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TV: True Detective S. 3 ep. 1-4

I am quite enjoying it so far. Acting and tone are great and a number of good scenes (almost always between Ali and Dorff). The biggest problems are plotting and structural. The show feels much less disciplined than season 1. At first, I thought this was good -- in episode 1 & 2 -- it felt like the creators were looser and easier, but when episode 3 suddenly introduces Stephen Dorff's character doing interviews in new timelines and to get into the obligatory episode 4's action sequence requires jumping over to a non-principal character POV, I realized the storytelling this season lacks focus and discipline. One of the greatest aspects of season 1 was the tight POV, only telling the story through the two detectives, but season 3 has completely strayed from this conceit.

The three timelines was a good idea (although it's the exact same thing The Missing did), and the layers of mystery started nicely but we're getting about as much plot in 4 hours than the average Law and Order episode accomplishes in 30 minutes. The show will test your patience. I heard a (non-movie) podcaster say Season 3 show was like watching paint dry.

My predictions:
-I will finish the season
-My favorite parts will continue to be scenes in the car between Dorff and Ali.
-One could cut all the relationship stuff between Ali and his wife and we would not miss it at all
-Ali's son will be found to be sleeping with the documentary filmmaker
-We will get no significant insight into the powers truly behind the sex crime, etc and the end of the season will be slightly dissatisfying.