still be considered "bad" in the context of something truly horrifying? After all, Hart and Cohle committed murder while acting as officers of the law - but at the same time, they murdered a pair of paedophiles trafficking children for a voodoo cult, so was it really that bad of them?

 

[ultraviolet]

The first season was very much about the subjective nature of good in the face of an objective evil - in other words, are acts that would be considered bad still be considered "bad" in the context of something truly horrifying? After all, Hart and Cohle committed murder while acting as officers of the law - but at the same time, they murdered a pair of paedophiles trafficking children for a voodoo cult, so was it really that bad of them?

was that the story line then?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

was that the story line then?

Hart and Cohle were partners in Mississippi during the 1990s when they got called out to investigate a bizarre ritual murder. After hitting a couple of dead ends they were told to make progress or move on to new cases. They made the connection to a group of Christian fundamentalists and discovered a string of missing persons cases strung out across the state over the course of years that no-one had ever put together before and heard rumours of someone called the "Yellow King". All of this led to the traffickers, and after discovering children in captivity, Hart executed them and Cohle staged the scene.

The investigation was considered closed, and Hart and Cohle gradually drifted apart. Hart became a private investigator and Cohle burned himself out. Twenty years later, they were pulled back into an investigation when more Yellow King bodies turned up. They teamed up again and followed new leads back to the actual killer, realising that they had actually interviewed him early in the investigation.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So, we get another clue:

Spoiler

McCandless admitted to Osip that Osip's investment in the rail corridor was more lucrative than Semyon's - so the question needs to be asked: was Caspere killed to squeeze Semyon out? And if so, why did he offer Semyon the chance to buy back in?

 

[Dotini]

So, we get another clue:

Spoiler

McCandless admitted to Osip that Osip's investment in the rail corridor was more lucrative than Semyon's - so the question needs to be asked: was Caspere killed to squeeze Semyon out? And if so, why did he offer Semyon the chance to buy back in?

Spoiler

Possibly Caspere was killed because he was blackmailing important people. Semyon was offered a way back in IF he retrieved the hard drive.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler

Possibly Caspere was killed because he was blackmailing important people. Semyon was offered a way back in IF he retrieved the hard drive.

Spoiler

With two episodes to go, I'm not so sure it's that simple, because the suspect pool is enormous.

No, I reckon it's going to come down to the diamonds. Their origin makes them untraceable, which means they would appeal to the likes of the Mexicans. If Caspere knew or suspected where the diamonds came from, then that would be his leverage. But Chessani couldn't have Caspere blackmailing the cartels, because if it got out, it would ruin Vinci, him and Geldof.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

So I have to ask is the Vaughn and Farrell pairing stronger than the Mcconaughey and Harrelson pair? So far that is.

 

[Dotini]

So I have to ask is the Vaughn and Farrell pairing stronger than the Mcconaughey and Harrelson pair? So far that is.

To be fair, TD season 2 is working with 4 detectives rather than just the 2 of season 1. Also, season 2 is more ambitious in some other ways, I think. So it's comparing apples and oranges, in a sense. Bottom line, I like them both, but for different reasons.

 

[ultraviolet]

Blake Churchman did it

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So I have to ask is the Vaughn and Farrell pairing stronger than the Mcconaughey and Harrelson pair? So far that is.

Individually, they're doing well. Farrell was always going to be good, but I had serious reservations about Vaughn which have since been proved to have been misplaced.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

Individually, they're doing well. Farrell was always going to be good, but I had serious reservations about Vaughn which have since been proved to have been misplaced.

I figured they'd be good since Vaughn has had serious roles before and has shown to be a versatile actor but I guess comedy is just easier to put out. I just was hard to see if this group would be as powerful as the one before it, and so far it seems they're just as good which is good.

 

[ultraviolet]

Vaughn is great in 'The Cell' and 'Mr & Mrs Smith'

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I figured they'd be good since Vaughn has had serious roles before and has shown to be a versatile actor but I guess comedy is just easier to put out. I just was hard to see if this group would be as powerful as the one before it, and so far it seems they're just as good which is good.

Kitsch is the only real weak link, probably because he isn't given too much to do compared to Farrell, McAdams and Vaughn.

 

[Dotini]

So far Ani is the only true detective. She

Spoiler

rescued the missing girl.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So far Ani is the only true detective. She

Spoiler

rescued the missing girl.

Spoiler

Except that she had no reason to believe that Vera was alive, or that she would be found at the party.

Meanwhile, Paul made the connection to Irina (even if he was led there), found the diamonds and their origin, proved that Dixon was working against the interests of the investigation, and recovered the contracts from McCandless' home.

 

[Dotini]

Spoiler

Irina was killed, and Paul, no true detective, failed to save her. Frank, also no true detective, in fact got her killed.

Paul did not find the diamonds. They were in Caspere's bank deposit box, and later stolen from the evidence room. I guess you could say he ID'd the diamonds as stolen from a Hollywood jewelry store at the time of the '92 riots, leading to speculation as to who did the "tactical" murder and heist. And bringing in the in the mystery of the kids - who are they? The Chessani kids?

But, true, Paul's efforts in the pawn shops did finger Dixon as working against the investigation, and he did the B&E at the mansion, stealing the contracts. So yes, perhaps he has the makings of a true detective. Under my criteria, he will have to save the weak and innocent, woman or child, to become a true detective.

I ordered NP's book!

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I ordered NP's book!

It's good. So good that I want to teach it for crime fiction in Year 11 next year.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler

Well, they're screwed. And they've lived just long enough to realise it.

 

[Dotini]

Spoiler: Prediction for Finale Episode Season 2

If the Osterman siblings have the hard drive and join forces with true detectives, then the forces of justice have a good chance to prevail.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler: Prediction for Finale Episode Season 2

If the Osterman siblings have the hard drive and join forces with true detectives, then the forces of justice have a good chance to prevail.

I don't think that it will be quite so simple as that.

Spoiler

The Ostermans having the drive makes sense, but it's fairly useless to them because it (probably) only contains evidence that Caspere was blackmailing others. It doesn't prove that he, Holloway, Burris and Dixon stole the diamonds.

There is a case to be made for Leonard Osterman being adopted to become Tony Chessani, which would make sense if he's trying to get Osip to take out the Vinci power structure - Osip's moves against Frank coincidence with Laura joining Caspere's office.

 

[ultraviolet]

not going to bother watching the last episode, lost all interest in it. properly because after the excellent episode 6 of Mr Robot this just doesn't do it for me anymore