Score: 4/5
The action is picking up on True Detective’s second season, but with only two episodes left, it’s time to tie up loose ends and neatly conclude the main storyline and as many of the seemingly endless subplots as possible.
Episode six, “Church in Ruins,” comes on the heels of the best episode of the season, and it was just as enthralling. It was a solid continuation of an investigation with more moving parts than a pinball machine.
Despite its shortcomings, season two has morphed into an entertaining hour on Sunday night.
Colin Farrell is masterful. His portrayal of Ray Velcoro becomes more convincing every week, and plenty of people were 100 percent sold before the end of the first episode.
“Church in Ruins” sees Ray go toe-to-toe with Frank (Vince Vaughn) while they have a nice chat at the dinner table (with guns pointed at each other under the table, of course).
He’s tormented that Frank may have had him kill an innocent man rather than his ex-wife’s rapist just to have a cop in his back pocket. Later, he displays his wrath while meeting face-to-face with the recently arrested man who (according to DNA evidence) raped Gena(Abigail Spencer).
Soon after, it’s anguish as he goes on a bender (and that’s putting it mildly) and calls Gena to announce he wouldn’t fight the custody battle anymore, provided she doesn’t tell his son Chad the results of the paternity test she’s set on taking.
“Church in Ruins” is largely an emotional display. Ray’s conversation with Gena about Chad is particularly painful, but it wasn’t the only time the feelings got turned up.
Ray’s supervised visit with Chad was painfully awkward and you couldn’t help but hope and pray they somehow bonded (to no avail).
Frank met with Stan’s (Frank’s henchman who was murdered) widow and bonded with Stan’s suddenly fatherless son, hugging him tight and providing comfort. This episode served as a reminder that the characters are human, incredibly flawed and broken.
The plot is interesting, but unfortunately it is way too convoluted. Everything is becoming more connected and clearer, but there is still just too much going on.
Ani (Rachel McAdams) works undercover as a prostitute in this episode and finds her missing woman. Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch) is searching to find out where Caspere’s stolen diamonds came from and his quest now has him looking for information about a jewelry store robbery that took place more than 20 years ago.
We’re still trying to tie that stuff to the land deals. Oh, and the land deals have to be connected to Caspere’s murder. Also, how does Ledo Amarilla fit into all this? That’s not to mention any of the side plots for each of the characters.
“True Detective” certainly doesn’t lack ambition. In fact, it might have displayed a little too much early on. But with how sharp the last two episodes have been, there’s still hope most of the loose ends will be neatly tied up.
Jack Woods is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @Jack_TDR.