True Detective Night Country

[druss]

Is this still hopelessly failing to live up to the first season?

[Zero Gravitas]

And what was the craic with the...

A survivor, it did jump away from it very abruptly from discovery to "well we'll see next week nurse!" to the point it seemed almost like a late stage insertion, not even the weirdest dialog and plotting choice.

Is this still hopelessly failing to live up to the first season?

Shame the international paedophile cabal forced them to stop making True Detective AND pump out this instead to dilute it's memory.

But they threatened to 'The Aristocrats' Nic Pizzolatto's family in front of him so there was little choice.

[Oosp]

If you're gonna do it, do it right

[Zero Gravitas]

Blue Peter taser.

[El Unicornio, mang]

However, Doctor Who's sweaty arse and a cameo from a Goodnight Sweetheart legend did illicit two big smiles from me so not all bad.

Thank you, it was driving me nuts trying to figure out who that was. Unusual cast list.

And yeah agreed that it was worse than ep1 but I'm invested now, in for the whole whack. Just enough creepy mystery to keep me intrigued.

The AI metal poster mentioned earlier was really bad though. I have to make things like that for very small scale internal videos and that would be instantly sent back to be completely redone. This is a $65m production and it gets signed off on.

[Viero_Berlotti]

I tried to ignore the obvious red flags in the first episode in the hope that this might settle down and find its feet, but by god that 2nd episode was bad. Clunky editing, poor characterisation, awful dialogue, a half-baked narrative structure it was just a complete dogs dinner. It's a shame because most of the key ingredients are there to make this work, but the sum just isn't greater than the parts.

The AI poster thing is weird as well, it kind of belies the 'high production values' that this series purports to represent. The director has taken to twitter to try to explain it.

The idea is that it's so sad up there that some kid with AI made the posters for a loser Metal festival for boomers. It was discussed. Ad nauseam.

Sounds like bullshit to me.

https://www.avclub.com/true-detective-night-country-ai-posters-issa-lopez-hbo-1851185628

[DoesNotFollow]

As for the AI-generated poster I was doing a bit of mental gymnastics thinking "maybe it's to intentionally add to a feeling of unreality, like a glitch in the matrix, and we'll see more such things as the series progresses" but that's very unlikely.

Pretty much agree with most of the criticism so far.. gone way too supernatural too soon, leaning too heavily on ooh spooky spiral, and I'm not sure I'm really following what's going on anyway.

[George White]

Loved the AI "Metal" poster on the lad's wall.
 

https://twitter.com/CultureCrave/status/1749582094802805055 Apparently it's intentional.

[Magnum Valentino]

U wot mate

[El Unicornio, mang]

I could buy it if the show wasn't so ham-fisted elsewhere. It could be true that it's intentional, it's very prominent in the scene and with The Thing dvd goes along with that "Easter egg" element.

But with the general tone of the show I think most people will assume it was just a poor bit of production.

[Viero_Berlotti]

Far from being horrific, the whole 'corpsicle' thing just seems utterly preposterous as well. But that's the problem when the glue that should be holding the whole thing together just isn't working, it becomes more difficult to suspend your disbelief and become absorbed in the shows world.

[Minami Minegishi]

We made it about 10mins into the second episode and gave up.

Exposition, shit acting, drama society spookiness, strong women and stupid men, awful music.

My wife, who knows about these things, had strong words about the production quality of the corpse-berg.

Added to my gargantuan and depressing list of contemporary TV shows I have given up on. I gave up on Andor, Beacon 23 and Foundation just last week. I'm at a point where I don't think there is a returning TV series that I actually watch.

[hermitical]

Andor?

Each to their own etc. but both wife and I think it is wonderful, one of our favourite series of the last few years. Watched it three times so far.

[Minami Minegishi]

Andor?

Each to their own etc. but both wife and I think it is wonderful, one of our favourite series of the last few years. Watched it three times so far.

Yeah, don't mean to derail the thread but I think my tolerance for the tone of modern TV is shot. I just can't be arsed with 9-hours of talking and an hour of people doing things. It's me, not Andor.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I'm kind of glad there's not more good TV shows, I already have a backlog of shows and films people insist I "have to watch" plus all the things I want to watch, and stuff I want to rewatch multiple times like Mad Men and The Sopranos which I'm never going to have time to fit into the rest of my life.

Only bothered with this because I liked the first season, and Jodie Foster. But it's six hours I could devote to something I know I'll like.

[hermitical]

Yeah, don't mean to derail the thread but I think my tolerance for the tone of modern TV is shot. I just can't be arsed with 9-hours of talking and an hour of people doing things. It's me, not Andor.

For me Andor was a really good blend of talk/do! A lot more adult than many of its ilk and I found it very powerful/moving.

But, I also have a low tolerance for a lot of modern TV, given up on many a series. I particularly struggle with a lot of UK creations - the dialogue (plain bad and/or too knowing/self aware) and dumbed-down plots in particular.

[Minami Minegishi]

For me Andor was a really good blend of talk/do! A lot more adult than many of its ilk and I found it very powerful/moving.

I am reliably informed it's very good but I must have watched the first episode 6 times and just can't seem to get beyond 10mins into the second episode.

But, I also have a low tolerance for a lot of modern TV, given up on many a series. I particularly struggle with a lot of UK creations - the dialogue (plain bad and/or too knowing/self aware) and dumbed-down plots in particular.

It's definitely a subject for a separate thread, however given the lukewarm response to this pedigree TV drama, perhaps it's a good place to consider how bad modern TV has become. For many reasons, although you highlight some here.

Recently, I enjoyed The Leftovers, Watchmen, Twin Peaks, Severance and BCS but really not a whole lot else. Even The Expanse went shit.

I have a mammoth quarry full of half watched pilot episodes. It's whiney but true. 

I've decided to give Andor another try. I'm sure I'm not being fair.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I am reliably informed it's very good but I must have watched the first episode 6 times and just can't seem to get beyond 10mins into the second episode.

What you should have done is watch six episodes once.

To be fair, I thought Andor was a bit of a slog to begin with too.

[AliasTheCat]

I couldn't get into Andor either, and really didn't see why it was so liked. Personally I just didn't find it interesting, but I realise I'm in a minority there.

Have still yet to see the second episode of True Detective but the consensus here seems to be that it's somehow worse than the first one, which is a real shame, but I'm oddly compelled to find out for myself.

[Wet Blanket]

Lost me when Ecclestone turned up and there was what seemed like 10 minutes of monologue from Foster in which she told him loads of stuff he would already be aware of about their relationship, considering they're supposed to have known each other 15 years. That's first day stuff; don't they have script editors for these prestige dramas?

I do like the gloomy atmosphere and I'm prepared to carry on with it, but it's nowhere near the quality of the first season. Just another example of a very hokey bit of TV elevated by (reasonably)high production values.

[non capisco]

Lost me when Ecclestone turned up and there was what seemed like 10 minutes of monologue from Foster in which she told him loads of stuff he would already be aware of about their relationship, considering they're supposed to have known each other 15 years. That's first day stuff; don't they have script editors for these prestige dramas?

Yeah, the dialogue in episode 2 was notably dire throughout. I can take Ecclestone's one ropey American accent he does in The Leftovers because it's brilliant but not in not even half baked shite like this. Tapping out, life's too short. Poo Detective Shite Country more like, eh readers?

[Goldentony]

Watchmen

forgot I watched this entire fucking show, only bit I remember is Lube Man who was easily the best thing about it

[Johnboy]

Have you never gone to the cupboard for a snack and fund nothing snackable there? Maybe it is you that has a maid that takes care of the pantry.

Also, older divorced bloke shipping in a Russian wife - doesn't sound like he would be on top of his domestic situation.

He lives on his own in the middle of nowhere, he would know what food he has especially snacky stuff.

I don't see how my ability to employ a maid has anything to do with it.

[Mobius]

I know it's poor form to not give something a chance but everything I read about this on here and elsewhere makes it sound really awful and I know I'll hate it.

Maybe it'll get good though

[Magnum Valentino]

I get a Stranger Things vibe from it. A familiar nostalgic setting populated by stock characters and dialogue. Like it's not even just the research base, the big monstrosity of conjoined bodies is also straight out of The Thing.

Does HBO often produce shit programs? I can't think of many things like this where the bar is so low, where the creative decisions are so beholden.

I've noticed online that some of the writing about this focuses on the gender thing. Written and directed by a woman, stars women. An alternative to the previous "male series" and thus defended and championed accordingly.

I think that rings hollow. If it's not good it's not good. It's not like there aren't loads of great things made by and starring women for fuck sake.

Mind, that's what I get for looking.

[AliasTheCat]

I'd actually cautiously say that the second episode was an ever-so-slight improvement on the first: it still had little of merit but did at least feel like it was settling down into the narrative a little, and felt a bit more focussed than the first one. That's incredibly faint praise, but still. Agree that the dialogue was weak, but there's one character I don't actually dislike now, so that's something.

I really want to like it but it's giving me so little reason to.

[RDRR]

The Stranger Things comparison above seems spot on to me. It sounds good on paper: I like the idea of things getting weird and surreal once the sun stops coming up, but everything about it is a bit shit and unimaginitive. Including the incredibly naff title (too good for 'season 4'?). Assuming some of the surreal stuff is going to be tied to the

Spoiler alert

mine/contaminated water supply

[close]

, it also reminds me of The Terror, which was exceptionally good and drives home just how weak the execution of this is.

Suggested watching this with my partner and her friend on the back of enjoying series 1 and 3, and the really strong reviews, which now seem baffling. Thoroughly embarrassed to have suggested it, haven't felt this level of shame recommending something based on the strength of previous seasons since having my mum watch series 2 of Sherlock. Although it's not quite that shit.

I want to believe that the strong reviews mean that it's going to develop into something much better. Actually, I kind of don't, since I've already decided I hate everything about it. The surreal stuff is so hackneyed, it does feel very amateurish. It's already slightly too outlandish for a rational explanation (maybe it could still go full X-files with the science base stuff?). But it's so cliche and lacking in charm compared with other worldly surrealism of something like Twin Peaks, so you are left with worst of both worlds.

I skipped series 2 previously, but am giving it a go now in an effort to fill the gap. The dialogue is also really bad (they evidently thought it was really cool to speak without determiners), maybe even worse, and Vince Vaughn is horribly inadequate. The misogyny is striking, too. A female lead was definitely overdue -- Amy McAdams' character has just justified carrying concealed knives everywhere she goes with the line "Fundamental difference between the sexes is that one of them can kill the other with their bare hands." As though men are silverback gorillas or something. For all that, I'm finding it a lot more engaging than night country

[thugler]

So disappointed by the first ep. The third series was excellent, self contained and totally refreshing after the terrible 2nd season. The first one is a little overrated I think, it doesn't really do anything with a lot of the stuff it set up. This was just dull and clunky, for all the exposition there wasn't really enough explaining where we are and who these people are. I'll keep watching for now but a very poor first impression.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

From the credits, it looks like it's a spin-off called True Detective: Night Country, "created by Issa López", rather than the fourth season of the original show, even if marketing suggests that it's a continuation of the same project. I guess it's mostly due to contract negotiations.

[mjwilson]

From the credits, it looks like it's a spin-off called True Detective: Night Country, "created by Issa López", rather than the fourth season of the original show, even if marketing suggests that it's a continuation of the same project. I guess it's mostly due to contract negotiations.

I think she said "I'd like to make a show called Night Country" and they said "could you make it True Detective" and she said yes.