Introductory sentence to explain that I am going to talk about True Detective plot points now that the second season has recently concluded.
There’s a lot to say in regards to the finale of season 2 of True Detective. Agree, that it was overall way weaker than season 1. Agree, that it was disjointed, filled with weakly-written characters, unmemorable characters that make the viewer go “who the fuck is that?” And agree, way more analogy and veiled commentary over plot.
There’s no sugar-coating it, season 2 of True Detective wasn’t that great. Not in comparison to season 1, with Matthew MacConaughey stealing the show with his broody detective-turned-vigilante, but it just wasn’t that great in general.
That being said, it wasn’t without some good times though, as I will admit that at least through the sixth and seventh episodes, things were actually fairly compelling, but as is often the case with storytelling on a global scale, season 2’s ending was just garbage.
Personally, I was really into Vince Vaughn’s character, Frank Seymron. Mostly because it was just weird and amusing to see Vince Vaughn playing a character that wasn’t drowning in schtick and/or something of a parody, but an actual dark character with a somewhat complex character, convictions and ambitions. But as the season went on, I grew to like the Frank character, and began rooting for him, even though it was pretty obvious that he, like all the other core characters, were going to suffer a less-than-happy ending.
However, it’s how he suffered his less-than-happy ending in which I find objection to: Mexicans.
Not just any Mexicans, but big, bad, drug slinging cartel Mexicans. Who use stereotypical gang pincher methods to capture him, before dragging him to the desert where he is ultimately stabbed and left to bleed out.
Throughout the season, Frank tangled with corrupt government, compromised police, his conflicted compatriot played by Colin Farrell, and Russian gangsters. Any one of them would have been something of a worthier way to go, than being taken out by the Mexican cartel he clearly didn’t account for when he was putting his end game into motion.
Basically, I think Frank deserved better, than dying to the cliche gang of Mexicans.
