True Detective

[doomridesout]

I realize I'm late to the party on this thing, but HOLY CRAP this show is good. Best TV since The Wire. The lady and I have gorged on six episodes in the past few days, about to watch the rest. Modern noir at its best. That is all.

[Brandon White]

Harrelson and McConaughey killed it. It was very well written and executed.

The next season will be new story and new cast. I don't know how they can top this season.

[shorelocal]

Yup ... will definitely be hard to top season 1, but the writing was superb, so I hope they can pull it off.

[nahtnoj]

Finale was a bit of a disappointment but the first seven episodes are some of the best television I've ever seen.

[Brandon White]

Finale was a bit of a disappointment but the first seven episodes are some of the best television I've ever seen.

I agree a little - I go back and forth on my opinion. I wanted more info on carcosa, the yellow king, who else was involved, and what went down, but when you look at it from the main story of character development and themes of the show, it falls right where the the writer said it would (he said no twists or anything like that - it would just follow the main storyline). From a showdown perspective, it still delivered with the extremely creepy backwoods house, Errol and his half-sister characters (making flowers?!?!?), and the abandoned fort. It was well filmed and carried out for its main focus.

I think people were expect a huge ending, but in the history of shows, it seems cliff-hangers have more impact because it leaves people wanting more for the final season and show finales try to wrap things up. There were still some minor details we all wanted more info on, but since its only 8 hours, compromises unfortunately have to be made.

[corko]

Best thing on the box for years...... and the music.... T Bone Burnett killed it.

I had fun following various blogs after each show too......

Was the finale a disappointment? not for me, but a little mainstream... yeah?

The real disappointment was that it had to end....... Didn't know what to do with myself last night...

[nahtnoj]

I wanted more info on carcosa, the yellow king, who else was involved, and what went down,

Exactly. I didn't really follow the writer's motivations, more about my expectations as a viewer, which admittedly are heavily influenced by how much I loved the sweeping scope of The Wire. But even that show, the second to last episode of each season was usually the best...

[Brandon White]

The hollywood rumor mill has Brad Pitt tied to Season 2. He apparently has close ties with HBO. "What's in the box?"

[holliscx]

Mrs holliscx and I just finished last night. The series really picked up with episode 4 or so - the ghetto showdown with the biker clan - but there was something about McConaughey that I was't buying, like his lines felt memorized versus natural. His cerebral schtick felt fake whereas Woody Harrelson nailed his character, but, hey, those ta-tas in episode two - jiminy Christmas!

[s_curran]

I was very impressed with everything about this show. The camera work was especially good to me.

[quickag]

I'm gonna be that guy and say it didn't really speak to me. My favorite cop show was Awake and it was cancelled after one season. Maybe I'm just bitter.

[doomridesout]

I agree that the ending felt significantly more mainstream Hollywood than the rest of the show prior to it. Instead of getting further into the political dirt, we end up following the protagonists to the 'Wild Bill' psycho showdown in the old Spanish fortress. Both protagonists survive an obviously fatal scenario. Then the pseudo-Nietzschean nihilist finds some kind of ersatz religion at the end. Of all the turns the show took, that one felt like the product of a focus group. Still, awesome neo-noir. Hope the next season finds a voice and feel like the first. I'm in for sure.

[quickag]

Maybe that's what it was...I was waiting for something...looking for something...and then they made an ending my grandma would be comfortable with.

[holliscx]

Re: ending the whole premise of the show occult serial killer is an old cliché; I almost stopped watching after E01 because of it. McConaughey & Harrelson are a clue they were intent on a mainstream audience from the beginning.

[burgess1108]

Now this would have been an incredible ending. Of course, most of the viewing public would have been outraged if they turned a hero into a villain.

[MacLaughlin]

Slightly tangential:

I don't understand why the "best TV" has almost exclusively been dark, violent, voyeuristic-ly sado/masochistic drama-types (i.e. "True Dectective," "Breaking Bad," "Sopranos," "The Wire," even "Mad Men" in its own way, et al et cetera).

For my money, the best (fictional*) TV out there right now is "Louie." It's shot simply and beautifully, delves into the essence of the human condition, and, depending on your view, is either the deepest comedy of recent memory, or is the funniest drama ever (M*A*S*H walked the same line, albeit with a different stride).

For the record, I enjoy all of the shows I've mentioned, but I don't want to see a list of the "Greatest American TV Shows" 25 years from now that doesn't include a wide range of genres and subject matter.

And if you like cartoons (or "animation," if you're being a dick about it), make sure to catch up with "Bob's Burgers." Every episode has an original song (that is always spot-on), and the subtle visual acting from secondary characters is above and beyond real-life comedies with actual human actors.

*"Cosmos" and "Planet Earth" are in a class all their own.

[Brandon White]

Now this would have been an incredible ending. Of course, most of the viewing public would have been outraged if they turned a hero into a villain.

Turning one of the main characters into the villain would have been cliche as far as I'm concerned because we are expecting odd twists and turns and illusions. The writer was mid-season interviewed:

"I've enjoyed reading people theorize about what's going to happen because it's a sign that you're connecting," Pizzolatto told me. "But I'm also sort of surprised by how far afield they're getting. Like, why do you think we're tricking you? It's because you've been abused as an audience for more than 20 years. I cannot think of anything more insulting as an audience than to go through eight weeks, eight hours with these people, and then to be told it was a lie—that what you were seeing wasn't really what was happening. The show's not trying to outsmart you."

I like they followed through with the basic premise. The final words of Rust might have seemed a little out of character, but the show's primary focus was on characters and their development - their story.

Rust's life spun out of control when he lost his family (daughter). Marty's life was out of control and caused him to lose his family. I agree the stuff with the older daughter was a little red-herring-ish, but it's part of the "detective's curse" for not realizing something was off with her.

[s_curran]

Slightly tangential:

I don't understand why the "best TV" has almost exclusively been dark, violent, voyeuristic-ly sado/masochistic drama-types (i.e. "True Dectective," "Breaking Bad," "Sopranos," "The Wire," even "Mad Men" in its own way, et al et cetera).

For my money, the best (fictional*) TV out there right now is "Louie." It's shot simply and beautifully, delves into the essence of the human condition, and, depending on your view, is either the deepest comedy of recent memory, or is the funniest drama ever (M*A*S*H walked the same line, albeit with a different stride).

For the record, I enjoy all of the shows I've mentioned, but I don't want to see a list of the "Greatest American TV Shows" 25 years from now that doesn't include a wide range of genres and subject matter.

And if you like cartoons (or "animation," if you're being a dick about it), make sure to catch up with "Bob's Burgers." Every episode has an original song (that is always spot-on), and the subtle visual acting from secondary characters is above and beyond real-life comedies with actual human actors.

*"Cosmos" and "Planet Earth" are in a class all their own.

I thinks its because they can appeal to people who like good TV, plot lines, filming, acting, etc., but then also appeal to people who like poor quality TV thanks to the simple drama. I feel like the most successful things in music, movies and TV are just productions that bridge the gaps.

FYI: I in no way imply that you have to be on one side or the other. I know I like poor TV sometimes, as well as the good stuff. Same thing with music and movies.

Maybe I'll give "Louie" a shot.

[Brandon White]

Slightly tangential:

I don't understand why the "best TV" has almost exclusively been dark, violent, voyeuristic-ly sado/masochistic drama-types (i.e. "True Dectective," "Breaking Bad," "Sopranos," "The Wire," even "Mad Men" in its own way, et al et cetera).

For my money, the best (fictional*) TV out there right now is "Louie." It's shot simply and beautifully, delves into the essence of the human condition, and, depending on your view, is either the deepest comedy of recent memory, or is the funniest drama ever (M*A*S*H walked the same line, albeit with a different stride).

For the record, I enjoy all of the shows I've mentioned, but I don't want to see a list of the "Greatest American TV Shows" 25 years from now that doesn't include a wide range of genres and subject matter.

And if you like cartoons (or "animation," if you're being a dick about it), make sure to catch up with "Bob's Burgers." Every episode has an original song (that is always spot-on), and the subtle visual acting from secondary characters is above and beyond real-life comedies with actual human actors.

*"Cosmos" and "Planet Earth" are in a class all their own.

Sex and Drama sells - always. Louie is an amazing show though. Can't wait for the new season. Curb Your Enthusiasm is another greatly written show. Also - look at other "popular" shows over the last 25 years: Seinfield, Friends, Big Bang Theory, etc. Sitcoms have been hugely successful. It just happens that the dramatic/gritty shows are technically more realistic than one-liners every 45 seconds. This falls in line with movies too. When was the last time true a comedy won best picture?

[MacLaughlin]

It just happens that the dramatic/gritty shows are technically more realistic than one-liners every 45 seconds...

Seriously? You need better friends (cue laugh track, then applause into commercial).

Also, I don't equate "most successful" with "best," but let's not discuss that.