True Detective Season 2, Episode 3 Review: Is the show worth your time?

Like I had written, and the promo for the episode had heavily hinted at, Ray Velcoro is alive and possibly a new man in the third episode of True Detective. The episode 'Maybe Tomorrow' starts with a scene that looks inspired by works of David Lynch, where Velcoro is in a fever dream and has a conversation with his father in the same bar where he and Frank Seymon met. This time, though, instead of a girl singing on stage we have a Conway Twitty impersonator. I think the impersonator is mocking what Velcoro has been doing all this time.

In the episode three, dialogues are still intense, characters are still tightly coiled but something is not as intriguing as episode two. Many a time it loses pace and watching the screen feels like a 'been there, seen that' experience. This is where things get a bit funny for me. I actually laughed when I saw that Velcoro was hit by rubber bullets! So this fake 'near-death' experience is what will change Velcoro now?

For now, Velcoro is the most layered character in the series. We see him, in the past, timid and nervous with his father and switch to the tough guy he is now. This is the foreshadowing of a change in Velcoro. He is what Bezzerides calls him, a burnout. Even people at Vinci PD expect him to find a fall guy and not solve anything. But what they don't realise is that Velcoro is a changed man (however hilarious that moment has been!). He is pissed off and wants to stay that way. Timid to angry and functioning... quite a leap!

The other storylines, however, are all run of the mill. Bezzerides is being asked to play Velcoro so that the state police can have him removed. In the next scene we see Bezzerides blow off her boyfriend. Can we not get past the commitment-phobe stereotype and still let her be a kickass cop?  

The otherwise sidelined Woodrugh and Bezzerides continue the investigation and visit Vinci Mayor's house. It is the typical shady kids and gold digger wife set-up. Whatever happened to scenes like Hart's wife purposefully seducing Cohle in season 1? A scene that made you think and not want to get to the next scene fast. 

In another 'in-car' conversation, we see Bezzerides and Woodrugh talk. It is not as interesting as Bezzerides and Velcoro talking, but there is a camaraderie there. With Velcoro and Bezzerides, while they share a mistrust towards their superiors, they also cannot rely on each other. So the spark and tension there is meatier than what Woodrugh and Bezzerides have.

There is one mystery to solve though. Woodrugh is a gay man still in denial. That is the only thing happening on the Woodrugh arc. I should not have expected more. But there is always the next episode. Velcoro, Bezzerides and Seymon have a past that is somehow tangled with each other and then we have Ben Caspere's case. I am sure Woodrugh has some knots in this too. Maybe, it has to do with his mother or what he did away at camp. Like I said, there is always next episode to figure it out.

Seymon has turned into Michael Corleone in this episode. He tries to get out, and they keep pulling him in. (Please tell me you got my Godfather reference!) Seymon is looking for his money and wants nothing to do with what he left behind. But that is not happening. After the death of another colleague (if you can consider Caspere one) he is back to his street ways. Fist fighting one rogue associate and grossly pulling out his teeth to keep his minions in line and let them know who is in charge. 

I stand by what I said in the review of episode two. Seymon could be the one ordering the hit on Velcoro. We see him threatening and pulling past favours to get his way with another one of his associates. So if you fail to deliver on the favour it could be the end of the road for you. Now that Velcoro has told him he wants to stay pissed, this tussle better lead to some real fireworks. Because a badly edited mini fistfight and a chase scene do not make for an action scene.

The episode is like a rollercoaster. It has highs and lows. This makes it difficult for audience to choose whether to stick around for the next episode. In that sense, the episode is aptly named. Maybe Tomorrow? will have audience divided. 

I would suggest stay put. If nothing else, we still have Velcoro. Deciphering that puzzle should be fun.

True Detective airs every Monday at 6:30 am, with a repeat telecast at 10 pm, on HBO Defined.