After a stunning first season starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, Season 2 of HBO’s police drama True Detective was one of 2015’s most hyped TV moments.
With a similarly starry cast – Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch this time around – the show took on an anthology form, beginning with a new story, setting, and characters. However, the return disappointed many viewers, with a complex plotline, and less of a streamlined mystery.
HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo defended the show, saying that Season 2 “ends with as satisfying an end as any show I’ve ever seen”.
Did True Detective Season 2 manage to redeem itself? Here’s what fans on Twitter made of the final episode.
A lot of them agreed with Lombardo that the finale was a satisfying one.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Okay, ladies and gentlemen. My verdict? They stuck the landing. Fight me if you want, but they STUCK it. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> — Emily Sofia (@EmmightySofia) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/EmmightySofia/status/630566914377388032" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/EmmightySofia/status/630566914377388032" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">OMFG THIS EPISODE IS SO AMAZING THAT IT DOESN'T EVEN FEEL LIKE ITS PART OF THIS SEASON LOL JUST 20 MINUTES LEFT! <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> S2 Finale — Kevin Merchant (@HisNameIsKevs) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/HisNameIsKevs/status/630676284012539904" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/HisNameIsKevs/status/630676284012539904" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thanks <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/HBO" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/HBO" data-vars-event-id="c23">@HBO</a> for <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TrueDetective" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/TrueDetective" data-vars-event-id="c23">@TrueDetective</a> what a season finale, the ride once again was amazing I hope it comes back <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/nicpizzolatto" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/nicpizzolatto" data-vars-event-id="c23">@nicpizzolatto</a> — Greg SF 29 (@GregAbat) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/GregAbat/status/630664021226618880" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/GregAbat/status/630664021226618880" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">True Detective finale was amazing — Benjamin Reimer (@BenjiReimer) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BenjiReimer/status/630658152719974400" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/BenjiReimer/status/630658152719974400" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TrueDetective" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/TrueDetective" data-vars-event-id="c23">@TrueDetective</a> started off slow but really pulled it together. As good of a follow up to the first season as it could have been. Kudos HBO — DW (@porkfriedweiss2) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/porkfriedweiss2/status/630584578005008384" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/porkfriedweiss2/status/630584578005008384" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I really enjoyed this season of <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a>. It was totally different from the first and they pulled it off great with an awesome finale. — Branden Sherman (@wayofbranden) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/wayofbranden/status/630570922920030208" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/wayofbranden/status/630570922920030208" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
But not everyone was convinced that it pulled the season out of being a disappointment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Takeaway from tonight's True Detective finale, I no longer have to waste Sunday nights on it. Incredibly disappointing sophomore season — Jane Slater (@SlaterESPN) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SlaterESPN/status/630575573698416640" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/SlaterESPN/status/630575573698416640" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">An end to a truly disappointing season! The acting was the only thing that kept me going. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> — Neel Ghosh (@TheNeelTweets) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TheNeelTweets/status/630651753793372160" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/TheNeelTweets/status/630651753793372160" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Maaan this season of True Detective was disappointing. I feel like a kid who was expecting an Xbox for Christmas and got coal instead — Chris Morgan (@ChrisMorgan1992) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMorgan1992/status/630608209028317184" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/ChrisMorgan1992/status/630608209028317184" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">True detective season 2 was so disappointing — Hunter (@hunter_birt) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hunter_birt/status/630593297426165760" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hunter_birt/status/630593297426165760" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Okay, I have officially survived <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> season 2. Ugh. Finally. — Joe Marino (@Joe_N_Marino) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Joe_N_Marino/status/630626390077865984" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/Joe_N_Marino/status/630626390077865984" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
Others enjoyed it – but it might have been too little too late.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yeah so <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> finale was okay. I'm glad everything made sense at the end at least. Season 1 is still far more superior. — Nancy Rose (@NancyyRosee) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/NancyyRosee/status/630610822671302656" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/NancyyRosee/status/630610822671302656" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Okay, everyone- it's time for the Say Something Nice About <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> season two game! I liked Colin Farrell's ridiculous mustache. :) — Mary Sunshine (@SayWhatSugar) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SayWhatSugar/status/630568463640211456" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/SayWhatSugar/status/630568463640211456" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This season was okay but it wasn't as good as the first one, not really interesting but the actors were freaking amazing <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrueDetective?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#TrueDetective</a> — Scott (@TheOnlyOTH) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/TheOnlyOTH/status/630565195241390080" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2414501-https://twitter.com/TheOnlyOTH/status/630565195241390080" data-vars-event-id="c23">August 10, 2015</a>
Now, bring on the rampant speculation about which film stars might get involved for Season 3.
