Best of 2014: Julian's Top TV Pics

So as 2014 comes to a close it’s up to me to give what was the hottest, flyest, Trillest of Television of this past year. I’m going to give you the realness unlike the Emmys or Globes. I’ll keep it completely one hundred and tell you all I’m a snob. I like only the upper echelon of TV ( #nohyperbole). So enough with the preamble and let’s get to the list in no particular order:

Hannibal: Season 2

Much like last year there really isn’t anything on TV like Hannibal and what’s still amazing is that it’s on Network and NBC for that matter. Everything from Fuller’s suspense drama about the Hannibal Lecter before the events of Red Dragon. This season saw everything ramp up with a switch in the Hugh Dancy’s character Will Graham in relation to Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter. Laurence Fishburne’s Jack Crawford also got a great deal more to do this season in plot and development. The season also starts with a beautifully shot future event with Jack Crawford that we don’t get back to until the end. In all the things I watch on TV nothing is as excellently shot or paced for its genre. The tightness of the 13 episodes which is a rarity in network TV is allows it tell a great story even with its feel of times of a killer of the week scenario that lacks any concept of filler. If there is one TV that is criminally underappreciated it’s this one.

Game of Thrones: Season 4

Game of Thrones is my get right. I get hyped up when watching GoT like folks do when it’s Bowl Week for college football. I loved this season when Rocky and John were talking about the books and this Red Viper dude I was imaging what he was like, but man Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell just blew up the expectations. While everyone was calling him the Spanish dude from The Princess Bride I call him Puss N Boots because I be damn if wasn’t like a medieval Zorro (like if they make a new Zorro, he needs to be Antonio Banderas’s son as new Zorro). I loved this dude. He straight up stayed dissing Lannisters and I couldn’t get enough. This season also had Jon Snow on some LotR battles with giants and stuff, Tyrion going hard in the paint at court, Arya with the Hound on some Leon the Professional lifestyle, and cliffhanger after cliffhanger that had me throwing stuff and flipping tables like a mad man. Also some many bodies in this show, so many. Like you folks need to cop some HBO just for this at least.

True Detective: Season 1

See, I was easy to please on this one. I knew it was going to be hot once I saw that teaser ad last year during True Blood. I was like “Yo them my boys from EdTV! This is going to be GOLDEN!” and I wasn’t wrong. This insanely short season of a tight 8 episodes, all written by Nic Pizzolatto and all directed by Cary Fukunaga in an amazing manner, took over my circle of people by storm. McConaughey in full McConaissance mode with Harrelson in full Scottie Pippen mode on this performance of two Louisiana detectives trying to solve a series of murders that may or may not have a connection to the occult was some captivating TV. It seriously put Hollywood on smash. To me the whole show was robbed of many awards by Breaking Bad’s final half of its final season. From Cohle’s long speeches on his thoughts on the nature of the universe, Hart’s infidelity with younger women, mentions of a Yellow King to making flowers on people, True Detective was a welcome addition to a transitioning HBO line up that needed it and reasserted itself at the top of the TV show food chain challenged by AMC and Netflix.

Mad Men: Season 7 part 1

There is no show on TV right now that I love more than Mad Men. The journey of Don Draper has been a long one. This season started so beautifully with Don on the airplane going to LA and leaving the airport in that amazing slow mo shot as he walks to Megan getting out of the little blue convertible - that might be one of the best sequences on film of all of 2014. The path of the prodigal Don to reclaim his place at Sterling Cooper and Partners was a captivating one, along with the trials of the Peggy Olson; they were really some of the stand-out threads to watch. I really connected with Don and Peggy fixing their beautiful platonic friendship. I don’t know, I’m just biased; Don Draper is my spirit animal. But I really think those that haven’t seen it should really seek it out before the last 7 episodes start next year.

Black-ish: Season 1

You know it’s kind of crazy that right now this show is the only black sitcom on TV and is the first one in many years on network TV. Since I grew up in the 80s and '90s, black sitcoms were a staple of each network. From the Cosby Show and Different World to Family Matters and Fresh Prince to Martin and Living Single, it was basically taken for granted, and then all of the sudden they were all gone. It seemed as the amount of the sitcoms over all decreased, that black-centered ones fell by the wayside first and seemed to not even get a chance to make. Now we have Black-ish, coming out now in this weird state of Obama presidency where we see we are not in a postracial world; we have a show dealing with the blackness in a world where Gen Xers are raising children where what is black is changing in terms of ourselves and how others view us and we view them. The show has dealt with corporal punishment, being the only black person in the office, the nature of being a black geek, and even Black Santa Claus. The writing and the cast really sells the whole thing with Anthony Anderson and Tracey Ellis-Ross having great chemistry and timing for each joke. The children are great also, but the real scene stealing is done by Laurence Fishburne as Pops, the Granddad with the old school quips constantly checking Anderson’s Dre in his parenting ideas for his kids. He drops more gems than Columns people.

House of Cards: Season 2

Frank Underwood is the trillest, dopest, most charismatic bad guy on modern TV (sorry, Walter White). Frank is doing some of the most deplorable things you can do but you sit there binge watching this guy going so hard in the paint to achieve his goals of gaining power that you can’t help but root for this dude. All this on President’s Day weekend no less. Let’s not underplay the factor of Claire Underwood, the second best Claire in TV history in my opinion. She’s so ride or die yet running her own game in her own power play while the whole time they still Team Underwood. This season had everything including Major Dad as a bad guy. MAJOR DAD PEOPLE! I need to go get ready for the next season and get me a mean plate of ribs to go with it.

Boardwalk Empire: Season 5

Here is a show that I completely stopped watching because of a storytelling choice at the end of season 2. I still haven’t seen season 3 besides the finale and none of season 4 besides the commercials for episodes. With all that said MAN OH MAN is the last season really good. They did a smart thing with time jumping to the '31 during the Great Depression; that choice really added life to show in my opinion. At a point early on I was more interested in the stories of Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Al Capone. This season really expanded that world with adding little things like Al Capone’s fall and Elliot Ness on his trail, and Joe Kennedy building his fortune through stocks which has great effects on the rise of his family in politics later on. Everything was wrapped up so nicely and I feel handled perfectly with the flashbacks to Nucky as a child and Nucky as a young man, where he made a deal with the devil for power. Out of all the shows that ended on HBO this year, this was the one that did with flying colors and fireworks at the end.

The Legend of Korra: Seasons 3 & 4

My final entry in this list is the animated show on Nickelodeon that by far broke the most rules, took all the risks you can take with a show on a network, and did some really surprising things even for an animated show. Korra had a really rough time since at a certain point it seem Nick didn’t support the show anymore. For them it seems an animated show about this teenage girl dealing with more mature battles than what Ang had to got to be a bit much for them. Season 3 of the show dealt with Korra facing a set of foes that were basically against the current structure of the world. They were against the governmental structure of the nations and planned to get rid of monarchies in charge and the United Republic of Nations, and wants in way to set up a free world that is more like anarchy. Their goal is to kill the Avatar forever. Korra had to deal with some serious ideas to deal with, stuff you couldn’t just punch in the face and defeat. The events of that season led directly into the final season, with Korra trying to come back after nearly dying and being utterly defeated, along with facing essentially the rise of a totalitarian government. I’m betting right now there is a ton of Tumblr think pieces on this show that you can read but you can just take away this: it’s good. Plain and simple it’s one of the best things that came on TV - it had humor, action, drama, romance and kung fu. IT HAS KUNG FU. This is a show that will be missed because I don’t think there will be nothing like this on TV.

That’s it folks. That’s my long list. I went over a bit, and for what it’s worth I didn’t see everything. This here can hold you down if you didn’t watch any of these, though. Get your binge watch on and also imagine me hating on the Golden Globe and the Emmys when my shows get hated on.

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HBO Confirms Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and Kelly Reilly for 'True Detective' Season 2

Even though the cast of HBO's second season of True Detective had largely been sussed out already, today the network went ahead and made it official. Rachel McAdams, Kelly Reilly, and Taylor Kitsch have been confirmed to join Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn in what sounds like another season of morally compromised and deeply flawed characters embroiled in a Hellish investigation.

Production on Nic Pizzolatto's True Detective has begun in California, with the eight-episode season following "three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder." Farrell plays Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him. Vaughn is Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner. And here are the descriptions for the rest:

Rachel McAdams as Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective whose uncompromising ethics put her at odds with others and the system she serves.

Taylor Kitsch as Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle officer for the California Highway Patrol, running from a difficult past and the sudden glare of a scandal that never happened.

Kelly Reilly as Jordan, Frank Semyon’s wife, a former D-list actress who is a full partner in his enterprises and ambitions.

They join a large ensemble that includes Lolita Davidovitch, James Frain, Abigail Spencer, and more. 

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'True Detective' Season 2 Adds Kelly Reilly, Abigail Spencer, and Leven Rambin

With Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Rachel McAdams and Vince Vaughn set for the second season of HBO's True Detective, there are still a number of supporting roles left to be filled. If the first season is anything to go by, these parts could be just as juicy as the leads. Just ask Alexandra Daddario who did probably the best work of her career in a small but pivotal role. And hopefully we'll be able to say the same thing for Kelly Reilly, who has just joined the cast after previously being up for the role McAdams won.

Reilly is joining True Detective along with Abigail Spencer (This is Where I Leave You), Leven Rambin (The Hunger Games), and Michael Irby. Reilly was great earlier this year in Cavalry, and has done impressive work in Flight, Chinese Puzzle, and more. She'll be playing the "self-possessed Morgan", Irby would be partner to McAdams' character, Rambin is a drug-addicted beauty, and Spencer is the survivor of a sexual attack.

Filming on True Detective should begin early next year with Justin Lin helming the first two episodes. [Deadline]

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Rachel McAdams Offered 'True Detective' Female Lead

After what seems like forever parsing every news story the cast of True Detective's second season, it looks to finally be coming to an end. Yesterday we learned Keira Knightley was the latest big name added to the list of actresses circling the female lead, and now today comes word that an offer had been made to one of the first who was up for it. Variety says Rachel McAdams has beaten out Knightley, Rosario Dawson, Elisabeth Moss, Brit Marling, and more for the coveted part.

Assuming she accepts, McAdams would join Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn, while the site says Taylor Kitsch is "expected" to take the third male lead. Nic Pizzolatto has put together a California-set mystery centering on three cops and one career criminal who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder. McAdams' role would be Ani Bezzerides, "a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol".

So certainly not the kind of thing we've ever seen McAdams do before, but that was also the case for last season's cast. There's been a ton of criticism lodged against the casting this time around but I think that's because we can't help but compare it to McConaughey and Harrelson. The chances of this second season being better than the first without the presence of Cary Fukunaga are pretty slim but that doesn't mean it can't be great in a different way.  Justin Lin will direct the first two episodes of True Detective when the show returns. 

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Add Keira Knightley to the List of 'True Detective' Candidates

Now that the casting on True Detective's second season is starting to come together with Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn confirmed, there are two major roles still left to be filled. One is the third male lead, which has Taylor Kitsch as the apparent frontrunner. The female lead is a bit messier, with everybody from Elisabeth Moss, Brit Marling, Rosario Dawson, Rachel McAdams, and many more in the mix. And now Deadline says you can throw Keira Knightley in there, too.

Knightley is the latest to join the field, circling the role of Ani Bezzerides, "a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol". McAdams, who seemed like the top choice for creator Nic Pizzolatto, may have a scheduling conflict keeping her out of the running.

It would be a change of pace and a grittier role than she's done since Domino years ago. True Detective is set to begin filming this fall.

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HBO Confirms Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn for 'True Detective' Season

The writing was on the wall when Colin Farrell revealed over the weekend that he had been cast in the second season of HBO's True Detective, and now the network has made it official. They've also confirmed the long-brewing rumors of Vince Vaughn taking one of the three male leads, with Justin Lin (Fast Five) directing the first two episodes. HBO has also released an official logline for the second season, giving us a basic outline for what will probably be another complex mystery put together by creator Nic Pizzolatto...

Three police officers and a career criminal must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

The 8-episode drama will have Farrell as  Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him.. Vaughn will get serious as Frank Semyon, a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner.

What we didn't get was information on the other key roles that Taylor Kitsch, Elisabeth Moss, Rachel McAdams, Brit Marling, and others are said to be up for. True Detective returns next summer with filming to begin in the fall.

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Colin Farrell Confirms He's in 'True Detective' Season 2

With production on HBO's second season of True Detective inching closer, some of the rumors we've been hearing about the cast should start to be proven true one way or another. Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, and Vince Vaughn have been in the running for the three male leads, with Nic Pizzolatto's story said to take place in three different cities in California following some shady land deals. Rachel McAdams, Elisabeth Moss, Brit Marling, and many others have been targeted for the female lead of a troubled Monterey sheriff. Now we're finally getting a confirmation straight from the horse's mouth as Farrell told The Sunday World he's definitely in, while offering up some brief production details.

Farrell: “I’m doing the second series. I’m so excited.”

He then went on to confirm the Chinatown-esque story would be shooting in Los Angeles and how long they'll be in production for, although he failed to reveal who would be directing those episodes. Justin Lin (Fast Five) is one of the directors expected to shoot at least a few episodes...

Farrell: “I know it will be eight episodes and take around four or five months to shoot. I know very little about it, but we’re shooting in the environs of Los Angeles which is great. It means I get to stay at home and see the kids.”

 

Farrell will likely be taking on the role of Ray Velcaro,  “who has been damaged by years of trauma in both his personal and professional lives.”

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'True Detective' Season 2 Rumor Includes Rosario Dawson, Brit Marling, Jessica Biel, and More

 Like the mysteries of HBO's True Detective, the role of the female lead in season two has been a bit murky. Elisabeth Moss and Rachel McAdams were the most recent actresses said to be vying for the part, but now a whole new list of names have emerged, some who have done darker roles before and some who would be traveling that road for the first time.

According to The Wrap, Rosario Dawson, Brit Marling, Jessica Biel, Oona Chaplin, Kelly Reilly, Jessica, Malin Akerman, and Jaimie Alexander are in contention, with Moss and McAdams possibly still in the mix. It seems like a natural fit for Marling, whose films The East and Sound of My Voice share a similar moody tone and sense of mystery. The site, in their awful video hosted by Jeff Sneider, suggest that Dawson is the frontrunner but she's also got Marvel's Daredevil so who knows how that would work out. Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter) is best known for her stint as Talisa on HBO's Game of Thrones, making her familiar to the network. All of these actresses would make interesting options but Marling seems like the closest fit to play "Ani Bezzerides, a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol". Outside of her, Reilly could be a sleeper pick. She's been great in everything from Flight to Calvary, and she's free for a new series after ABC cancelled Black Box last month.

 Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Vince Vaughn, and director Justin Lin seem to be locked in for True Detective, which is expected to go into production soon.

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Justin Lin to Direct 'True Detective' Season 2 Episodes; Rachel McAdams Eyes Lead Role

HBO is slowly putting together the second season of their multiple Emmy-winning series, True Detective, but so far very little has been confirmed. Cary Fukunaga won't be returning to direct any episodes, with the plan to have multiple filmmakers on board. The setting has been shifted to California according to series creator Nic Pizzolatto, with the focus on characters that may be played by Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch, and Colin Farrell.

Now comes the surprising news that Justin Lin, director of four Fast and the Furious movies, is in talks to helm at least the first two episodes of True Detective. Lin is probably the last choice fans of the show would have asked for considering his movies lean towards the action genre, but many forget his start on the drama Better Luck Tomorrow, plus his comedic work on NBC's Community. In short, the guy has range and may be better suited to this job than many think.

So what about those rumors of Elisabeth Moss taking the female lead? Deadline says a number of actresses are testing for it, while Variety throws Rachel McAdams' name into the mix. One obviously has more star power than the other but hopefully that won't factor too greatly into the decision because Moss would be perfect.

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Perfect Casting: Elisabeth Moss Sought for 'True Detective' Season 2 as Plot Details Emerge

Perfect casting alert! Anyone who saw Mad Men star Elisabeth Moss in the moody, foreboding cop drama Top of the Lake knows she can handle some heavy and grim material. She was nominated (and probably should have won) for an Emmy for her work on the acclaimed miniseries, and now Moss could be venturing into similar territory as part of HBO's second season of True Detective. Like I said; perfect friggin' casting.

The Wrap reports Moss is being sought for the female lead, one of three lead characters in the show's follow-up season, although writer/creator Nic Pizzolatto has said there will be for major ones in total. Colin Farrell is close to inking a deal to play one of them, while Taylor Kitsch is the frontrunner for the younger male lead. Last night Vince Vaughn's name emerged and he's set to play the show's primary antagonist, although it's stressed this doesn't make him the storyline's ultimate villain.

Also, some major plot details have finally been spilled and they do seem to reflect the Chinatown-esque story Pizzolatto hinted at before. The story will "follow the death of Ben Caspar, the corrupt city manager of a fictional California city who's found brutally murdered amid a potentially groundbreaking transportation deal that would forever change freeway gridlock in the state. Three law enforcement officers from different cities and branches of the government are tasked with finding out who did it. They soon discover their investigation has much broader and darker implications than they initially thought....Caspar's 52-year-old corpse is found on a lonely stretch of Pacific Coast Highway near Big Sur — satanic symbols etched on his chest. It turns out he had a penchant for rough sex and may have been involved in the occult."

If everything comes together Vaughn would be playing "Frank Semyon, a former thug-turned-businessman who's working with a local mayor and his political cohorts to spearhead the construction of a high-speed railway system"; Farrell is "Ray Velcoro, who has been damaged by years of turmoil in both his personal and professional lives"; Moss would be "Ani Bezzerides, a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol"; and Kitch is circling the role of "Paul Woodrugh, a handsome, 28-year-old military veteran who has seen his own share of violence and destruction." It's also said that Michelle Forbes, one of my favorite actresses who appeared in the first season of The Killing and was a main villain on True Blood, is up for a role possibly as the wife of Vaughn or Farrell's characters. Check out her out in the movie Kalifornia, which has a tone similar to True Detective in a lot of ways.

There's still some question which directors will helming episodes as Cary Fukunaga won't be returning. This season will see multiple directors get their shot, and apparently Andrew Dominik (Killing Them Softly) has been approached, but he may be too busy working on Blonde with Jessica Chastain.

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Vince Vaughn Eyes 'True Detective' Season 2

Until HBO comes down with some hard confirmations there will be more theories spun surrounding True Detective season two than Rust Cohle could ever hope to keep up with. Most recently we've heard Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch were in talks for two of the main leads, of which we know there will be four, but nobody could have predicted today's news that Vince Vaughn may be joining the hit drama.

The news comes from TV Line who say Vaughn has entered early talks to join the second season of True Detective, and yeah it sounds pretty crazy, doesn't it? But let's not go nuts wondering how the guy from Wedding Crashers and Old School could line up a gig as serious as this because the truth is Vaughn has been eying more dramatic roles for awhile. He recently wrapped on the crime thriller, Term Life, which would pair him up with Hailee Steinfeld. He also had solid non-comedic performances in Into the Wild, the Psycho remake (it was funny for another reason), and The Cell.

So perhaps this isn't so far-fetched? It's not like Vaughn couldn't use a bit of career reinvention, and what better way to do that on TV's most acclaimed series?

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Christian Bale Eyes 'The Deep Blue Good-By'; Turned Down 'True Detective'

It's taken quite awhile for 20th Century Fox to mount an adaptation of John D. MacDonald's popular Travis McGee mystery novel, The Deep Blue Good-By. James Mangold (The Wolverine) may be the current guy set to head up the film but he's hardly the first they went after. Oliver Stone and Paul Greengrass took a look at it, too, and Leonardo DiCaprio had been attached to star. But he had to drop out and will merely produce, leaving the door wide open for another A-lister to take his spot, and it appears Mangold has his sights set on his 3:10 to Yuma star, Christian Bale.

According to The Wrap, Bale is Mangold and DiCaprio's choice to star although they stress no deal is in place. Bale is apparently interested in the role of McGee, the beach bum and self-described "salvage consultant" who will help anyone find anything for the right price. The Deep Blue Good-By is the first of an amazing 21 novels McGee has appeared in, the last one in 1984. So obviously if these are a hit they could lead to a fairly lengthy franchise, the first for Bale since he stopped playing Batman a couple of years ago. The most recent script was written by Dennis Lehane, DiCaprio's writer on Shutter Island.

So while Bale is just the latest name to emerge for that film, he's also been something of a wish list candidate to star in the second season of HBO's True Detective. Writer Nic Pizzolatto has said there will be four leads this time and it looks like Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch will occupy two of those, but Bale won't have anything to do with it. The Wrap says Bale turned down an offer to join the hit series which just earned a whopping 12 Emmy nominations. No other details are available on that so we don't know if Farrell or Kitsch took the part Bale had been up for.

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'True Detective' Season 2 Targets Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch

With HBO's True Detective scoring a monumental 12 Emmy nominations just yesterday, there has understandably been even more talk about the series' second season than ever. Writer Nic Pizzolatto, who is penning all the scripts for each episode himself, has been especially chatty, revealing to The Daily Beast that it will have four central roles rather than three like he had been saying. And he also toned down the idea of it looking at the history of the Los Angeles transportation system, only revealing it would be "set in California". Okay, play it cool, Nic. 

What everybody really wants to know is who will take on the difficult task of living up to Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey's performances. Rumors have linked Jessica Chastain, Brad Pitt, Josh Brolin, and more, but now The Wrap reports Colin Farrell is in talks for one of the leads. And not only that, but Taylor Kitsch is being eyed for the younger male lead.  The story says producers wanted another big name star who could play "gritty", and Farrell does fit the bill. He's also a guy who could use something like this to rebuild his status which has taken a hit after Total Recall and Winter's Tale bombed. He's also someone who has proven he can handle the dramatic stuff when called upon. And HBO obviously has a familiarity with Kitsch after he turned in a gripping performance in The Normal Heart.

I'll be honest with you, I was kind of hoping Ben Foster would be in this season but maybe he'll take one of the remaining roles.

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Season Two of 'True Detective' Will Have Three Leads; Will Be Set in California

Has there ever been so much concern and speculation over casting as there has been surrounding True Detective's second season? That's what happens when you come out the box with a cast led by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson; expectations are going to be incredibly high. What we know is that both actors are out, and that Cary Fukunaga won't be directing, replaced by what is likely to be multiple filmmakers. We've also heard season two will follow “hard women, bad men and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system.” And while one of those "hard women" won't be Jessica Chastain as many hoped (including myself), writer/producer Nic Pizzolatto did drop some new details while on the To the Best Of Our Knowledge podcast.

Pizzolatto: “Right now, we’re working with three leads. It takes place in California. Not Los Angeles, but some of the lesser known venues of California and we’re going to try to capture a certain psychosphere ambience of the place, much like we did with season one.” 

He also reiterated that all of the characters will be new and that the entire season has been broken out with a couple of scripts in the can. While HBO hasn't officially renewed True Detective, we know it will be coming back because "time is a flat circle" or something.

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Woody Harrelson Plays a Detective in John Hillcoat's 'Triple Nine'

It's a little unfortunate that Woody Harrelson hasn't received the attention he deserved for HBO's True Detective, but make no mistake he was just as good as Matthew McConaughey. His role was less showy yet equally important, and as usual Harrelson threw himself into the complicated skin of Martin Hart like a champ. So how does he go about following something like that up? By playing another detective in John Hillcoat's increasingly awesome cast of Triple Nine.

Harrelson joins Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Teresa Palmer, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Winslet, and Michael Pena in the crime drama about a corrupt group of L.A. cops who attempt to cover up a major heist they are planning by shooting an honest rookie cop, causing a '999', police code for a downed officer.  When the cop foils the attack, their entire plan goes up in smoke. Harrelson will play a detective and uncle to Affleck's character. It's a reunion for Harrelson and Affleck after playing enemies in Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace last year.

Filming on Triple Nine begins this summer and I can't wait. [Deadline]

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Watch Rust and Laurie Break-Up in 'True Detective' Deleted Scene

There's going to be a gaping void in the lives of many a True Detective fan this Sunday when their favorite HBO show is nowhere to be found. The mysteries are solved; there will be no more of Rust Cohle's brooding aura and dark philosophies, no more of Martin's philandering. And while we wait to see what's in store for season two without director Cary Fukunaga  or stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, the best we can do is soak in every piece of never-before-seen footage HBO is willing to give.

And so they've released this deleted scene, taken from a "happier" time in Cohle's life. Well, it's actually the end of that supposed happiness, depicting his break-up from girlfriend Laurie, played by Elizabeth Reaser. Let's just say that Cohle is a tough guy to spend extended amounts of time with, and his bleak outlook on the future a major turn-off. Hopefully we'll get more of these over the next few months, at least until the show hits Blu-Ray.

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Season finale of 'True Detective' gets an utterly stress-inducing teaser

I am an insanely obsessed True Detective person, and I'm not ashamed! I read its Reddit page compulsively. I follow way too many Tumblrs that post gif after gif after gif of each episode. And next week, when this first season with Woody Harrelson and your new winner of the Best Actor Oscar Matthew "All right, all right, all right" McConaughey ends, I will be DESPONDENT. Because True Detective may be the best show on TV right now and I can't even imagine how season two could get any better.

If you're watching, you know all the plot threads that have to be tied up - the Yellow King, Carcosa, if Marty's (Harrelson's character) daughter Audrey had anything to do with those creepy men in terrifying animal masks - and you also know that last night's episode already revealed some major plot points we've been building up to for weeks. And, if you need to whet your appetite a bit more, check out the teaser below for the season finale. IS THAT RUST TIED UP ON THAT BED? WHAT IS GOING ON? I AM VERY STRESSED OUT

Join me in being stressed. Next Sunday on the PunchDrunkCritics podcast we'll discuss our theories about how the show is going to wrap up; be sure to listen in. Until then, I'll be over here working on my devil's nest.

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'True Detective' Director Cary Fukunaga Lines Up New Project at Fox

HBO's True Detective hasn't completed its 8-episode first season, and already the reaction to it has been some of the best the network has ever received. Part of the reason for the show's consistently dark atmosphere and complex characters is the presence of director Cary Fukunaga, who has been at the helm for every single episode. While he'll move into a producer capacity for season two (which may be led by female detectives, by the way), Fukunaga has just become attached to a major feature project being put together at Fox.

Deadline reports Fox have preemptively bought a pitch, costing somewhere in the mid six-figures, with plans for Fukunaga to direct and produce. Details are scarce but we know it will be penned by Nicole Riegel, and is set in a contemporary wartime context.

No word on where this would fit into Fukunaga's schedule. He's set to team up with Idris Elba for Beasts of No Burden, and was tapped by Dreamworks to helm another war film, Noble Assassin.

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Spooky 'True Detective' Mondo Posters, Plus get 'The King in Yellow' Free

I don't watch as much TV as I used to, but one show that quickly became appointment viewing for me is HBO's True Detective, by far the most compelling television on any network right now. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson at their most frazzled, with brooding direction by Cary Fuuanaga, there's nothing sunny about any episode and their likely never will be. In line with the creepy tone of the show, Mondo has released a handful of True Detective posters that have detectives Cohle and Hart deep in the woods. If sleeping isn't an issue and you want these hanging on your bedroom wall, they're available for order here.

For those who have been paying attention to the series, then you probably know that "The Yellow King" has been mentioned more than once, no doubt leading to millions hitting Wikipedia to look up the reference. It's taken from Robert W. Chambers' disturbing book, The King in Yellow, and it's available now for free on Amazon kindle by going here.  Thanks to our friends at Bleeding Cool for the heads up.

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Trailer for HBO Series 'True Detective' Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson

You've now got another reason to hang on to that HBO subscription for another year. Last night the first trailer for the new series True Detective was released, and it looks spectacular. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, with direction by Cary Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre), the series is described as an anthology with this first season following a pair of detectives whose lives are entwined during a 17-year manhunt for a Louisiana serial killer. The first 8 episodes will tell a complete story, one that covers the case from 1995 when the first murder occurs, to 2012 when the case is reopened. My first thought was how this could be the distinctive visual and character piece for Fukunaga in the way Top of the Lake was for Jane Campion. It's going to be a real treat to count on McConaughey and Harrelson on our TV screens every single week.

True Detective premieres on HBO this January.


True Detective - Official Trailer (HBO) [VO|HD720p] by Team Lyricis

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