Review And Recap: 'True Detective' Season 2, Episode 7 'Black Maps And Motel Rooms'

With “True Detective” wrapping up, there’s a possibility we might even miss this show. Yes, it’s easy to make fun of, but that’s just the thing: there’s some fun to be had, even if it’s at the show’s expense. You can’t say they didn’t try, and if it was a big swing and a miss, a big swing is  at least worth discussing. The penultimate episode, “Black Maps and Motel Rooms,” directed by veteran TV director Daniel Attias, was, in a way, one of the best of the season, but like many of the episodes, while it had its moments of real intrigue and suspense, it also drifted into odd noir fantasy-land where the characters in no way resemble or act like real people. If one thing is consistent, though, it’s the season’s nihilistic worldview, which truly comes into focus in this episode. 

Attias brings some interesting directorial choices to “Black Maps and Motel Rooms,” including intense close ups that drift just a bit too near for comfort, discerning the intense emotions, pain, and...