True Detective - Série 3

This attempt to achieve the broadest possible scope somewhat misses the mark. What was at first a welcome refresher in a format reminiscent of the Vietnam flashbacks fades away when Wayne starts talking about war with just about every male character, and likewise the storyline of a tested marriage never reaches a satisfying catharsis, only timidly brushing off most conflicts. Although I would classify this case from West Finger as better than its two predecessors, it wouldn't be by much. Ali and Dorff, with their stubborn expressions, are the ones effortlessly carrying the entire investigation (even though Nic Pizzolatto again relies on uncovering plot twists from slightly unfair directions), and for the third time, albeit just barely, allows the concept of a whodunit to play out – wandering, searching, examining, and only then perhaps finding or, god forbid, revealing something. My patience didn't desert me this time either, but I wouldn't try my luck on another one. 70% (11/20/2019)

The third season definitely confirms that the form of the unbeatable first series is not so much Pizzolatto himself, but mainly Cary Fukunaga, who directed the whole thing. This time the script itself tries to strum similar strings – the transformation of police work over time, the decline of rural America, the corrupt family clans in the background, or the inability to be a full-fledged human being and a full-fledged detective at the same time. However, it fails on perhaps every level this time around, and most of the blame lies with the bland, dull direction, which shoots the vast majority of its shots in mid shots, with two characters having a mostly static conversation with each other without interacting with their surroundings in any way. Almost everything the show wants us to know it has to tell us outright, refusing to work with images. As for the script itself, it is first-rate Pizzolatto trolling, following the detective work through three periods, with the central detective falling in love with a teacher in the first, dealing with a marital crisis together in the second, and suffering from senility in the third, now without a wife. If you're wondering if these aren't the worst situations a viewer can experience who's watched a crime investigation series since the dawn of detective stories, bingo. The relationship peripeteia is compounded by the characters' complete inability to talk to each other and get even slightly meaningful answers to their questions. Then the last episode is really the height of frustration, as we have to watch the hero's wife ask questions over and over again, and not once does he give her any meaningful response. It goes on forever, and the whole time we're just watching their focused faces. And as for the case? Actually, there isn't one as a result. Because, like I said, the script is just trolling. I imagine that with a more capable and sole director, Pizzolatto's vision might hit the right notes, but this way, unless someone can present it in some sort of visual context, it's just a bloated fucking bore. Plenty of critics praise the third season for finally making True Detective grow up, compared to the divisive and nihilistic first season. It's true, it has. And like everything that's labeled as adult by most, it's stodgy, boring, and uninspiring. (04/08/2019)

Another case branching into three time planes. Pizzolato already knows that just a little experimentation is needed and puts together a story more about partnership than about dead bodies, with lost kids, lies and money playing the lead roles. Ali is great as Hayes and the part is ingeniously written. A tough guy who wanted nothing and that nothing led him not to an obsession, but to a life that he is forgetting, slowly but surely. One of the most powerful moments of the series is when the time planes intersect (Viet Cong in the bedroom!). There’s a return to quality conversations in the car and partner quarrels that cut close to the bone. The ending is realistic, but quite pleasant this time round. True Detective still delivers quality that is worth waiting for. (02/25/2019)

The third season of True Detective is definitely better than the season two, but it is not as dark as the first season. On the other hand, the course of investigation is more interesting in this one. The investigation takes place in three different timelines, which become bombastically intertwined. It gets most beautiful in moments when the different timelines mingle in the same scene. It’s simply a joy to see that. Nevertheless, the actors were interesting as well and they worked really well with the entire show. Stephen Dorff and Maharshala Ali make a good team. In both cases, I am still getting used to them as actors, but in the case of True Detective they could not have made a better advertisement for themselves. If HBO manages to keep up a similar pace, I will be satisfied. Still, they could make the next season a bit darker again… (02/28/2019)

If you enjoyed the third season, you’d better stop reading. If you haven't seen it yet, stop reading and go form your own opinion. I'm actually writing this review just for myself to vent the frustration that came over me after finishing all eight episodes. The opening made me look forward to a crime series full of suspense and great atmosphere. Instead, I got a weird mixture of a crime series and Memento. Some of the episodes were mysterious, others even more mysterious, but the fairy tale/soap opera-like conclusion spoiled all the mystery there was. 3*- (11/20/2019)