True Detective season 2 review – Colin Farrell shines, the case does not

🎬 After a perfect season, a harder one

After our True Detective season 1 review ended with a perfect 5 out of 5, season 2 was the obvious next step. I watched all eight episodes, and I have to be honest: True Detective season 2 does not reach the quality of the outstanding first season. It is not a bad season. But it never found the grip the first one had on me from the opening episode, and with a cast this good, that is a real shame. That is a 3.5 out of 5.

The most important thing to know before you start: season 2 has nothing to do with season 1. True Detective is an anthology, and this season brings a new case, a new place and a completely new cast. There is no Rust Cohle, no Marty Hart and no Louisiana. That is why I would not sell it to season 1 fans as “more of the same”. It is better judged as what it is: a stand-alone crime series for crime fans in general.

The setup: One murder, four people

The season moves the anthology to Southern California. Ben Caspere, a city manager, goes missing and is later found dead, and his murder pulls together four people who would otherwise have little to do with each other.

Ray Velcoro, played by Colin Farrell, is a corrupt detective. Ani Bezzerides, played by Rachel McAdams, is the idealistic officer of the three. Paul Woodrugh, played by Taylor Kitsch, is the highway patrol officer who discovers the body. And Frank Semyon, played by Vince Vaughn, is a career criminal who fears losing the business empire he has built. Kelly Reilly plays his wife, Jordan.

From there the investigation spreads into a missing woman, drug dealers and corruption that reaches all the way up to Caspere’s killer.

The case gets lost

This is where season 2 lost me. In season 1, the case is the engine: every episode gives you another piece, and you want to know what happened to Dora Lange. In season 2, I simply never found my way into the actual case. It is there, it is complicated, and it does get resolved, but the season spends far more of its time on the people investigating it than on the investigation itself.

That is a deliberate choice, and I understand it. Each of the four main characters gets a backstory, a private crisis and a past that catches up with them. But the result for me was that the murder of Ben Caspere became background noise. When a crime series makes you stop caring who did it, it has lost something important.

Colin Farrell is the reason to watch

The one thing that convinced me completely was Colin Farrell. He plays Ray Velcoro brilliantly and believably, and his scenes were the ones that held my attention most. If there is a reason to give season 2 a chance, it is his performance.

So much potential, wasted

And that is what makes the season so frustrating. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Vince Vaughn and Taylor Kitsch: that is a fantastic cast for a crime series, and the season had everything it needed to be great. But because the case never really pulled me in, the cast does not get the story it deserves. A lot of potential is simply given away.

The people behind the season

Nic Pizzolatto, who created True Detective, wrote all eight episodes again, two of them together with Scott Lasser. Unlike season 1, where Cary Joji Fukunaga directed every episode, season 2 was split between six directors: Justin Lin and John Crowley directed two episodes each, and Dan Attias, Janus Metz, Jeremy Podeswa and Miguel Sapochnik one each.

The episodes are The Western Book of the Dead, Night Finds You, Maybe Tomorrow, Down Will Come, Other Lives, Church in Ruins, Black Maps and Motel Rooms and Omega Station. Most run about an hour, and the finale, Omega Station, runs close to an hour and a half.

Where season 2 sits in the anthology

Because every season of True Detective starts from scratch, it helps to see season 2 as one stop in a longer anthology rather than as the sequel to season 1. Season 1 (2014) is the Louisiana season with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, one case told across two timelines, and for us still the high point. Season 2 (2015) is this California season, with four leads and a case built around a murdered city official.

The anthology continued after it. Season 3 (2019) went back to the South, with Mahershala Ali as a detective in the Ozarks whose case also spans several decades, much like the structure of season 1. Season 4, Night Country (2024), moved to Alaska with Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. All four seasons stream on HBO Max in the US, and none of them continues the story of another.

For you as a viewer, that means two things. You can skip season 2 without missing anything that later seasons depend on. And you can watch it in any order you like, which is exactly why we review every season on its own and rate it on its own terms.

Watching it as a dad

Like season 1, this is a series for the evenings after the kids are in bed. It is rated TV-MA. Eight episodes are a manageable commitment, and I watched all of them.

Who would I recommend it to? Not specifically to people who loved season 1, because they will be looking for something this season does not try to be. I would recommend it to crime fans in general, who enjoy a dark, character-driven series and do not need the case to be the main event.

Catalogs change, so check what is available before you start. If you want more on your watchlist, Prime Video’s 30-day free trial is an easy way to try a big catalog at home.

❓ FAQ

Is True Detective season 2 worth watching?

It is worth watching for crime fans, but it does not reach the quality of season 1. The case is hard to get into, because the season is more about its characters than the investigation, and a great cast is not used to its full potential. Colin Farrell is excellent. We rate it 3.5 out of 5.

Do I need to watch season 1 before season 2?

No. True Detective is an anthology, and season 2 has nothing to do with season 1: new case, new place, new cast. You can watch it on its own, and it is better not to expect a continuation.

Is True Detective season 2 as good as season 1?

No. Season 1 is a perfect 5 out of 5 for us, season 2 a 3.5. The first season has one gripping case and two leads who carry it together; the second spreads itself across four main characters and loses the case along the way.

Who is in the cast of True Detective season 2?

Colin Farrell plays detective Ray Velcoro, Rachel McAdams plays Ani Bezzerides, Taylor Kitsch plays Paul Woodrugh and Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon, a career criminal. Kelly Reilly plays Frank’s wife, Jordan.

How many episodes does True Detective season 2 have?

Eight. They aired on HBO from June 21 to August 9, 2015, and the finale, Omega Station, runs close to an hour and a half.

Is True Detective season 2 suitable for kids?

No. It is rated TV-MA and is a series for adults.

Where can I watch True Detective season 2?

In the US it streams on HBO Max, and the season is available on DVD.