Season 2 shed a lot of light on why it’s so difficult to write TV like you write novels. Nic Pizzolatto spent years writing the first season, and released it to an audience with zero expectations. Then HBO says, “Here’s a ton of money, do it again. You have 6 months.” Not only is it difficult to strike gold again with a great idea, but it’s nearly impossible to narrow down the scope of any story with such little time. Season two had many issues, but for me, it just didn’t feel organic. None of the characters felt real, so neither did the story.

I like Season three for the characters, but the story doesn’t end where I hoped it would.