True Detective: Other Lives Review

All four of the main characters in “True Detective” are indeed living “Other Lives” when we pick up their stories 66 days after “the Vinci Massacre.” Frank and Jordan Semyon had to move to a box-filled place in Glendale. Ray Velcoro quit Vinci P.D. and went to work security for Frank. He gets a 60-day notice from his former superior, Lt. Burris, to move out of his apartment since he is no longer a municipal employee. Ani Bezzerides is working in the evidence room and attending group counseling for sexual harassment. Paul is the only one who seems to have taken a step up. He’s a fraud investigator and a detective, as he testily points out in a settlement conference with Lacey Lindel, the actress who accused him of improper conduct, and her counsel.

None of them believe that any of the Mexicans in the meth factory killed Ben Caspere but Attorney General Geldof has pronounced case closed and announced his run for governor at the same time. Frank pays a visit to Mayor Austin Chessani about Archeron Waste Management and the suspicious death of its owner. Chessani could care less about Frank’s suspicions and demands an extra five a month for running girls through the poker room. When Ernst, Chessani’s assistant, attempts to direct him out, a frustrated Frank insultingly calls him a Khe Sang m-f. “I’m Chinese,” Ernst responds and Frank tells him to go stand in front of a tank. Way to go, Frank. Take it out on the little guy.

At mediation, Velcoro learns his ex-wife is pursuing the paternity test. His attorney says he’s going to need a lot more money so Velcoro asks Frank for more work. Frank wants him to follow Blake, that assistant he has consistently been getting a hot feeling about in the back of his neck. Velcoro finds out that Blake is mixed up in something with Tony Chessani and Dr. Pitlor. Osip was there, too.

The lady with the missing sister meets with Ani to show her photos her sister sent before she went missing. The photos include shots of Caspere, a state senator and some diamonds similar to those found in Caspere’s safe deposit box, which are missing too. Next thing you know, Ani, Paul and Katherine Davis call Velcoro to a meeting on the street where he is offered a position on a new task force to investigate who really killed Ben Caspere. Davis wants to uncover corruption and Geldof’s massive war chest. “Geldof’s actions are the clearest indication of collusion,” she says, “between the Vinci power structure and the larger state institutions.” Then she dangles the gamechanger. The State Attorney’s office could intercede on Velcoro’s behalf in the custody situation. “You let me keep my kid, I’m in,” Velcoro declares. Davis drops an even bigger bombshell than the Vinci Massacre. His ex-wife’s rapist is alive and in jail. A man was arrested several weeks ago and his DNA solved six rapes, including Velcoro’s ex, Gena. All these years, Velcoro thought he killed that guy. He is very badly shaken.

Frank made a deal with McCandless, the head of Catalast: if he can find the hard drive full of home movies that Caspere had, he’ll put Frank back in the corridor. Frank’s price is 5 parcels, gifted. Meantime, Jordan came clean about her inability to have kids. She had 3 abortions in her 20s, not one. Frank got over being pissed very quickly and she gave him a good reason to adopt. He would have had a much better life if he had been adopted. We’re not too sure about that and we’re not too sure any kid they adopt won’t get screwed up to the max.

Investigating the diamond situation, Paul learns that an excess of boron produces the rich hue in the rare diamonds and the octahedron cut indicates they are almost certainly stolen. Teague Dixon was searching for them in pawn shops even before they were found in the safe deposit box. Ani enlists her sister Athena’s help in an effort to infiltrate one of those parties. Then Ani takes a trip to Guernesville with Paul where they find a shack that was used as a torture room. Lots of blood and carrion birds hanging around. We don’t have to tell you what that means…

Now that he’s been properly motivated, Velcoro goes to see Pitlor and beats his teeth out of his head to find out what is going on with him and Tony Chessani. Pitlor swears he just does the cosmetics that turn 8s into 10s. He says the parties were the brainchild of Tony and Caspere and they kept footage of the important men at the parties for blackmail purposes. Velcoro later meets with his ex-wife and doesn’t even know what to say when she thinks he made up the story about killing the rapist. She insists it is time to find out Chad’s real father and she thinks it is the rapist. Velcoro finally blurts out that he was set up by Frank but Gena has no clue what that is supposed to mean. In his new digs, Frank marvels at the clean ceiling and tells Jordan about the Catalast deal when suddenly there is a loud pounding on the door. Frank gets a gun, opens the door and demands to know if Velcoro has a problem. Frank says he is alone and Velcoro says “You and me need to talk.” Frank stares at him balefully and the episode ends.

Other notes:

Paul informs his mother, Cynthia, about Emily and their plans and she calls him a dumb bastard. Then he finds out that his mother spent the whole $20K he brought back from Afghanistan and hid in the closet. Their argument contains an accusation of her pregnancy with him ruining her career, Paul saying she wouldn’t even know who the father was and Mom implys she knows he is gay. Well, he really was a dumb bastard to leave $20K there in a duffle bag, wasn’t he? Mother-in-law trouble is also brewing for Paul when Emily’s mother insists that she can come and stay on their couch when the baby is born.

In the bar, Velcoro tells Ani: “I have this new program, see. Because my powers of influence are so meager in this sublunar world of ours, I try to limit the people I can disappoint.” Who talks like that? Oh, and not just that– he’s still leaving those weird life lessons for Chad on the recorder: “Pain is inexhaustible. It’s only people who get exhausted.”