True Detective Season 2 Episode 2 With Spoilers: Night Finds You

The second episode of True Detective‘s season two, “Night Finds You,” begins with Frank (Vince Vaughn) struggling to sleep. He reveals a gruesome story to his wife, retelling a time when his drunken father locked him in a basement for about five days, eventually in the dark with the rats, adding that he sometimes wonders if he died in that basement.

With Caspere’s body recovered, the different police forces in charge argue over who truly has control of the case, but the state takes charge – naming Paul (Taylor Kitsch) their special detail leader. Paul is to investigate the Caspere case publicly, while investigated the corrupt Vinci PD secretly all the while.

Additionally, Ani (Rachel McAdams) is the primary commander of detail on the case, with Ray working as her secondary. The Attorney General’s office is concerned about “obfuscation on the part of Vinci PD,” and considers Caspere’s death an opportunitiy to learn more. Of course, Ray is simply instructed to keep as much Vinci PD info quiet as possible

Paul, Ani, and Ray learn that Caspere was tortured before his death, and his body was hung upside down. There were no prints or clues found on the body.

Ani and Ray begin to investigate the case together, clearly operating under different styles. They operate around Caspere’s upcoming events calendar, to find people to interview. The duo ultimately meets up with Paul, and they realize that Caspere was regularly withdrawing $4,000 from his bank account for an undetermined purpose.

Later, Ani and Ray meet with Caspere’s psychiatrist, who admits that Caspere regularly picked up young hookers, which put him in a cycle of self-loathing. The doctor recognizes Ani, from when she was young and lived with her father still. She tells him that all of her other siblings are either in jail or committed suicide.

Now that Caspere is gone, Frank’s business deal is completely shot – putting him out of $5 million – the last of his money. He vows to get everything back. Later in the episode, two cars get in a fender bender. An unintroduced man gets out of the front car, only to be beaten down by the guys behind him, who quickly drive away. Frank approaches the beaten man from across the street and pesters him – clearly involved with the crime.

At some point during the day, Ray plans to meet with his son, only to find his ex-wife – who’s learned about Ray’s handling of the boy’s school bully. She’s petitioning for sole custody of their son. He threatens to burn the whole city down to stop her, and she retorts with a threat of a paternity test.

That night, Ray suggests that Caspere probably got in trouble with a pimp, but Ani thinks there must be more to the story. They talk a bit about their lives – Ray discussing his reputation and Ani briefly mentioning her father – and they both slightly acknowledge that the entire investigation is pretty clearly rigged, while still keeping details close to their chests.

Elsewhere, Paul’s girlfriend learns about the extortion scandal and is more angry at Paul for not telling her than for the scandal itself. The news article she read about Paul brings up his classified, dangerous, military path – which he refuses to discuss. She realizes that he will always be broken and tells him not to ever return when he’s done with his investigation.

All the while, Frank meets with the owner of an upscale strip club, asking if any of his girls might know about Caspere. One of them remembers him and even details a small, Hollywood home where Caspere would take his girls. She admits that Caspere never did anything particularly weird or violent.

Frank meets Ray at the bar from the previous episode and suggests that Ray check out the Hollywood residences. Ray admits that he may “have no reason for any of this anymore,” and when Frank points out that his only alternative is jail, Ray responds that everyone always has that “one way out.” Frank leaves Ray some money, demanding that he quit the suicide-talk.

The episode ends when Ray investigates Caspere’s Hollywood home. He opens the door to find loud music playing, an overflowing kitchen sink, and a huge pool of blood. He creeps around for a bit, before being shot by an unknown character. Ray falls to the ground, and the assailant shoots him again in the torso.