True Detective Season Two is the Easy Target of the Summer

By Reuben Levine | Aug 20, 2015

The second season of True Detective has come and gone, and it left a sour taste in many critic’s mouthes. It wasn’t without its fair share of issues, to be sure. But is True Detective really getting a fair shake? Even though there is nothing about True Detective that screams mass appeal except for its cast, it has been the subject of an inordinate amount of attention. Of course, by casting names like Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn, HBO is inviting this attention.

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The success of the first season all but guaranteed that season two would be a disappointment. There was never really any way around that — Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson struck such a chord with audiences that there could be no way for season two to do better, or even as well. It’s partially due to that level of success that True Detective has become the punching bag of the summer.

Another way to think of it would be to call True Detective “low hanging fruit.” It’s easy to pick at it because everyone else is doing it, and it’s become somewhat expected. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. True Detective is a victim of not only its own success, but also of Nic Pizzolatto’s hubris in his writing. But the truth is obvious: it’s hip to hate on True Detective.

How, then, are we not supposed to look back on season one and compare?

With time, that will likely change. The fun will end, and those willing to give it a second chance will talk about it being misunderstood or too harshly judged. There are some truly great moments in season two, after all. It’s never been in True Detective’s best interest to conjure up season one, but sometimes it couldn’t help it. How, then, are we not supposed to look back on season one and compare?

Time will do True Detective season two some good. Time away from the spotlight could help it potentially rebound for the 2016 Emmy’s. It’s almost as if hating on True Detective has become a fad, but for fans of the season out there it’s not something to get angry about. As with all things, it just needs time.

Next: Here are five Emmy worthy moments of True Detective's second season.

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