Episodes 1 & 2 – The Great War and Modern Memory / Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
“General rule is everybody’s lying. Period.”
While it will inevitably be compared to the earlier installments, creator and exec producer Nic Pizzolatto crafts another simmering narrative. This season sees a storyline pinponging between three decades (1980, 1990 and 2015 respectively) outlining the disappearance of two children and the effects on the investigators involved.
It remains to be seen if director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s creative input is missed, but in the first two episodes, it appears that his influence is looming large. As with the prior episodes, the seemingly straightforward plotline follows a simple pattern, two investigators with troubled consciences immerse themselves in a professional matter of personal importance – amidst much chagrin and general earnestness.
“What the fuck’s the right answer to that?!”
Plenty of acting on display. Acting galore. Starting with the lead, Mahershala Ali as he gives his signature quiet, haunted performance as Arkansas State Police Detective Wayne Hays, a former Nam LRRP veteran suffering from perhaps PTSD and memory issues / Alzheimers. The old unreliable narrator. This is an understated performance, maybe too understated. It borders on yawn inducing. Not necessarily his fault, the role is written and directed to display his cautious restraint. Unfortunately, it just provides no dynamics for him to build from.
Also in the ensemble, Stephen Dorff lends a solid performance as the outrageously side-burned partner Roland West. Hopefully we’ll see this role provide some better opportunities to shine in future episodes, but here, he merely provides a sounding board for the aforementioned lead.
Scoot McNairy and Mami Gummer also give effective, although brief, performances as the highly dysfunctional parents of two doomed children.
Some takeaways from the initial episodes –
Much is made of Steve McQueen’s deathdate of November 7, 1980; although, in retrospect, it seems to just be establishing the time period.
There’s plenty of Viet Nam subtext amidst rat and fox executions.
Weird cornhusk dolls leave a trail to a macabre discovery.
Suspects abound. Starting with the weird golf cart driving trash collector played by Michael Greyeyes and the appropriately polite Black Sabbath t-shirt wearing teenagers.
Life and death and the harvest moon.
While not quite as atmospheric and philosophical as the first season (there’s no Yellow King or Carcosa or time as a flat circle), it sets a creepier tone than the second. The first two episodes are well-acted, well-produced endeavors, albeit slightly slow moving; almost to the point of boring. There’s just no compelling storyline to augment the earnest performances. The actors are likable; however, the characters are not so far. Perhaps this will prove standing water as the story moves forward, however, if this is supposed to draw us in… well, I’m not hooked.
Episode 1 – 7/10
Episode 2 – 6/10