True Detective
“Omega Station”
(HBO)
A-
Alas, the long and winding road of True Detective Season 2 has come to a halt. It’s been a rocky path, to say the least, paved with a fair share of bumps and smooth terrain. Yet, despite its volatile traction, the last couple of episodes properly shifted gears and found the ride leveling out in a coast. Does the season finale, “Omega Station,” continue this with an impressive last stretch or encounter more road blocks? Thankfully, the episode glides to an eventful destination.
If there was one defining theme to this season, it revolved around the human descent into darkness and if it is possible to ascend from its tortuous depths. As Bezzerides and Velcoro lay in the hotel bed sharing cigarettes, they explain and console each other’s descents. Bezzerides’ sexual torment isn’t all a result of being kidnapped and sexuality assaulted as a child; in actuality, she has been wrestling with the pride that motivated her into that situation, being called “pretty” by her assailant. This sets the tone for the episode, its cast laying to rest many of the external forces involved in the Caspere corruption and the demons tormenting their interiors.
If you hadn’t already clued together who the crow-masked killer is, or even cared in the first place, the mysterious figure is a man named Leonard, one of the children who lost their parents at the hands of Caspere’s schemes. Upon finding his sister, Laura, at his house, it’s revealed that he’s planning to use the stolen hard-drive to exact revenge against one of their parents’ killers, Detective Holloway. Velcoro immediately heads to train station, where he lectures Leonard out of his hell-bent revenge. Bezzerides, at the same time, puts Laura on a bus, insisting that escape is the only route to a new life. These moments establish two more characters anguished by an unfortunate past and juxtapose Bezzerides and Velcoro, who will meet similar ends as those they are caring for.
After the situation at the train station goes awry, the three remaining leads gather to plot the trajectory. Bezzerides will flee to Venezuela while Semyon and Velcoro clean up unfinished business. Major players in the Caspere scandal are killed in what is a conveniently concise heist while Velcoro and Semyon escape with the money and diamonds as a rare presence of optimism is felt. Velcoro actually smiles and laughs, looking forward to being reunited with Bezzerides. In a strange twist, these two have formed a romantic connection in the season’s last moments, but even stranger is that it works, mostly in part of the actors’ abilities, which convey a great deal of subtlety through gesture and tone of voice.
But in the True Detective universe, clean getaways cannot exist without something up the sleeve. Velcoro’s decision to check on his son one last time is a true shout-at-the-screen moment. Sure, it was a charming bit to know that the kid had some esteem for his father (represented by the gift), but in the process his car is planted with a tracker and he is forced to go on the run into the woods. Semyon, who had forgotten to get even with the Mexicans, is taken out into the desert and asked to relinquish his suit. As we know, Semyon doesn’t like his dignity tested — or appearing weak. His undoing uncovers the great irony of Season 2: The very traits procured to defend from misery are, at the same time, the most volatile weaknesses.
Ultimately, this is a deserving finale for those who stuck out the thick-and-thin nature of this season. The culmination partially erases criticism of what seemed to be an overwrought plot by rewarding us with deep and true outcomes for its characters. It contains some striking moments, particularly Velcoro’s transcendent moment in the forest and Semyon’s walk of shame. It also remains relevant despite reflecting a more dour model of the world, reflecting the greed and corruption of contemporary politics and the used-and-abused mental framework by which America is currently so riddled. It isn’t perfect, nor is it the best thing on TV. But in a weird way, it’s a little more human for all its flaws.
