[rating=8.00] “The Western Book of the Dead”
It’s difficult for me to fathom what, exactly, it is that people are expecting out of True Detective. The amount of hype and the level of expectation for this season has been through the roof, and while many seem disappointed in what they’ve been given with this season’s opener, True Detective has never been coy about what kind of show it is. In fact, it’s right there in the title.
For all the esoteric, existential ramblings of the first season, the shocking twist was that there was no shocking twist. In the end, it was a story about hard-nosed detectives, doing what hard-nosed detectives do best. It was modern noir, no more and no less and despite the ethereal drama of Rust Cohle, it was never supposed to be anything more than that. It was helpful to keep that in mind as I watched the second season premiere, recalling that much ado was made of what was ultimately nothing over the course of season one. This grounded approach helped me remember what it was that I was watching: A show about true detectives.
Which is exactly what was given in the premiere of the second installment of Nic Pizzolatto’s noir anthology. While it wasn’t immediately as attention grabbing as season one (who can forget being sucked in by a haggard Matthew McConaughey?) all of the elements are in place for a compelling and mysterious story.
California is the setting for this season’s tale, a far cry from the Louisiana based story of last year. Southern gothic has been exchanged for urban gothic, in a story that connects three cops, from three jurisdictions, with a rising figure among California’s mob underground, and a scandal involving the development of a high speed rail traversing the Cali landscape.
Colin Farrell plays Detective Ray Velcoro, a divorced detective with the Vinci Police Department whose life is spiraling out of control; Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a hard drinking and restless deputy of the county sheriff; and Taylor Kitsch rounds out the trio as Paul Woodrugh, a motorcycle cop of the Highway Patrol. Separate cases converge for the three cops thanks to the disappearance of one Ben Caspere, city manager for the town of Vinci.
Caspere has gone missing following the publication of the first article in an 8 part series regarding shady land deals that surround the building of the rail. It would seem that some of the land deals are, perhaps, a bit less than on the level. The revelations are particularly troublesome to local mobster Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn, who successfully put to rest the fears of his detractors with his performance) who stands to make enough legal money off of these shady dealings to fully legitimize himself as a businessman.
“The Western Book of the Dead” makes no effort to rush to the point, as we follow the seemingly disparate stories of Ray, Ani, Paul, and Frank. Instead, what we get is, more than anything else, a bit of a tone setter. Our cops are all deeper, more actualized copies of tropes that should be familiar to any fan of mystery and crime. Ray’s life is spiraling further out of control due to anger and alcoholism, and it’s quickly apparent that he’s in the pocket of Frank, thanks to a favor from a decade ago. Ani is full of restless angst, concerned with doing the right thing and consumed by her job at the expense of personal relationships. Paul is young and seemingly taken in by the thrills his job offers and the desire to be a hardworking man. The three are brought to life beautifully by their actors, all of whom live up to season one’s standout performances in this opener.
But atmosphere is the true star of True Detective. More compelling than the first season’s story (which was by itself pretty damn compelling) was the sense of foreboding and impending doom that permeated its every minute. While the same kind of darkness isn’t achieved (yet) in season two, the atmosphere looms thick and heavy, creating an air of mystery and danger that threatens to consume our heroes. Pizzolatto’s writing is superb, as ever. Words are unwasted in “The Western Book of the Dead” as the story unfolds to bring our cops together. Added to this mix is the direction of Justin Lin, who brings a grittiness to the normal gloss of LA County. Lin has really stretched himself from his Fast and Furious days, establishing the setting of season two as a character unto itself. Ray, Ani, and Paul aren’t just poised to solve a mystery, they’re forced to endure the fury of LA County as a foil.
As an introduction to this season, “The Western Book of the Dead” is a bit of a slow burn, sucking you in gradually rather than all at once. Pizzolatto is clearly playing the long-game with this one; he refuses to reveal his cards, keeping secrets at bay while planting seeds of intrigue in the seemingly benign. While this approach may be off-putting to some, the slowest burns tend to have the highest payoffs when all is said and done. Though it doesn’t immediately achieve the heights of its predecessor, the table has been set for what appears to be a delicious outing.
