I tried not to compare but even when I watched the first season I was hook from the first episode, I was so focused in watching the whole entire season, it was very captivating from start to finish but with Season 2, even the dead bodies or the violence or even the shootouts couldn't pull me in into the TV set waiting to see what happens next but like a true trooper, I always wait for the next episode in hopes of an exciting episodes. I've been researching some reviews online and concurred with all the reviewers out there, there is something good with this new season but tedious scenes after tedious scenes have numb this show.
I think the problem lies within the four main characters, there are too many main characters in this season that it cuts the journey of each character to a minimum. In Season 1, we only dealt with Rust Cohle and Martin Hart played superbly by Matthew McConaughey (I hate that I had to Google his name to not fuck the spelling) and Woody Harrelson, they were awesome and we get to see the deep digging of these two characters that almost every one of us were rooting for these asshole even though Martin was drunk and a cheater. In Season 2, like I said, there are too many characters to dive in, we got Detective Ray Velcoro (played by Colin Farrell), a fucked up single dad with drinking problems and is working for Frank Semyon (played by Vince Vaughn), a fucked up criminal boss who's in debt and can't work his junk to inseminate his wife and joining the duo are Detective Ani Bezzerides (played by Rachel McAdams), a fucked up detective with daddy issues and sister issues also and Officer Paul Woodrugh (played by Taylor Kitsch), a fucked up closeted gay who impregnate a woman just so he could stay straight, noticed how every single character has the word fucked up on them? I think the problem is they are all too fucked up to function as real detectives in this season, too many personal problems plus the case which in result fucked up the Season by going all over the place.
I don't know about you but if there is a True Detective Season 3 and I hope there will be, cut the characters into a minimum and give them a scintillating murder case, to be honest, in this season I really don't what happen, so, a City Manager was killed and displayed and then what's going on, you're having a shootout in the middle of the city and infiltrating a sex house, really I can't follow this season. I am going to re-watch True Detective Season 2 just to get a more understanding but let's hope I can get through it.