Now, take HBO’s other male-driven show that has everyone talking. The second season of “True Detective” is also four episodes deep and the mystery wrapped in an enigma is unraveling ever so slowly.
What does every male character have in common in this show? The three main characters, played by Taylor Kitch, Colin Ferrell and a very miscast Vince Vaughn, are all brooding, unhappy SOBs who just want their fair shake.
These are guys who can take a punch (or a shotgun blast), dole out a brutal physical beating and intimidate the heck out of whoever is standing opposite. Do I want this? Yes. Yes, I want to be able to walk around rightly thinking, “I could kick that guy’s ass,” no matter who walked by.
Once again, though, I’m not supposed to want what I think I want. The price for being a badass in “True Detective” is alcoholism, broken relationships and daddy issues galore.
In both of these shows, every positive ying in a character is accompanied by a negative yang that hangs like a noose from a teetering anvil.
So, if we’re to believe HBO, is the current male stasis one of general discontentment? If so, I think I’ll just go hunt for some more scallops. Because that was pretty freakin’ awesome.
