Season One took Nic Pizzolatto eight years to write IIRC. It shows, too, the first season is near perfect, but that kind of pace could just never work for a TV series. HBO ordered another season and he did the best he could do but it fell flat. Same for S3 before he left the series.
I really hoped Night Country could be a new chapter in the True Detective mythos but it’s shaping up to be the second worst in the series. Not even Issa López’s directing can save the production issues that are apparent in the final cut.
I think night country is second best so far. There is heavy Fargo borrowing which is a good thing imo. The spiral symbolism is a little blunt, but the beat down characters that fill out the town is interesting. I have a pretty obvious prediction as to what, who, and how all the deaths occured. Still, its fun to watch how the threads are being wove together. I think the cinematography, effects, lighting, mood, some of the acting, are excellent.
Appreciate the comment but I have to disagree with almost all of it. As a disclaimer, ive only seen the first two episodes. My thoughts:
You’re right about the Fargo borrowing, but that just means the best parts of NC make me just want to watch Fargo instead. The characters all come across as caricatures in my eyes, too, and are impossible for me to like. If HBO feels like it’s appropriate to call a show True Detective without the showrunner at the helm, I think it’s appropriate to compare that show to its other seasons, and the two cop leads have none of the likeability of Cohle or Harrelson’s characters in S1. Jodie Foster in particular is bad, whether that’s from the writing, directing, or performance, I don’t know but I suspect it’s all three.
Exposition is forced. Pacing is all over the place. Both of which could’ve probably been helped if the show wasn’t cut down from 8 episodes to 6. The intro is insultingly long, which isn’t something I’ve ever criticized about a show ever. The CGI opening in the first episode set a theme of rushed production and genuinely cool concept which has continued for everything I’ve seen.
All of which is multiplied x10 because Issa Lopez was one of my favorite directors to come out of the 2010s and I thought for sure her writing and directing a True Detective season was a foolproof recipe for success
The problem with season 2 is Vaughn. I don’t get why he gets gigs. He’s awful.
Every actor in season two made me feel as if I was watching an actor. None of it felt believable.
I loved all of them, don’t understand what people are on about. Sure first one was the most awesomenest but 2 and 3 hold their own by themselves. People just love to be disappointed I guess. You can’t have more of what ended. That’s what the end means. You can have something different and you might not like it as much or at all. But the other thing you had and loved… It’s gone. Not coming back. It’s how it is.
Nerdstalgic is one of the best around. Love the narrators voice
