Another fantastic episode. I dug every scene. The orgy set piece is even more suspenseful than the shootout a few episodes ago, and the resolution (for now) of Ray's custody subplot is easily the most moving scene of the season so far.

This season's second half is a dramatic improvement upon the first.

Best episode of the season, the entire orgy sequence was incredibly well done and Farrell and Vaughn had good episodes

Although: "These contracts... there's signatures all over them!" was unnecessary

That was a great episode. The last 10 minutes alone make it worth watching just so you can see how they made an orgy so fucking creepy and intense(the music was awesome) and Rachel McAdams owned. I loved the opening with Vaughn and Farrell at the table and holy shit at the scene where he threatens the guy in prison. Farrell's acting was so on point here and the custody stuff with his kid hit even harder than ever when he told his ex that he was done after his alcohol/coke induced breakdown.

Several one-liners in this just made me cringe, and there were some good moments and also some dull ones, but how they finished it again...you just can't top it. That was just the purest gold you can watch on TV. I'm not constantly feeling all too good during the episode, as it just seems to lag to so much. But then by the time it's over you're just high on it. I'm already looking forward to watching this whole season over again, but first I can't wait till next week.

Oh, and I still love Vaughn in this. This is the best I've seen him in anything.

The dreamlike/nightmarish quality of Ani's drug trip at the sex party was fantastic. A stylistic flourish that has been missing from a good part of the season and McAdams acted the hell out of the scene.

Another intense episode tonight. I loved Vaughn's destructive spree. Those scenes reminded me of the James Caan character "destroying" his existence before going for vengeance in Michael Mann's directorial debut, Thief.

The one plot element I cannot entirely wrap my head around: the connection between Caspere and the jewelry-shop robbery during the L.A. riots. Maybe I need to read a point-by-point summary/recap.

Unlike other episode I felt a bit down after this one. Yes, Vaughn bit was ever the brilliant, from the bit with Blake, to him closing up shop. The underground stuff was exiting too, but it just felt too easy for me, to have Kitsch popped there. I have no clue how the assassin managed to be right at that spot. It was a nice reveal, but at the cost of Kitsch's life in this manner, I'm not to happy how it was done. Also the Farrell and McAdams romantic part, it feels so unnessary for me. Now they have one episode to wrap things up, and I feel they need another 9.

This episode started really well, but how the detectives closed this out, a far cry from the last 3 - 4 episodes. I'm also not totally catching up on, who has done what, and who is doing what. It's interesting, but at this point I just feel there's too many character's story still up in the air.

Looking forward to the last episode now, hope it will be satisfying.

In season 1, I did have a bit of a problem with the last episode that I felt it wasn't the big reveal I'd hoped for, but there was some direction at least.

At this point I really have no clue what to expect at the end S2, that's a good thing I guess. So far they just seem like leaving too much on the table for closing it out.

That was a damn good episode. I don't know how much I buy into the Farrell/McAdams romance eventhough I saw it coming a mile away, but they handled their scenes well, especially in the opening. It was fun seeing Vince Vaughn destroying everybody, although the execution was somewhat rushed and I did think things got a bit too convoluted. Anyways, it's still all good and the stuff with Kitsch's character in the tunnels was very well done. He got off to a rocky start, but in the end I felt some sympathy for him and I must admit acting wise he really stepped his game up in the last 2 or 3 episodes.

Honestly, I can't believe there's just 1 episode left. It feels like there needs to be atleast another 5 or so, but I like how things are wrapping up.

This season spun its wheels too much in episodes two, three, and four before coming alive and gaining actual, visceral momentum with episode five.

Intense, very melancholy finale. Was the baby at the end Ani's (and Ray's)?

It was an unusual season to be sure. Atmospheric, complicated (mixed with confusing), contrived, discursive, soulful, violent. Often at the same time. But I am satisfied, too.

Farrell, McAdams, and Vaughn delivered superlative performances. I know Vaughn's turn has earned mixed reviews, but I will strongly defend him. He particularly wowed me during the final three episodes. Kitsch turned in a solid enough performance, too, though he never transcended the feeling of being one protagonist too many.

And that's a wrap on season 2. It's really too bad the first half of the season was so aimless, because things really did pick up in the back half. I mean, sure, I still ended up confused at a lot of the plot details and who was who and what was what and yadda yadda. And no, it was nowhere near as good as S1 and the writing was still ponderous and wildly uneven.

But I actually became pretty invested in Ani, Ray and even Frank the last few episodes. Rachel McAdams and Colin Farrell turned in really great work and I wish they were getting more attention for it. Vaughn finally grew into his character a bit at the very end. Taylor Kitsch was fine.

The ending pretty much made sense. Never expected Ray and Frank to make it out alive. I was kinda LOLing to myself at the prospect of a wacky spin-off with Ani, Jordan and Ani's Spawn with Ray traveling the globe saying pretentious things at each other.

One complaint regarding a small detail: I wish they had not shown the paternity test, particularly as an afterthought. Ray clearly loved (and, in a sense, died for) his son, his by blood or not, and the connection did not need to be "legitimized."

I'm just glad Rachel lived. That Vince Vaughn death sequence was horrible and unintentionally hilarious.

Bye show!

In retrospect, it is rather amusing how many red herrings and/or dead ends there were. Or they figured into the plot in a way, but still have the feel of a dead end. The hard drive. The bird head. Rick Springfield. The missing Latino woman. The blood-strewn shed in the woods.

And one of the most significant scenes of the entire season was their visit to the movie set, lol.

It was a good finale to an overall solid season. The characters I expected to die did as was the one's that I knew would survive. I also know I missed quite a bit of stuff because there was so much damn information being crammed into this episode. Who knows maybe sometime down the road I'll revisit this season just to see if I can pick up on the things I didn't get the first time around, but I doubt it will be anytime soon. It never reached the greatness of Season 1, but it always kept my interest mostly because of the fantastic performances and I'm definitely down for more.

And it has come to an end. I dug the extended run time on this, once it started I pretty much knew they needed it. But it wasn't put to good use (at all). Overall it's still a modestly great season, because the performances were ace, there was a lot of well directed scenes and the overall feel is deeply engaging. The last episode just like with season 1 was the worst one for me. I just feel Pizzolato can't close.

He does some great story writing on one end, but I'm not impressed how he ties knots together. The problem with season 2 was that it really got much too deep in too many things. Except unlike season 1, I just didn't bother much when the last episode ended. There were just too many developments that I thought were crap. I already thought episode 7 shouldn't have been the way to go, but alas, plenty to set right. It didn't happen though.

The heist WAS AWESOME. Some of the Ani - Velcore stuff also good. But it just didn't connect with me how Vaughn and Velcoro night. The absolute ending was decent again then, had a lot to do with the nice song I would say.

Episode 4, 5 and 6 are what I will be watching this season for again, but much more then season 1 it took longer to get on a path, and it in now way had such a still satisfactory ending like season 1.

Vaughn really amazed me, Kelly Reilly really is a babe, and McAdams and Farrell did good, as I expected of them. Kitsch was decent enough too, but still the weak link.

I look forward to another season. I'll put it out of my mind it will ever rival season 1, that's just close to tv perfection, but I really hope it can improve upon the story writing flaws of season 2 otherwise I'm afraid it will soon jump the shark.

Season 1: A+
Season 2: A-

The first season, though, I agree, the superior one overall, is still a tad bit overrated. The finale was mediocre, and Rust being "saved" was unearned. Whereas this season improved as it went along.

I wasn't the biggest fan of season 1 but it was still leagues better than the second season, mostly because it didn't feature the atrocious Vince Vaughn and Kelly Reilly performances.

This season was more of a roller coaster; the first 3 episodes you're lifted upwards highly anticipating every that's to come, and having the tingling feeling in your stomach, then episode 4,5,6 are the free-fall, the looping, the cork-screw, but then the last 2 episodes it's only still going a bit fast, but you're soon slowed down where it then comes to a stop.

Season 1 was a much better told story, but no doubt season 2 had some great, great moments, it just had too much baggage to flow smoothly I felt.

I believe, beyond the True Detective-standard elements such as fine acting and a certain noir intensity, a lot of the first four episodes were wasted this season. The setup became a tad interminable, and then the reset button was hit after the street shootout. Which I assume was meant to mirror the point in season one when past and present met and the leads were reunited, but it did not go down as smoothly.

I wonder how this season will fare at the Golden Globes and Emmys.

Yes, agree with all those points in your last review.

And as far as awards, I can see one of the actors getting a nominee nod, but nothing else. In truth I don't follow tv awards and aside from Woody and Matt getting nominated last year, I'm not sure what else TD was nominated for.

So I'm three episodes in and it's pretty good (though not as good as the first season). Vince Vaughn takes a little getting used to. I keep expecting him to crack a joke (and he almost did at one point, plus his rat story is pretty hilarious). I think Rachel McAdams is great and Colin Farrell is the most interesting character. Kitsch playing a closet homo is funny. The end of episode two was awesome. I love the fact that all these people have their own demons. It seems to be a trend with this show.

Ok, finished it. Very entertaining, but not a patch on the first season. They used largely the same formula as the first season too.

Vince Vaughn wasn't the right choice, in my opinion. He is not the right actor for this role. Farrell and McAdams were great. Kitsch was also ok, but he seems intent on trying to prove himself as a modern James Dean rather than choosing roles that require him to act. I'll need to rewatch this season as I just watched it from 1 right through to 8, and it's a lot to take in at once. I rewatched season one not so long ago and it's great how much more you pick up on, especially in a story like season two where I didn't catch on to absolutely every piece of dialogue.

Episode two, five and eight were probably the best, not that I care too much. I prefer to just grade the season.

B+

One thing I noticed about this season is the writing was quite good enough. There was a lot of bad writing. Explaining things for the audience, which was much more subtle in the first I thought.