Can 'True Detective' Season 2 Make Up For Season 1's Disappointing Ending? [POLL]

The wait is nearly over for the return of “True Detective.” Season 2 of the HBO mystery anthology series, starring Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn and Rachel McAdams, premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT. Unfortunately, many fans are still waiting for answers to many questions the finale of the much-hyped first season did not address. Due to the show’s format, Season 2 will be a new story and likely not touch on those unanswered questions. Can Season 2 make up for Season 1’s disappointing ending?

Season 1 of “True Detective” became a cultural phenomenon, unfolding an elaborate, borderline supernatural, murder mystery and corruption conspiracy that had viewers camping out on the internet to debate and investigate theories about the story’s enigmatic questions. So, when writer Nic Pizzolato and HBO opted for a simpler, more character driven ending – featuring a one-on-one manhunt between Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle and bad guy Erroll Childress (Glenn Fleshler) and a sentimental closing scene where Cohle seemed to find some hard earned peace –fans were a little underwhelmed.

The series left many of the season’s biggest questions unanswered. Viewers never knew for sure if Erroll’s actions were part of a greater conspiracy involving the Yellow King cult and a pedophile ring, let alone what exactly the deal was with the Yellow King and Carcosa. Fans never learned if Marty’s (Woody Harrelson) daughter Audrey (Erin Moriarty) was connected to the Yellow King cult, after many subtle hints indicated a link. Furthermore, many of the signature imagery that played so well into fans’ sprawling theories – the “devil’s nest” sketches, the reoccurrence of many paintings and images – were never explained.

Some critics and fans appreciated the show’s poetic conclusion and the ending it gave its characters, but for most, the finale was a let down. For a show that dedicated so much time to constructing such an intricate mystery, the last episode seemed to ignore fans who had invested so much time in solving the show’s riddles. Those viewers will be hoping Season 2 will redeem the show’s first chapter.

Season 2 will move to Los Angeles and center on Ray Velcoro (Colin Farrell), a Los Angeles detective caught between a rock and hard place with a corrupt police department and a mob boss with leverage over him. Meanwhile, Frank Semyon (Vince Vaughn), a career criminal and savvy businessman, is hindered in his attempts to legitimize his business when his former partner turns up dead. Joining the pair in the conspiracy-laced murder investigation is Ani Bezzerides (Rachel McAdams), a detective with few friends thanks to her uncompromising ethics, and Paul Woodrugh (Taylor Kitsch), the highway patrolman who finds the body.

Reviews for Season 2 are mixed. The new story could do a better job of tying up loose ends and answering the questions it poses to those watching, but it also might end up being a less engaging mystery for its viewers.

Watch the trailer for Season 2 below: