True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
#126
DVD Talk Hero
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
Being an Orange County resident, I thought this was kinda' funny...
*(and I just found out that this forum automatically edits out "p*endejo" - kinda' weird, no?)
Anaheim's ARTIC Station Finally Finds Crowds... as Setting in True Detective Finale
Apologies for the tardiness in this insight, but I've been in the hills of Kentucky doing... something. But as people have noted, Anaheim's much-maligned ARTIC bus and train station had an important cameo in the season finale of HBO's True Detective. We won't give away the ending, but let's just say it's as ludicrous as the rest of the season (and while we're at it: the original True Detective was even more ludicrous, and saved only by the women--think about it!)
What was remarkable about ARTIC's cameo, of course, is that it distorted reality. The station is NEVER that busy--not even close. Ridership figures that its proponents promised would be reached in its first year are nowhere near that level. Not a single restaurant has been opened. It's deader than one, or maybe two, or maybe three of the main characters in True Detective--wait, did we give away too much?
ARTIC, of course, has been widely ridiculed by anyone who isn't part of Anaheim's ruling class or has a hard-on for high-speed rail. An enterprising reporters--hey, Clam: where are you?--should dig up the contract to see how much money Anaheim got out of the deal, no? And speaking of good journalism: the Orange County Register's breathless cheering-on of the cameo shows how little institutional knowledge remains at the paper. The episode also had a cameo for the Santa Ana train station [the scene with Frank & his wife] (which actually is as busy as it was depicted), but the Reg must've forgotten that it appeared in Rain Man while listing some of the films that Hollywood has shot in OC over the decades. Really, Reg editors (we're going to spare reporter Jenna L. Jones here, because she's obviously a newbie): it's more important to note that the Orange Circle appeared in That Thing You Do! instead of Rain Man. Fuck, even the Santa Ana train station's Wikipedia page has that factoid... *******S!
Apologies for the tardiness in this insight, but I've been in the hills of Kentucky doing... something. But as people have noted, Anaheim's much-maligned ARTIC bus and train station had an important cameo in the season finale of HBO's True Detective. We won't give away the ending, but let's just say it's as ludicrous as the rest of the season (and while we're at it: the original True Detective was even more ludicrous, and saved only by the women--think about it!)
What was remarkable about ARTIC's cameo, of course, is that it distorted reality. The station is NEVER that busy--not even close. Ridership figures that its proponents promised would be reached in its first year are nowhere near that level. Not a single restaurant has been opened. It's deader than one, or maybe two, or maybe three of the main characters in True Detective--wait, did we give away too much?
ARTIC, of course, has been widely ridiculed by anyone who isn't part of Anaheim's ruling class or has a hard-on for high-speed rail. An enterprising reporters--hey, Clam: where are you?--should dig up the contract to see how much money Anaheim got out of the deal, no? And speaking of good journalism: the Orange County Register's breathless cheering-on of the cameo shows how little institutional knowledge remains at the paper. The episode also had a cameo for the Santa Ana train station [the scene with Frank & his wife] (which actually is as busy as it was depicted), but the Reg must've forgotten that it appeared in Rain Man while listing some of the films that Hollywood has shot in OC over the decades. Really, Reg editors (we're going to spare reporter Jenna L. Jones here, because she's obviously a newbie): it's more important to note that the Orange Circle appeared in That Thing You Do! instead of Rain Man. Fuck, even the Santa Ana train station's Wikipedia page has that factoid... *******S!
#128
DVD Talk Hero
#129
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
That reminds me of Lost where they used the Honolulu Convention Center as a stand-in for Sydney Airport. It was probably the only time, save the building opening night party, that it's been busy and probably hasn't been used since.
#130
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
A huge meh. This season in general. Story wasn't interesting in the least. Bad dialogue throughout. Ray and Frank's deaths were completely avoidable, especially Frank.
I'll give another season a shot, but going in with considerably lower expectations.
I'll give another season a shot, but going in with considerably lower expectations.
#131
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
#132
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
I heard about the filming from my friend. Had no idea where they did the filming. I didn't even know the train station was finally open. I don't remember any big announcements or posts or anything. Seems pretty strange...
#133
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
A question to all that had difficulty "following"...How did you watch it? With or without distractions? This is a show that demands your attention to details. JUST like the last season. Frankly I am stunned at how many found this so difficult to follow. The comparison to last season? I have just as many issues with last season as with this season. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy both. This season finale is way stronger than last seasons. Which was IMHO horrible and should have ended with Rust
Spoiler:
#134
DVD Talk Legend
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
I agree that it's a story that demands attention and that season 1 was the same way. The Wire was also like that.
The reason I didn't have trouble following the Wire or TD season 1 was because those kept me engaged with good storytelling. They gave me a reason to stay attentive. With season 2, between the bad writing and the poor storytelling, it was a lot easier for my mind to wander. If you're going to make every scene important to the overall story then every scene needs to be engaging.
The reason I didn't have trouble following the Wire or TD season 1 was because those kept me engaged with good storytelling. They gave me a reason to stay attentive. With season 2, between the bad writing and the poor storytelling, it was a lot easier for my mind to wander. If you're going to make every scene important to the overall story then every scene needs to be engaging.
#136
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Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
I expected to read the comments how people enjoyed season 1 to season 2, but I didn't expect to comments about the specifics because they are independent of each other and the storyline is not linked. This isn't a season 1thread and season 2 has nothing to do with it.
#137
DVD Talk Hero
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
Overall, it actually didn't rate horribly with critics that gave it the equal of 2.5 / 4 or 3 out of 5 ratings from ep to ep.
#139
Suspended
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
That could not have been any clearer even if they had a big red arrow on the screen pointing to the diamonds in his pocket.
A question to all that had difficulty "following"...How did you watch it? With or without distractions? This is a show that demands your attention to details. JUST like the last season. Frankly I am stunned at how many found this so difficult to follow. The comparison to last season? I have just as many issues with last season as with this season. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy both. This season finale is way stronger than last seasons. Which was IMHO horrible and should have ended with Rust
not the redemption one we got.
A question to all that had difficulty "following"...How did you watch it? With or without distractions? This is a show that demands your attention to details. JUST like the last season. Frankly I am stunned at how many found this so difficult to follow. The comparison to last season? I have just as many issues with last season as with this season. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy both. This season finale is way stronger than last seasons. Which was IMHO horrible and should have ended with Rust
Spoiler:
Quite frankly, the two seasons strike me as very similar. At core, these are both, on the surface, very straightforward detective stories with lots of red herrings, and digging deeper, they are character studies in the very flawed detectives who get thrust into the middle of things.
Now, if you don't like the story or the characters this season, that's your prerogative. But I honestly feel like Season 1 was hyped into some sort of artistic tour de force, and when all was said and done, it didn't really live up to the hype. But rather than admit Season 1 was over-hyped, and when all was said and done, it wasn't some transformative show on the level of Breaking Bad or the Wire, everyone is backlashing against Season 2, which is really more of the same. Just my opinion. Anyway, I'm glad I watched it and thought it was very well done.
#140
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
Season One had real stakes : catching a monster who kidnaps and rapes and tortures children. There was a ticking clock of urgency. Season Two was...what exactly? Find out who killed the guy who was planning on ripping off a scumbag former/current club owner, so you can then put them on a bus to Seattle? I wasn't super-emotionally invested in this story's eventual outcome.
Besides the amazing performances in Season One (and both were fantastic ), I really liked the dual time-line. It explored how the choices we make have real consequences that affect many people and can't be undone. Seeing the actions and the results at essentially the same time really drove that concept home for me and I think I really missed that framework this season. I think it was the most under-appreciated aspect of the first season.
Besides the amazing performances in Season One (and both were fantastic ), I really liked the dual time-line. It explored how the choices we make have real consequences that affect many people and can't be undone. Seeing the actions and the results at essentially the same time really drove that concept home for me and I think I really missed that framework this season. I think it was the most under-appreciated aspect of the first season.
#141
DVD Talk Hero
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
That's insane. First season's tracking shot alone was better than the entirety of season 2. Besides MUCH better writing, S1 had a much more talented director than any of the ones working on S2 doing the whole thing, which adds immeasurably to the experience, making it more cohesive. S2 felt like the hodgepodge that it was.
#142
Suspended
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
That's insane. First season's tracking shot alone was better than the entirety of season 2. Besides MUCH better writing, S1 had a much more talented director than any of the ones working on S2 doing the whole thing, which adds immeasurably to the experience, making it more cohesive. S2 felt like the hodgepodge that it was.
Put differently, I loved watching Ray and Ani's arcs just as much as I enjoyed Colhe's and Hart's. I think Cohle was a more flamboyant character, and in many ways that made him more interesting to watch scene to scene, but at the end of the day, I don't think that makes him a better character, nor do I think it necessarily makes season one a better show than season two.
#143
DVD Talk Hero
Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
The characters were definitely not too much better/worse between seasons, just the craft of creating and telling the story (again, not too big a difference in story quality), mostly due to the far superior directing and editing of the first season is what made it special.
#144
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Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
The characters were definitely not too much better/worse between seasons, just the craft of creating and telling the story (again, not too big a difference in story quality), mostly due to the far superior directing and editing of the first season is what made it special.
#145
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#147
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
#148
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Re: True Detective (S2E08) -- Season Finale -- "Omega Station" -- 8/9/15
I agree that the Season 1 direction was better, and perhaps the focus on two characters instead of four made for a more focused experience. I just don't think the difference was great enough that I'm willing to proclaim Season 1 a masterpiece (I think it was probably an A- show) and Season 2 a failure (I'd give it a B/B+).