With
the weather outside frightful, it's a good time for some TV
binge-watching. I took on "True Detective" starring Matthew
McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. They play a pair of wildly different
State Police detectives operating in southern Louisiana investigating
a murder featuring elaborate and bizarre staging. McConaughey's
character senses that this is the work of a serial killer and the
chase is on. A classic pulp gumbo of creepy bayous, extented family
connections, beautiful women, sinister politicians and clergy,
bikers, voodoo, drugs, heavy drinking and chain-smoking.
Another Southern Gothic piece in the cottage industry that HBO seems to excel
in with some obvious nodding to the Lynchian universe. But not quite
enough as far as I am concerned. While very well photographic and
staged, with excellent, albeit over the top, acting by the two leads,
the series sags when the story turns to a predictable,domestic
melodrama subplot between Harrelson and his wife. And,true to form in
so many cable network series, there is of course, gratuitous T&A.
These two items made me groan as they smell like network blueprinting
for audience appeal. The female characters in the series are barely
developed and seem merely eye candy. As far as I am concerned,
eliminating the wife and subplot would have made this a stronger,
much more interesting and off-beat piece. I realize the writer was
using this as a character juxtapose between the two detectives but it
didn't work. It was, in a way, trying to introduce a part of reality
in this unreal universe. Another writing cop-out: the overused plot
device of the hollering police supervisor. Seems a bit sloppy if one
accepts the notion that the writer is trying to create something
quite unique. How many times have we seen this? C'mon.
Still,
"True Detective" is worth your time if you enjoy this
genre. Please be advised there are a lot of folks to keep track of.
There is not a lot of blood and gore. McConaughey and Harrelson
create memorable characters aided by some very good dialogue writing.
A small quibble is Harrelson's choice to give his character a facial
tick. Perhaps he has an actual problem but I found this to be
distracting.
Series
Two is scheduled to begin this summer featuring a new pair of
detectives, Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell, set a lesser-known part
of California. Hmmm, shades of "Inland Empire"?
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