"True Detective" Recap: "Down Will Come"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

In the short time I've been watching True Detective I have to say I'm quite impressed with the particular feel that each episode seems to bring to the table. Sometimes it is horrendously bleak, leaving me wanting a hug or a new puppy to try and lighten the mood. Other times it is simply intense, leaving my heart racing.  

But up until last night, I never felt paranoid watching the show, and the little and giant surprises that came together in last night's episode "Down Will Come" have me now wondering quite a few things when it comes to the plot and exactly where we are going. I don't mean that in a bad way, I know some folks didn't find last night interesting until the final ten minutes of the episode and that's okay, but I personally thought last night's episode to be utterly enthralling because well...let's get right down to it. It feels like there is a bigger conspiracy at work here than any of us previously thought. 

We know Caspere was about as dirty as they come in every sense of the phrase but we have to look at the events that are happening here...starting with Frank. He said something last night to his suspicious assistant that caught my ear, the fact that someone was drawing him out onto the street and he is right in that. I mean, we watched this guy go from a man who was clearly about to get out of a life of crime and suddenly he is drawn right back into the underworld he so desperately tried to escape. Not to mention what the mayor said about other folks waiting in the wings to take over the casino.

While that may seem on the surface like oh well, it's crooks screwing over other crooks, let's not forget Frank is connected to the Caspere case just like our task force and well...it's interesting to see how those dots are starting to connect as well. Specifically with Ani and how suddenly her father seems to know a lot of the men she is either investigating or working for at this point in time. It's just too perfect a coincidence if you ask me, and even Velcoro has his suspicions that their work is much ado about nothing until someone benefits with a lovely monetary incentive package.  

But the paranoia I felt last night came to its peak with the gunfight that happened in the heart of Vinci. Paul's fine work led to a suspect and before they could close in and arrest him, gunfire rained down on the task force and the resulting and intense fire fight ended with our suspect and plenty of everyday civilians left dead and more questions that answers. After all, why did the suspects detonate the third level floor of their building? Was it someone as simple as drugs or something more? I ask that, because, it seems like they were prepared and waiting for the task force, almost as though someone tipped them off.

Not to mention the strange behavior of the primary suspect, who had the upper hand against Velcoro and Paul and chose to give up and let the two of them blow him away. Either way, it's clear to me that Caspere was the tip of the iceberg and some strange forces are at work here for all of our characters. Who and why aren't clear yet, but with half the season in the books, it's clear we are headed toward the truth in impressive fashion. Until next time. 

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