‘True Detective’ Recap: ‘Omega Station’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I would think that if there is one solid word to describe a police detective and the job that they do, it is justice. They quest for justice, they do their best to bring people to it and that's why we watch a good old fashioned police story. To see the bad guy lose and the good guy win and make the world a safer place once again, but when it came to last night's season two finale of True Detective, justice seemed to be quite elusive. 

This was a bleak finale and fitting for the bleak season we have endured when it comes to this show and honestly when it came to last night, I really didn't think there would be any justice at all. After all Woodrugh was dead now and Ani and Ray were no longer cops, instead they were hunted by the men and women they once worked alongside. It was unexpected to say the least, to see a show about detectives...without detectives. But, there was a lot to like about this finale, "Omega Station", since it wrapped up everything neatly and as for justice, well, let's discuss that in a minute, but first...let's answer the question, who killed Ben Caspere?

The answer to that was resolved pretty quickly. Because in the wake of Paul's death, Ray was able to put two and two together and recall that Erica/Laura's brother Leonard was present on the movie set that day as well and when they go to pay him a visit they find all the clues they need. The bird mask, the kabuki mask, pictures of the guilty, the shotgun that dropped Ray and oh yeah...Laura, handcuffed to the fireplace. She fills the detectives in on their quest to find justice for their parents death by way of Caspere and how it went horribly wrong thanks to Leonard, who is now planning on killing Holloway during a meeting to trade out the hard drive, which is wiped clean thanks to a security measure by the way, at a nearby bus station. Ray of course is on it and with a little wheeling and dealing manages to get Leonard to relax for a moment and get a full confession out of Holloway. But Leonard's bloodlust takes over after it is revealed he and Laura are the illegitimate children of Ben Caspere and well...in the ensuing chaos the confession is lost and Holloway and Leonard are dead.

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Laura as it turns out is on her way to Seattle thanks to a bus ticket from Ani, leaving her and Ray back where they started, on the run. But we cannot forget about Frank who enlists Ray to help him settle the score with the Russians and rob them blind as part of the plan to head to Venezuela and be free of this nightmare. Ray and Frank are successful, but before they can reach paradise, disaster strikes. Frank is confronted by the Mexicans who want their payout now that the clubs have burned. They get it, but Frank is stabbed and left in the desert to die and Ray...well after seeing his son one last time he discovers he is being tailed by his old pals from Vinci. It leads to two impressive and vastly contrasting ends for the men as Ray goes out in a panicked blaze of glory, and Frank is able to confront his demons and his past before slipping into the darkness of death. 

Ani at least makes it out, and well...it looks like the bad guys win. Tony Chessani is the new Mayor of Vinci, Detective Burris is now the Chief of Vinci P.D. and the rail corridor goes off without a hitch. It's a depressing finale to say the least...until those last five minutes, when Ani tells the tale to a reporter and leaves all the documents proving the grand conspiracy with him, which left me happy because...justice would at last be served. Plus it also turns out that Ray's son is genetically his through and through and that he fathered another child with Ani and well...holy hell we got us a happy ending. Not exactly the one I think we all hoped for, but we got one none the less. 

I have to say I thought this was a pretty solid finale. Justice was served, which was a big deal for me because wow...the bad guys in this season were simply deplorable and disgusting. All the answers of this grand mystery were answered which it's always nice to see the storyline wrapped up, it's just a shame Frank and Ray didn't make it out. These were two men so close to redemption it was ridiculous, but alas I know it was never meant to be. Season two of True Detective was all about karma and everyone who did major wrong to others received their own taste of karma in kind and well...Frank and Ray had enough bad karma to last ten lifetimes. I guess Ray was right earlier in the season when he said "we get the world we deserve", and while Ray and Frank didn't get a better one, at least the awful men of Vinci...will get the world they deserve. Until next time.

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