True Detective: Down Will Come Review

So now that we’ve spent three episodes getting big big insights into the troubled lives of crime boss, Frank Semyon, Det. Ray Velcoro, Det. Ani Bezzerides and CHPO Paul Woodrugh, you would think that there would be less about their messed up lives in the fourth episode of True Detective, “Down Will Come.” But no.

Frank Semyon and his wife, Jordan, have to put their in vitro fertilization activities on hold so Frank can rebuild his lost wealth. Jordan drops a bombshell that she may not even be able to have kids because of “the operation” and maybe they should consider adopting. That’s a definite no to Frank who believes the sins of the father are visited on the children. “At least with your kid, it’s your sins,” he says. Jordan was saying “if” but it’s looks like a sure bet that she knows she can’t have kids.

When Ani Bezzerides gave Steve the big kiss-off, she told him not to push it someplace ugly. Well, he pushed it somewhere official and made an Internal Affairs complaint against her. Since he is her subordinate and she had power over him, it is a serious matter, she is informed by her superior. Also, there are rumors that she is sleeping with Ray Velcoro now and guess what else? Elvis, her partner, admitted that they slept together. (LOL – we love it when we are right.) “Once,” Bezzerides fumes and she is furious with Elvis for tattling. He wants to blame his busted marriage on their one-night stand. Bezzerides is not having that.

Paul Woodrugh woke up in Miguel’s apartment, acting like a Bill Cosby victim. He refuses talk, waffles and a ride to his motocycle and takes a cab. His bike has been stolen and for some reason, members of the press are there to hound him about Black Mountain war crimes. He gets Ray Velcoro to pick him up. Later, over coffee, Emily tells him that she is pregnant. Whoa! He decides right then and there that he loves her and wants to marry her and declares that “this is the best thing that could happen.” Sadly, it’s not. For any of them.

Ray Velcoro is still operating on both sides of the fence but he doesn’t make a decision when Frank Semyon wants him to leave the police force and to work for him in a fuller capacity. “I’m not muscle,” he says but Frank points out that black rage goes a long way: “Sometimes you’re best self is your worst self, know what I’m saying?” Velcoro seemingly has made a decision regarding his son Chad, to bow out of the boy’s life. He gives the confused lad his grandfather’s detective shield and tells him it will mean something to him someday. What it will mean if he’s not really Ray’s son, is that everyone is a liar. Well?

When Woodrugh uncovers info about a guy who’s been pawning Ben Casper’s belongings, the task force makes plans to storm the building where he’s holed up. The criminals must have known they were coming because they’re armed and ready to rock and a group of transit protestors get right in the middle of it. The criminals, a bunch of civilians and one task force member, Teague Dixon, are all killed.

So since that was their murder suspect, that must mean the Ben Caspere case is now solved and there is no reason for the task force to exist anymore. Other things that came up in this episode were:

A connection between Dr. Pitlor and the Chessani family. Even though Ray Velcoro gave Bezzerides a heads up that Mayor Chessani had it in for her because of her little trip to his home, she still insisted on interviewing the mayor’s daughter. Before deciding that she shouldn’t be talking to the cops, Betty Chessani manages to divulge that her mother was committed to a mental asylum where she hung herself, Pitlor was her doctor and her father is a very bad person.

Bezzerides’ father, Elliot, remembers Chessani the elder who had a lodge and even shows Bezzerides and Velcoro photos of Pitlor and Mayor Chessani from days of yore. Elliot notices Velcoro’s black and green aura that is practically taking up the whole room. “You must have had hundreds of lives” Elliot marveled. It was the perfect moment for Velcoro to burst into his own rendition of “This is My Least Favorite Life,” but he just said: “I don’t think I can handle another one.”

Cast:
Frank Semyon – Vince Vaughn
Det. Ray Velcoro – Colin Farrell
Det. Ani Bezzerides – Rachel McAdams
Off. Paul Woodrugh – Taylor Kitsch
Det. Teague Dixon – W. Earl Brown
Det. Elvis Ilinca – Michael Irby
Elliot Bezzerides – David Morse
Betty Chessani – Emily Rios
Miguel – Gabriel Luna
Emily – Adria Arjona
Chad – Trevor Larcom