IGX

I've never been more bored watching a shootout. I don't know why Pizzolatto decided that there wouldn't be time to explore the "secret occult history of the U.S. Transportation System", but that's exactly the sort of thing that might have made this season compelling. At least Rachel McAdams is interesting to watch.

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:More characters, seemed to dilute the storyline a bit.

Here’s something else: What new insights have we gained into any of these characters since episode one? How has, say, Ani Bezzarides’s character developed in the four hours we’ve spent watching this show? It hasn’t. Neither, really, has Velcoro’s, whose split personality as a corrupt brute and a guy who wants to be a better dad to his son was clear from about 20 minutes into the series. Woodrugh is deep in the closet and is tormented about it; that’s the extent of his “arc” through 240 minutes of showtime thus far. The only character who’s shown any development is — ta da — the dial tone Frank, who’s gone from self-assured casino boss about to swing the deal of a lifetime to harried husband who’s afraid he’s lost everything to violent gangster muscling his old associates for cash to get back on his feet. This is, for all intents and purposes, a show about Frank Semyon with the mystery of Caspere’s death a subplot rather than vice versa, which is … a disastrous mistake given viewer expectations, the weakness of the material Vaughn’s provided with, and his own difficulty delivering it convincingly. Even if that dynamic reverses in the last four episodes and this becomes a show about solving the mystery again, you’d still be left trying to explain why half the series was devoted mainly to Frank.

Turdacious wrote:I watched a recent episode (and nothing else)-- not sure if it's the acting or the directing, but Vaughan is terrible.

Grandpa's Spells wrote:

Turdacious wrote:I watched a recent episode (and nothing else)-- not sure if it's the acting or the directing, but Vaughan is terrible.

It's just bad casting, combined with the bar from the previous season being set extremely high.

The people who have typically fit in that kind of role as written are Gandolfini, Pacino, Walken, Penn, De Niro & maybe Brando. Guys who can do a lot of stuff non-verbally.

That's not Vaughan. He's always memorable when he's borderline manic. If you were having him play a gangster, you'd put him on the other side, doing something like a Ray Liotta, Joe Pantoliano, or Pesci.

He was pretty good last week, but the problem is he's playing completely against type, and it doesn't really matter how good you are if you're playing outside your range. Following McConaughey and Harrelson isn't doing him any favors either.

KingSchmaltzBagelHour wrote:I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm enjoying this season. It started slow, and it has the worst intro music ever, but I'm into it.

The Crawdaddy wrote:

Cave Canem wrote:Anyone else think the whole show is miscast except for Colin Farrell?

He's the only one doing anything approaching decent acting.

None of them are even remotely assisted by the horrendous writing.

Shafpocalypse Now wrote:I read it, very solid.