# True Detective: Season Two .How is it **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095 "2015-06-21T20:57:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/101 "2015-06-30T14:47:35Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > So the most interesting character gets killed off at the end of the second episode. At least his murderer was interesting; a guy wearing a bird head. > > Is it possible that he’ll just end up in the hospital fighting for his life, rather than dead? He wasn’t in any of the “next week on…” scenes but of course they wouldn’t show him. Well he shot his gun directly into Farrell’s chest, after he already shot him once. I’m betting that the guy is dead. It was a totally holy shit moment for me. I didn’t think they’d actually off Farrell (if anyone, I was think Kitsch would have been killed before the end of the series). I really enjoy LA Noir type stuff, so I am actually fine with the slow moving plot and corruption background. I think Farrell’s death will move it into more interesting directions. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/102 "2015-06-30T14:48:10Z")
> [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](#): > > Antlers!!! Cults!!!always good for some plot devices!! Anyone notice Rick Springfield?🆒 I did, if “notice” can encompass a reaction of “holy shit… is that… oh my GOD.” Did they do something to his face to make him look creepy and synthetic, or did he come prepared for the role? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/103 "2015-06-30T15:13:25Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Well he shot his gun directly into Farrell’s chest, after he already shot him once. I’m betting that the guy is dead. It was a totally holy shit moment for me. I didn’t think they’d actually off Farrell (if anyone, I was think Kitsch would have been killed before the end of the series). Perhaps if Farrell’s character is wearing a bulletproof vest, he survived? But I didn’t see one on him and it seemed unlike him to wear one. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/104 "2015-06-30T15:37:58Z")
Can a bulletproof vest save you from a shotgun blast from a foot away? ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/105 "2015-06-30T15:39:09Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps if Farrell’s character is wearing a bulletproof vest, he survived? But I didn’t see one on him and it seemed unlike him to wear one. In the flashback of him in uniform meeting Vaughn, my recollection is that it definitely looked like he was wearing a vest It didn’t look like he wore a vest when a detective in his plain clothes, and in fact didn’t he have a vest over his shirt but under his jacket at some point, maybe when they go into the dead guy’s house? He really has to be dead. This show is marketed and almost certainly seen by those making it as a smart show for smart people that want to think a little while they watch. It would be truly insulting to the audience and a failure in their goals to pull a cliche like, “He might pull through,” in the next episode. Showing the audience one thing then telling them, “No, you didn’t see him get killed he is going to live,” is not the way to go here. Of course, I think Farrell is a very good actor and a big loss, plus his character is so far more interesting than most of the others, so killing him so early probably wasn’t the way to go either. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/106 "2015-06-30T15:52:26Z")
IMO, his not dying from that would be ridiculous for the reasons that both **Acsenray** and **theR** mentioned. One, it’d be screwing with the audience. And two, it seems highly, highly unlikely a shotgun blast from like a foot away isn’t going to be stopped by kevlar. It’d be a horrible moment if they revealed he didn’t die. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/107 "2015-06-30T16:02:12Z")
I agree with all of that, but you never know what stupid things writers might do. It just seems odd that they’d spend so much time on an interesting character and build up an interesting back story for him and then blow him away. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/108 "2015-06-30T16:30:23Z")
Someone in my Twitter feed suggested the shotgun was loaded with rock salt. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/109 "2015-06-30T16:40:39Z")
At that close, would it matter? Maybe someone wearing a vest could survive rock salt that close? ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/110 "2015-06-30T17:16:59Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I agree with all of that, but you never know what stupid things writers might do. It just seems odd that they’d spend so much time on an interesting character and build up an interesting back story for him and then blow him away. Unless there are a lot of flashbacks and investigation results that mean he is still depicted regularly even though he has already died. That’s the most reasonable way I could see him still being a part of the show without keeping the character alive. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/111 "2015-06-30T18:13:20Z")
Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean he’s out. This show does make use of flashbacks so perhaps his character can further be fleshed out in tandem with Vince Vaughn’s. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/112 "2015-06-30T19:15:14Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > IMO, his not dying from that would be ridiculous for the reasons that both **Acsenray** and **theR** mentioned. One, it’d be screwing with the audience. And two, it seems highly, highly unlikely a shotgun blast from like a foot away isn’t going to be stopped by kevlar. It’d be a horrible moment if they revealed he didn’t die. I’d be grossly insulted if they have Farrell’s character surviving all that. As for the main mystery, did anybody notice that the same 80s(?) model Cadillac that was shown driving around Caspere’s corpse in episode 1 was parked outside the house in Hollywood where Ray got shot? Also, it seemed obvious that the guy in the bird mask who shot Ray was clearly waiting for him (or maybe somebody else like Frank) to show up. There was also that interesting bit of dialogue where the mayor of Vinci complained about his son being a coked-up weirdo. I realize it’s only two episodes in but has anybody developed any theories yet? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/113 "2015-06-30T19:15:51Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Is it possible that he’ll just end up in the hospital fighting for his life, rather than dead? He wasn’t in any of the “next week on…” scenes but of course they wouldn’t show him. I wanna give props to the previews for not spoiling it. All they said was that he was shot. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/114 "2015-06-30T19:17:11Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > As for the main mystery, did anybody notice that the same 80s(?) model Cadillac that was shown driving around Caspere’s corpse in episode 1 was parked outside the house in Hollywood where Ray got shot? Also, it seemed obvious that the guy in the bird mask who shot Ray was clearly waiting for him (or maybe somebody else like Frank) to show up. There was also that interesting bit of dialogue where the mayor of Vinci complained about his son being a coked-up weirdo. I realize it’s only two episodes in but has anybody developed any theories yet? Speaking of that, what the whole point behind driving him around and then propping up his body at a picnic bench in the middle of nowhere? I assume it was a message, but to who? ---
**Author:** ![MegaNazz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@MegaNazz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaNazz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/115 "2015-06-30T19:50:55Z")
I’m personally digging this season but I think a lot of that has to do with an almost complete divorce in my mind from the first season. I really wanted occult elements and was nervous that they’d be absent but after episode 2, it definitely seems that’s still present. As for Colin Farrell’s character, while I admit it does feel a bit silly to do a psych-out with that final scene, I’ve heard that scenes from the series trailer showed him leading a sting with Rachel McAdams which obviously hasn’t happened on the show yet. On the one hand, leaving what happened at the end of the 2nd episode as definitive would be the ballsier move. On the other hand, I actually want to know more about Ray Velcoro. It’s worth mentioning to those on the verge of jumping off that critics that seemed unimpressed by the first 2 episodes claimed the 3rd episode was decent. I can’t fault anyone for thinking this season isn’t their bag, but I went in with hesitance and was really impressed. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/116 "2015-06-30T20:22:17Z")
That mention of the trailer scenes is sort of a spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/117 "2015-07-01T04:25:21Z")
I’ve been browsing elsewhere when this thread is slow and the shotgun business of course is analyzed ad naseum…so heres some stuff to ponder. Shotgun could have been loaded with light gauge pellets, beanbags, rock salt, the vest discussion of course, as many opinions as there are viewers…but there areYouTube videos of just what the various types of vests can handle. (something was mentioned in the morgue about what gauge pellet Caspere was shot with) Also what various gauges and gun shots will do do various pieces of steak and hamburger etc:eek: (I havn’t watched any of that stuff) Also,no blood spatter on the walls etc, after shot…so, draw what conclusions you will. I tend to like shows where the realism is at least SOMEWHAT close to life…so I dont know, if Ray is Ok, he should be wrapped in a body cast for the next 6 episodes!!! Or wheeled around in a wheelchair… Jeez, ya know, IME, even just getting a minor injury, say hitting your finger with a hammer… not only does your finger not work for awhile, but most of that whole side of your body doesnt function either…☹ Still, I like the show, and think its gonna get weird…er. I might read Pizzolatos novel Galveston, as I’ve heard its ok. ---
**Author:** ![MegaNazz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@MegaNazz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaNazz)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/118 "2015-07-01T17:55:33Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > That mention of the trailer scenes is sort of a spoiler. Sorry, davidm, I hate spoilers and it totally wasn’t my intention. I assumed since the trailer has been out there for a while and is content officially released by HBO that it is ok to discuss. I should also mention I don’t specifically remember that scene from the trailer so it could be BS anyway. Sorry, again…I’ve had huge things spoiled for me so I know it sucks. It really wasn’t my intention. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/119 "2015-07-01T21:31:37Z")
> [@MegaNazz](#): > > Sorry, davidm, I hate spoilers and it totally wasn’t my intention. I assumed since the trailer has been out there for a while and is content officially released by HBO that it is ok to discuss. Some threads have explicitly designated previews as spoilers, but they’re not spoilers by default. Personally speaking, I avoid previews. I would prefer they be considered spoilers, but a lot of people are okay with them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095/120 "2015-07-01T22:01:55Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Other way. She surprised her guy with wanting to do anal and he was briefly taken aback. Like a surprised military commander, he instinctively adopted a rearguard posture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-detective-season-two-how-is-it/723095.md?page=7)