Season 2 of True Detective drops on June 1, featuring a star-studded cast. This time around we’ll see characters played by Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, and Taylor Kitsch as opposed to Woody Harrelson’s Martin Hart and Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle.
When the first season of True Detective wrapped up, I couldn’t help but long for more. The way the story weaved in and out of the past, present and future was fantastic. It was a lot of fun trying to figure out what was going on. Reading fan theories was awesome too, especially those related to Lovecraftian lore.
If the trailer is any indication, it looks like we’ll be getting more of the same in Season 2.
Who Are the Characters in the Trailer?
The trailer introduces us to the four main characters, with each of them offering up a single quote. You might recognize these quotes from the promotional content for Season 2.
Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon. According to the official synopsis, he’s “a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work.”
It will be interesting to see Vaughn playing the villain for once, though I suspect his motives won’t be purely evil. Some of the things happening in Season 1 didn’t exactly fall into categories of black and white — they belonged in more of a gray area if you will.
Semyon’s quote is, “Sometimes your worst self is your best self.” To me, that speaks volumes about what kind of guy he is. Right off the bat we know he’s willing to do anything to succeed, and by his statement he’s also willing to rationalize his actions — even bad ones.
Up next, is Ray Velcoro played by Colin Farrell. In the synopsis, he’s described as “a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, LA County.”
His quote is the more interesting of the bunch, because it’s the same one we’ve seen on a lot of the promotional materials for Season 2.
“My strong suspicion is…we get the world we deserve.”
Velcoro is dark, brooding and self-deprecating it seems. Has he done something he regrets?
Taylor Kitsch will play Paul Woodrugh.
His description in the official synopsis is lengthy, which could mean that he plays a bigger role this season than some of the other characters. Woodrugh is “a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene which triggers an investigation involving three law enforcement groups, multiple criminal collusions, and billions of dollars.”
His quote: “This isn’t me doing this. This isn’t me.”
He must get wrapped up in a situation that causes him to act differently than normal. Is he linked to Semyon somehow?
Finally, it’s Ani Bezzerides turn to say something, played by Rachel McAdams. Her synopsis description says she’s “a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves.”
She says: “This girl’s gone missing. Nobody cares. The interior’s poisoned, and suddenly worth billions, and nobody cares?”
She’s upset that a case she’s involved with has been swept under the rug, and it’s clear she thinks the system is corrupt. In one scene we see her practicing with blades. Could this mean she’s going to take justice into her own hands?
What Else Do We Know?
Season 2 takes place in California, mostly LA, and Hollywood will have some kind of presence. Rick Springfield is apparently playing a character named Dr. Pitlor, while Ashley Hinshaw will play “troubled starlet” Lacey Lindel.
The focus of the story has changed a bit according to writer Nic Pizzolatto. First we were told the Season would be about “hard women, bad men, and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system.”
However, the most recent statement released just says it’s about “three police officers and a career criminal, who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.”
Alright then.
