‘Black Maps and Motel Rooms.’
Shit very very slowly and continuously hits the fan.
‘Black Maps and Motel rooms.’ carries the momentum from the previous episode, while not being constantly dynamic like it but still managing to be nearly as entertaining. Whatever the season finale is like, it’s fair to say Season 2 has kicked up a gear since the last 20 minutes of episode 4 as it’s been three episodes of top notch quality in a row now…I suppose the biggest compliment I can give this episode is I don’t have to watch it more than once to fully gage what’s going on, for once exposition is a positive. The case is explained in it’s entirety, but in an interesting way rather than a dull one. Having you, like the detectives, wondering who the hell killed Casper?!? This doesn’t make any sense?!
‘The death of Paul Wood-has it-rough.’ It was a sad and lonely death, just when you thought he had gotten himself out of trouble, taking down trained guards left, right and centre in the pitch black, he’s shot in the back by someone very random. I admire the creative way the scene is written, the way Paul reacts to himself being shot, ‘No, no, no, no.’ Determination and denial, crawling completely convinced he can change the outcome of the moment, it’s very touching as I’m sure the audience feels the same way. They want Paul to make it, they care about him, Paul is mostly an average guy struggling to find where he fits into society, the case and his pregnant wife finally gave him something.
‘I’m just trying to be a good man.’ – Detective Paul Woodrough
‘Frank goes rogue…’ another highlight was Frank finally finding out about the ‘secret war’ he’s been fighting since and before the death of Casper. This was the first episode I enjoyed watching Frank without Ray sharing a scene with him. For once his goals were clear and so were his motives. Funny how something so small can make a huge difference.
All in all, it’s another solid episode, that excites, surprises and engages fans. While there were minor gripes, Ani coming on to Ray (honestly it felt like watching siblings hooking up) and the odd throw away line that just doesn’t make anything sense: ‘Everything is fucking.’ An impressive score and enticing sequences especially in the last half of the episode, this and the last two episodes have finally made up for the kinda mess that was the first half of the season.
Sidenote: It’s really sad to see Taylor Kitsch killed off as he’s been wonderful in the series, as an actor who is in fact talented and strives to work hard it’s shame he gets a bad rep for appearing in ‘not so good’ movies. Paul Woodrough is one of my favourite characters in the True Detective anthology due to his fragile and delicate personality. He just wants to be good.
Words by Levi Eddie Aluede