Review: True Detective Season Two, “A Church in Ruins”
By Matt Pierce
“I sold my soul for nothing.”
More so than anything else, Ray’s delivery of this line cast a long shadow over a remarkably moody, incredibly atmospheric, and tension-filled episode that finally begins to coalesce all of the moving pieces Pizzolatto has assembled thus far in True Detective Season Two.
This episode, more than any other so far, radiates the same dark aura the so defined the show last season.
Fans can perhaps be forgiven for being able to breathe a collective sigh of relief during “A Church in Ruins,” which truly starts to bring forth the same kind of dreadful ambiance that made the first season of True Detective so special. This episode, more than any other so far, radiates the same dark aura the so defined the show last season.
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As could perhaps be guessed from last episode’s obvious cliffhanger, the first part of this episode is another that deals heavily with the relationship between Ray and Frank, who receive a pair of particularly electric turns here from Farrell and Vaughn. The confrontation set up last episode plays out layers of built up tension that have been haunting this season since the first episode.
Farrell’s broken dignity plays especially well here, where he’s finally forced to come face to face with the sin that broke the apparently decent man he once was. Vaughn imbues Frank not only with a sense of prepared, taut menace that is only partially cooled by a kind of sincere humanity. These two men, in the wreckage of their lives, have finally reached a kind of consummate understanding. When Ray attempts to blame Frank for the choices he’s made, Semyon, despite his sympathy, has none of it. “You made your choice,” he says, “and that choice was in you before your wife or any of this other stuff.”
Ray back slides somewhat this episode, but Farrell continues to be one of the highlights of this season. He hits so many dramatic beats this episode, and has to cover so much emotional range, that his work really continues to shine. His relationship with his son, played out both through a visitation scene, and a phone call with his ex-wife, seems, to us at least, to be the beating heart of this season.
Frank himself continues the role of investigator that he’s been playing parallel to our detectives. His family drama, thankfully to some extent, takes a back seat this episode. Vaughn is given a chance to really stretch some of the dramatic muscles he’s shown until now, by turns delivering concession and intimidation as warranted. It’ll be interesting to see how Frank’s connections between the Mexican Santa Muerte gang and the Caspere case tie into the main investigation next week.
Paul was again somewhat sidelined, which is somewhat of a shame considering how well Kitsch has handled the material he’s been given when he actually has a chance to step forward into the spotlight. Because of the fractured nature of this season’s narrative, it is almost inevitable that our leads won’t be as interesting when shoved to the sidelines.
…This season, despite its many successes, may simply be somewhat overstuffed when trying to appropriately deal with four lead characters.
This does highlight the fact that this season, despite its many successes, may simply be somewhat overstuffed when trying to appropriately deal with four lead characters. Paul manages to grab some more information on the elusive blue diamonds in some brief interrogation work, but Kitsch again gets a chance to shine when he gets to take on a more action-oriented role once the detectives make their way to Blake and Chessani’s orgiastic mansion.
McAdams, who, like Kitsch, doesn’t have a lot to do in the first half of this episode aside from another solid scene with her sister, really excels once the long-rumored orgy scene finally begins. Drugged with a potent form of ecstasy, Ani has to navigate the party while also being forced some of the more twisted corridors of her own consciousness.
Revelations about possible sexual abuse are interwoven, if somewhat inexpertly at the visual level, at least in a basically dramatically successful fashion. McAdams really knows how to walk the line between toughness and vulnerability in this episode, with Ani being robbed of her usual steely confidence by the drugs she’s forced to take.
This season has worked best when the leads are placed together
It is important, we think, to take a moment in this review to acknowledge the truly superb quality of this episode’s direction. While the direction of this season hasn’t ever dipped to an actively poor level, it has only captured the same kind of visual excellence as the first season in fits and starts.
This episode managed to really elevate its level of style, recapturing some of the brooding visual magic the helped distinguish True Detective from other police dramas. It has finally managed to take all of Pizzolatto’s deliberately vague and methodical plot building in the previous five episodes and really begins to crystallize exactly what it is that’s happening to, and around, our main characters.
This season has worked best when the leads are placed together, and it seems as though, moving forward, they’ll have no choice but to be working much more closely with one another. If nothing else, this episode marks an atmospheric return to form for what has been an intentionally brooding, slow dramatic burn.
Hopefully, the last two episodes can maintain the steadily increasing forward momentum that has been building in the last few episodes. Much remains in darkness.