True Detective [HBO] [** Spoilers **]

Lovely Bloke

Thanks guys. That's cleared that up.

Brendan Filone

Mike Litoris wrote: »

Funnily enough, after 2 and a half seasons of Breaking Bad I gave up. I tried hard but in the end I just thought it was muck.

Grimebox wrote: »

Well if people are giving out about well received TV shows, I gave up on The Wire towards the end of the second season :pac:

D-FENS

K4t wrote: »

Have only seen the first episode. It's basically a scaled down version of The Wire, except set in the deep south and obviously more character driven, focusing on Rust and Hart primarily, ahead of the case. I was half expecting Cohle to wonder aloud as to what it feels like to work in a real police department after the tense introduction of the Reverend Tuttle.
I won't mention all of the moments that made me immediately think of The Wire, because a) there are too many; and b) I'm not quite sure yet if they were direct references to the show itself, or, like how The Wire depicted life on and off the streets of inner city Baltimore as reflections on life everywhere and the society we're living in, those moments in True Detective showed clear signs of a serious tv show with serious intentions. Probably a bit of both.

p.s. Very interested as to what the deal is with that Commander Speece.

The only thing that’s come close to reminding me of the Wire in this show is two cops drinking in a bar

P.Walnuts

Don't see many similarities with the wire myself either

Brendan Filone

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Don't see many similarities with the wire myself either

weemcd

Lots of similarities to the wire here, Rust doing his Clay Davis impression and the lads drinking from half bottles of Jameson - two I can think of off the top of my head

Nice tribute to the show if you ask me.

DrumSteve

weemcd wrote: »

Lots of similarities to the wire here, Rust doing his Clay Davis impression and the lads drinking from half bottles of Jameson - two I can think of off the top of my head

Nice tribute to the show if you ask me.

Not to mention a lot of the cast have appeared in the wire.

Hell, rust did them Clay impression to Brother Mouzone and Stinkum.

jcsoulinger

Those small similarities are just coincidental. I don't think they are giving tribute to The Wire. In any case they are not significant, TD is all about the two main characters this is completely different from the Wire.

grizzly

It is confusing, if it weren't for the unique setting I'd think we were back in Baltimore.

Easy Rod

There was also a murder in The Wire (Maybe more than one, I can't remember off the top of my head).

Basically, it's a remake of the Wire.

pappyodaniel

Na, it's a remake of Kingpin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DN4jqynmLs

naughto

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

She didn't have sex with your man from the bar, she said she couldn't go through with it and this is why she went to Rust's house to seduce him. After they were finished it was pretty easy for someone like Rust to realise he was being used. Maggie looking down at the counter and making that face was basically her enjoying sex for the first time in years and she even said to Marty she hasn't been f****d like that since before the girls were born.

Edit - After the deed was done Maggie said quietly "this'll really hurt him" and then Rust went nuts. I got this from the IMDB forums, they are actually claiming Maggie raped Rust because he was drunk.

i would let maggie rape me any day she whats

Mardy Bum

jcsoulinger wrote: »

Those small similarities are just coincidental. I don't think they are giving tribute to The Wire. In any case they are not significant, TD is all about the two main characters this is completely different from the Wire.

Marty quotes a line of the Bunk's which the writer said was a tribute.

jcsoulinger

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Marty quotes a line of the Bunk's which the writer said was a tribute.

Have you got a link for this?

P.Walnuts

Tributes are one thing, the actual mechanics/plot/characters of both are very different imo

Mardy Bum

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Tributes are one thing, the actual mechanics/plot/characters of both are very different imo

The Wire was a social commentary on society whilst True Detective is more of a philosophical commentary on society (The Wire did have its philosophical side but not as explicitly as True Detective). True Detective also has a much more of self conscious meta narrative.

Da Shins Kelly

They bear similarities (the slow pacing at the beginning, dialogue heavy, etc.), but ultimately they're different shows. I wouldn't see True Detective as "tribute" to The Wire at all really. Each show is communicating an entirely different message.

Don't really see this need to constantly compare different shows all the time anyway.

Mardy Bum

jcsoulinger wrote: »

Have you got a link for this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHvE2UV2xdw

Marty says something along the same lines.

jcsoulinger

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Marty says something along the same lines.

I was more lookin for a link to what the writer said, but that's cool.

IanOBo

Just watched Ep.5

On the edge of my seat the whole way through. Epic. Loved the early drama. The twist has me double doubting myself.

After three episodes I thought this is a v.good series. Now I am blown away.

Shane St.

One of my friends hyped this thru the roof so naturally enough I was a little disappointed... until episode 5. Now I'm hooked. Pity there is only a couple more to go

Galwayguy35

I'm a bit behind the rest of ye as I've only seen the first episode, kinda thought it was all over the place jumping between 1995 and the present day.

D-FENS

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

They bear similarities (the slow pacing at the beginning, dialogue heavy, etc.)

The hallmarks of most of the top modern dramas I would have said, Boardwalk Empire for example. They all owe the Wire and the Sopranos for setting the benchmark, but I think Breaking Bad (Which had an explosive opening scene but slowed down considerably then in parts) and True Det. have used this basis and put a unique spin on it, there was nothing on TV like BB and the same goes with this show.

Dietsquirt

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I'm a bit behind the rest of ye as I've only seen the first episode, kinda thought it was all over the place jumping between 1995 and the present day.

Stop reading this thread

Hitchens

McConaughey is some man to smoke a cigarette, one drag and it's halfway gone!

Nonoperational

Not every decent TV show is a poor version of the wire or has to be compared to it. This is very different, and an absolutely outstanding show.

Grimebox

Yeah this is way better than the wire :pac:

snausages

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

They bear similarities (the slow pacing at the beginning, dialogue heavy, etc.), but ultimately they're different shows. I wouldn't see True Detective as "tribute" to The Wire at all really. Each show is communicating an entirely different message.

Don't really see this need to constantly compare different shows all the time anyway.

Comparing is interesting though. It's fun seeing how tv develops and builds upon earlier stuff. David Simon cites Buffy as a major inspiration for example and (in his opinion) the greatest and most influential show of all time.

Hate it when people try and make shows a subject of intense academic debate though. That takes the fun out of it.

Da Shins Kelly

snausages wrote: »

Comparing is interesting though. It's fun seeing how tv develops and builds upon earlier stuff. David Simon cites Buffy as a major inspiration for example and (in his opinion) the greatest and most influential show of all time.

Hate it when people try and make shows a subject of intense academic debate though. That takes the fun out of it.

I guess I mean the constant "Yeah it's good, but it's not as good as The Wire!" talk. I mean, why can't we just accept shows on their own merit without the constant chiming in about The Wire or whatever? Not every writer is trying to rewrite The Wire.

I don't think True Detective bears much similarity to The Wire anyway. I can think of plenty of literary figures that it has a lot in common with though. The whole concept of the circularity of existence certainly harks back to the writing of Borges who wrote detective stories with a twist, particularly in Death and the Compass, a story I think is definitely referenced in True Detective. A detective who has a habit of over-thinking everything is lured to his own death by a murderer who knows that he will read into each and every clue. At the end of the story, they talk about how they've met before and they'll meet again in another life. This idea of doomed circularity is something that Rust explicitly mentions he believes in, and it's a concept Borges explores a lot particularly in his short story collection 'Ficciones'.

I'm studying Borges in college right now, so it's interesting to see the parallels. I wonder if Nic Pizzolatto is familiar with him.

kryogen

Did someone say its a good show but not as good as The Wire?

I remember my comment that was along the lines of, its the most enjoyable show I have seen since The Wire, which would be different if thats what your getting at?

I certainly havent seen it constantly.

This show is very different to The Wire, they are both character studies, but that is about it really. The Wire is a social commentary piece overall, True Detective is more introverted for sure.

True Detective is an amazing show, I call it the best thing on TV at the moment and its not a disgrace that it cant compare to The Wire or shows like The Sopranos etc right now, it hasnt even been 1 season! But if it kept on its trajectory and kept up this level of quality it would certainly be up in the discussion for best TV show ever imo.

Not comparable at all right now, if only for the fact that its in its infancy.

Cant wait for the next episode!