Watch: ‘True Detective’ Season 2 Is Brilliant, and Here’s Why

Watch: ‘True Detective’ Season 2 Is Brilliant, and Here’s Why

TV critics, TV bloggers, TV tweeters, and other TV commentators: RELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. At least where ‘True Detective‘ is concerned. The second season of the HBO series was recently greeted with so much anticipation, commentary, prognostication, critique, concern, and general reactiveness before it even started that, had it been a child, it would have been the equivalent of the youngest sibling in ‘A Christmas Story,’ smothered in winter clothing, lying on the sidewalk, screaming, "Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! Come baaaaaaaack!" Expectations were too high, and the series disappointed many. But not Nelson Carvajal, whose beautiful video essay captures the visual intelligence the show’s creators packed into it, while also addressing its crucial themes, in a collection of images strung together by music by Philip Glass, among other musicians. Watching this, I’m reminded, oddly enough, of my first prolonged encounter with the work of Gertrude Stein in college. The professor suggested that, rather than bringing our expectations to the work, we should let the work itself stir expectations; rather than looking at what we wanted to be there, we should look at what’s there. I’m not saying the series is the equivalent of Stein, merely that it might deserve the same approach. Enjoy.

8 thoughts on “Watch: ‘True Detective’ Season 2 Is Brilliant, and Here’s Why”

  1. Brilliant? Hmm. That’s a word that has become a bit overused like ‘genius’. I can’t say I found the series ‘brilliant’. There were some good moments but series two was not as compelling as series one. For me a benchmark is ‘can’t wait for the next episode’. Series two was more like,’I’ve come this far, I’d like to at least see how it ends’.

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  2. I loved the show. the world needs more artists and less critics. you literally cannot pick a single entertainment product on the face of the earth that doesn’t have a group of people talking shit about it. guess what guys. it doesn’t matter what you think. people are out there living their dreams making shows and movies and music that they have in the hearts to make and you’re whining on the internet. but they can’t hear you! they’re going to continue having awesome creative lives and you’re going to continue to cry about their art that you neither have the talent of character to create for yourselves. that is all have a nice day 🙂

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  3. The internet, where everyone has an opinion. Call it brilliant all you want. History won’t remember it as so.

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  4. If you take some of the images out of the context of the show and put them in a collage they sorta work, but of course, when you put the images in the order that the show’s creators decided to put them in, then not so much.

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  5. I loved True Detective season 2 from start to finish. Ray Velcoro sucked me in as i related to him and felt real emotions as i watched this amazing show. I agree that expectations were REALLY high after the McConaissance, don’t get me wrong either loved his portrayal of Rust in season 1 but Season 2 and i think once people calm down Season 2 will become a cult classic as The Wire has i really hope the negitivity does not discourage VP from writing season 3 HBO already offered it to him. and your also right Mustang55 to each as own.

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