"I welcome judgement" says Colin Farrell's Ray Velcoro, as he nonchalantly tosses a few wads of bribe-money onto the desk before him. It's a good job he's so cooperative, because there's a hell of a lot of judging to be done in the aftermath of True Detective's Season 2 premiere. An intensely dark introduction to the corrupt world of Vinci, California, Episode 1 subjects viewers to a string of morally reprehensible incidents, many perpetrated by those on the right side of the law. Racing out of the blocks at a much faster pace than Season 1, the episode (forebodingly entitled The Western Book Of The Dead) introduces us to a handful of main characters, fleshing out their ethically murky backstories in preparation for an inevitably shocking investigation. Each of the four major players has a reason to be invested in the murder of Ben Caspar. Ray Velcoro and Ani Bezzerides work for the city police force and sheriff's department respectively, while Paul Woodrugh is the motorcycle cop who found the body. Frank Semyon, meanwhile, is a shady criminal-businessman with big plans - plans which required Caspar's legitimacy as City Manager to come to fruition. None of them are straightforward or trustworthy, with unsettling secrets and past events revealed almost from the very beginning. If this first episode is anything to go by, True Detective Season 2 is set to be a disturbing and difficult watch - not that loyal fans of the series would have it any other way. Here are ten of the most shocking moments from Episode 1, and the potential impact each may have on the overall storyline.
