Every Main Character From True Detective Ranked From Worst To Best
7. Ray Velcoro - Season 2
Leading the second season (in terms of a high-profile name at least) was Colin Farrell, and from the moment we got a first glimpse of him, an idea of what kind of character he would be was formed.
He's a bent cop in a police station filled with cops even more bent than him, he's an alcoholic and drug addict, he's got a tragic past, but he's a damn fine cop when he needs to be. Are we sure Ray's middle name isn't Noir?
Coming off the heels of season one, Ray operates as a Diet-Rusty Cohle; spouting cynical wisdom about the world, but instead of standing by his convictions with a philosophical tone, Ray carries himself as a drunk who claims to have seen too much.
The positives of Ray are that he is a well-structured character; his personal life involving his ex-wife and (later 100% confirmed) son make for interesting breaks between the investigation. And we get a sense that Ray is a genuinely good man who fell into a hole and never found a way to climb out.
His tragic ending lets him down though; not only was it anti-climactic, but at the hands of a nameless forgotten character no less.