Photo: HBO
Last night’s episode of True Detective, “Black Maps and Motel Rooms,” started to tie things together a bit more, but not all of its moments felt earned. This season has relied heavily on convenience, which can sometimes feel like contrivance — so much bad luck for our poor Paul! There’s only one way to sum up this season:
True Detective’s second season has been a tangle of ideas; some strong performances and interesting mystery arcs have had to battle off-putting acting choices and labored dialogue. (Tell us more about those contracts with signatures “all over them.”) The tone has been inconsistent, the aesthetic sometimes precise and sometimes less so, and also there was a divisive freeze frame. What wonders might next week’s finale bring?