[CRITICAL SERIES] TRUE DETECTIVE S02E05

OTHER LIVES is finally the episode that we waited ! Yet very simple in its construction, episode 5 proves to be very effective.

Consistency settles, finally, between all the sub-plots and the investigation into the murder of Caspere. This last begins to be contaminated by the personal problems of our three investigators-the so-called “folders” of information we had to digest in the first half of this season 2 of TRUE DETECTIVE). Connect the dots scattered to catch a glimpse of a sketch that provides a satisfaction simple but vital, and allows the viewer to get involved really in the series.

Beyond some cosmetic changes of the characters (clothes, hair, habits), we feel the weight of the violent events that have occurred at the end of the episode 4 on the choice of our four characters (even the criminal Frank Semyon, aka Vince Vaughn). It is a change of size compared to the four previous episodes, because the characters written by Nic Pizzolatto appeared to be simply pushed around by forces that are superior to them. OTHER LIVES allows you to see the changes for which our heroes have opted, 66 days after the events of Down Will Come (episode 4).

The creator of the series TRUE DETECTIVE, Nic Pizzolatto, has the air of a genre cynical and deterministic, thinking that our choices do not have impacts on our lives (see our analysis of the intent of Nic Pizzolatto in our critique of episode 3, Maybe Tomorrow). However, the author acknowledges, with OTHER LIVES that it is different for most of us. Its characters act finally as human beings to whom one can identify because they opt for radical thinking and take control of their lives… can be so illusory, as discussed in the end of this EPISODE 5.

Our characters seem to make choices, they act truly (spinning, resection of the clues, interrogations, etc). Previously, we had seen the three investigators do their job, but not spend too much time on it, the weight of their background, family, forcing them to focus on other aspects. OTHER LIVES operates a rebalancing subtle giving plans more time to the pursuit of the investigation. The three investigators and the mobster Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn) are not progressing that much on paper, but are more concerned to solve the crime of Caspere, and we with it.

“Connecting the dots spread to catch a glimpse of a sketch that provides a satisfaction simple, but crucial, and allows the viewer to get involved really in the series.”

The satisfaction of participating in a coherent story has been a long time coming, but we will not sulk our pleasure. Admittedly, the episode is not perfect, but the quality of the set broadly follows that of the scenario. With a cast as prestigious (Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch), it was a pity to see in some episodes a actors direction approximate to spoil all this talent concentrated. OTHER LIVES focuses on the best performance of actors in episode 2, and away from those of episode 4.

Colin Farrell is by far the best actor of season 2, but his playmates are beginning to reduce the gap that separate them, and deliver much better performance. OTHER LIVES has given a direction (belated) to the series, which facilitates the choice of staging.

This episode 5 is even more crucial as the previous one (Down Will Come), but considered the climax of the season with its scene of action intended to artificially accelerate our heart rate. Through the 3 episodes remaining, if Nic Pizzolatto continues to tighten the plot and the consequences on its characters, our involvement in the series is expected to grow. However, if he falls back into his through previous (background too explicit, dialogues dishes, symbolic free…), season 2 of TRUE DETECTIVE could well be a failure.

OTHER LIVES suggests a Nic Pizzolatto smarter than the role of puppeteer to the large strings that he has played so far. We suspect that the writer of TRUE DETECTIVE has put forward some details, such as smoke screens, the better to conceal us a final simple but effective.

@thomas_coispel