So yes, I have been quite letdown with the season thus far, but this week was a bit of a step up. It's not that the show has been bad, it hasn't. The performances have been surprisingly strong for the most part, it's just that the story hasn't been all that interesting. That and it's just harder to follow with all that's going on. This week had a lot of the same problems, but the final fifteen minutes of the episode won me over.
For a show focused on 'true detectives', the season has focused a lot on mob boss Frank Semyon, played by Vaughn. Semyon and his wife have been wanting to have a kid for a long time but are physically unable to do that. I have to admit, I'm struggling to understand why it is that Vaughn is so drawn to having a child. Nothing about his character thus far has led me to believe he likes kids and would like to have one. But more so overall that character just doesn't do it for me. I just haven't found him interesting enough to give him more than 5 minutes of screen-time an episode. It also could be the fact that there's so much going on in this show that I don't have time to process all that he does and the transactions and deals he makes. Onto Woodrugh's weekly storyline, which had him wake up unknowingly in the apartment of what appeared to be his ex-boyfriend. Once again, this show has a lot going on but this side branch intrigued me. Especially on how Taylor Kitsch played the scene. I felt sympathy towards Woodrugh, that is until I'm pretty sure he proposed to his girlfriend to save face to the media for the incident with his ex.
Farrell/Velcoro had a bit of a slow week in terms of character development but McAdams didn't. It looks as though she is being suspended for 'sexual misconduct to her co-worker. Along with the fact that she led an absolute disaster of a raid on a lead suspect. I think this final segment was well-directed and definitely well-acted. But it doesn't even compare to the ending of last season's 'Who Goes There', which it will inevitably be compared to (especially considering they were both the 4th episodes). But the ending could have been even better if the directing made it feel more intimate and real. The brilliance of the episode last season was the one-take where it felt like anyone could die with bodies dropping left and right. Yes, this episode had a certain amount of stakes and an ominous feel, I still feel like it could have been topped. With that said, I enjoyed this week a whole lot more than last week and feeling better about the season.
+Ominous ending
+Stakes raised
+Kitsch' performance
-Still too much going on
-Vaughn's character is still shaky
7.5/10
For a show focused on 'true detectives', the season has focused a lot on mob boss Frank Semyon, played by Vaughn. Semyon and his wife have been wanting to have a kid for a long time but are physically unable to do that. I have to admit, I'm struggling to understand why it is that Vaughn is so drawn to having a child. Nothing about his character thus far has led me to believe he likes kids and would like to have one. But more so overall that character just doesn't do it for me. I just haven't found him interesting enough to give him more than 5 minutes of screen-time an episode. It also could be the fact that there's so much going on in this show that I don't have time to process all that he does and the transactions and deals he makes. Onto Woodrugh's weekly storyline, which had him wake up unknowingly in the apartment of what appeared to be his ex-boyfriend. Once again, this show has a lot going on but this side branch intrigued me. Especially on how Taylor Kitsch played the scene. I felt sympathy towards Woodrugh, that is until I'm pretty sure he proposed to his girlfriend to save face to the media for the incident with his ex.
Farrell/Velcoro had a bit of a slow week in terms of character development but McAdams didn't. It looks as though she is being suspended for 'sexual misconduct to her co-worker. Along with the fact that she led an absolute disaster of a raid on a lead suspect. I think this final segment was well-directed and definitely well-acted. But it doesn't even compare to the ending of last season's 'Who Goes There', which it will inevitably be compared to (especially considering they were both the 4th episodes). But the ending could have been even better if the directing made it feel more intimate and real. The brilliance of the episode last season was the one-take where it felt like anyone could die with bodies dropping left and right. Yes, this episode had a certain amount of stakes and an ominous feel, I still feel like it could have been topped. With that said, I enjoyed this week a whole lot more than last week and feeling better about the season.
+Ominous ending
+Stakes raised
+Kitsch' performance
-Still too much going on
-Vaughn's character is still shaky
7.5/10