True Detective: Black Maps and WTF?

In the 7th episode of True Detective’s second season, “Black Maps and Motel Rooms,” we found out a thing or two and there were quite a few dead bodies by the end of it, including one of the four main characters and we really felt much worse about it than we thought we would.

As Ani Bezzerides comes down from her drug trip, she babbles to Ray about the Monterey mansion scene, naming the big shots who were there and how she thinks she was waiting her whole life to kill a man ever since she ran out of the woods… When Ray questions the woods bit, she hops on his lap and tries to have sex with him but he doesn’t think it’s a good idea.

Ray then met with Frank and gave him the bad news that the plans to take him down included more people than he thought. Blake Churchman was the least of it. Ray wanted to know what Frank had found out about the rapist information and Frank gave his word of honor that he would have that for him by the end of the day.

In a confrontation with her “missing person,” Vera informs Ani that she was never missing. She was approached by Caspere while working as a maid at Ani’s father’s place, the Pantipacaeum, and she ran with it because she likes having things. Ani wonders why she was so spaced out and Vera said she took too much Molly with her champagne. “It happens.” She sheds some light on the investigation with the story of Tascha, a Hungarian and Caspere’s favorite, who thought she’d run a little blackmail scheme. It was Tascha’s blood that was all over the little shack. Her sister shows up. Looks like Vera left in the first place because her brother-in-law was a pervert. Guess her clients aren’t though.

Blake Churchman made the fatal mistake of going into Frank’s office alone. Even though he was dropping off $15K, Frank felt that he was rather arrogant to come in there alone. He let Blake know that the game was up and truth was his only option. As Frank beat the hell out of him, the fool thought he could talk his way out of it. Blake defiantly tried to blame his defection on his boss. “You taught me to make my own opportunities” and “You never should have brought this to Osip.” Blake said everybody except Nails was owned by Osip and his peeps. Ben Caspere was always planning on screwing Frank and Osip was backing the play. He told Frank about a $12 million dollar handoff going down the next day. “I can work on the inside for you, man,” Blake offered, “Triple cross.” Then Frank “punched his ticket.”

All Frank got out of Blake on the bogus rapist info was that it was a meth head who thought Blake ripped him off. Blake saw Ray’s dilemma as an opportunity to make Frank notice him and get rid of the meth head. As Frank filled Nails in on the situation, Jordan arrived at the casino and Frank sent Nails to bring her to the office so he could fill her in too. Gazing at Blake’s bloody body without so much as a gasp, Jordan asked what she could do. Frank gave her the scoop, told her to pack a bag and go with Nails.

Katherine Davis was shot in her car as she waited to meet up with Ray Velcoro and Ray’s sure he is being set up for it. There already is a warrant out for Ani Bezzerides for the security guard’s murder. Compromising photos of his encounter with his army buddy are being sent to Paul Woodrugh with threats that his fiancee Emily will get them soon.

Paul took his mother and Emily to a motel room and told them they had to stay there because his cover had been blown. Ani met with her sister and said she and Pops had to get out of town. Later she had a heart-to-heart with her father over the traumatic incident from her childhood when she was kidnapped and abused by a drifter for 4 days. Elvis showed up with fake plates and agreed to follow Eliot and Athena till they got to Eugene, hopefully to safety.

Back at the motel, Paul reveals his latest info to Ani and Ray. They conclude the diamonds are why Caspere’s place was tossed but still can’t make sense out of Caspere’s murder. Paul gets a message to meet someone at City Hall at midnight to get the pictures. It turns out to be his gay war pal Miguel, who has been working for Catalast through Ares Security Agency. He disarms Paul and brings him through underground tunnels to meet with Police Chief Holloway and his guards. Holloway wants the contracts Paul took from the mansion. Paul tries to bargain by claiming that Ray Velcoro has the contracts and he will set up a meeting. He says he doesn’t give a sh*t about Ray or Ani and that Katherine Davis was using them. He just wants to skate and get all the pictures. Paul walks closer to Holloway saying his cell phone won’t work, then grabs his gun and holds him as a shield. He makes the guards lay down their weapons. He bashes Holloway in the head with the gun several times and takes off. The guards pursue him and he takes them all out, including Miguel’s sorry ass. Finally, he finds an exit door and walks through it.

Lt. Kevin Burress comes out of the corner behind the door and shoots Paul in the back. Paul tries to get to his gun but Burress delivers one more fatal shot. So far, we thought that Frank’s death would be the only one that we’d feel bad about it. Strangely, or maybe not, we like him better than Ray and Ani. But we found out that we liked Paul more than we knew when he bought it while Emily watched “Splendor in the Grass” at the motel. So sad.

After Frank makes some business and travel (to Venezuela) arrangements, he returns to the casino where Mayor Chessani drunkenly informs a hooker that his family is like the Kennedys: a political dynasty. Frank cuts him off from the bar and tells him about Tony’s perfidy just as Osip and his goons are approaching. A stunned Chessani leaves. Frank plays it cool with Osip who says he told his partners that Frank would know it was just business. He will be allowed to manage the clubs on a salary. Frank orders an evacuation on the pretext that there is a gas leak. He cleans out the safe and turns on the gas, throws liquor around and sets a few fires. Then he drives up someplace where he can have a birds-eye view of his handiwork.

One other thing… Ray and Ani figured out that Laura, the orphaned girl from the jewelry heist, was Erica, Caspere’s assistant at the city manager’s office. She doesn’t work there anymore. Well, she is quite likely the one that shot Velcoro with buckshot so she’s the one with the hard drive, eh? Maybe her brother Leonard killed Caspere.

Well, two things… Left with nothing else to do but stare soulfully at each other across the table while thinking about the shambles their lives are in, Ray and Ani finally fell into each other’s arms for some comfort sex.