The Western Book of the Dead

In January 2014, Nic Pizzolatto signed a two-year contract extension with HBO, effectively renewing the series for two additional seasons.[1] Much like its predecessor, the season consists of eight episodes, all written by Pizzolatto.[2] In September 2014, Justin Lin joined the series to direct the first two episodes of the season.[3]

In June 2015, the episode's title was revealed as "The Western Book of the Dead" and it was announced that series creator Nic Pizzolatto had written the episode while Justin Lin had directed it. This was Pizzolatto's ninth writing credit, and Lin's first directing credit.[4] The title is based on a book of the same name by Alfred Schmielewski, who went by the name Yogi A.S. Narayana.[5]

In September 2014, Colin Farrell announced that he would join the series, while doing an interview with the Sunday World.[6] By the end of the month, Vince Vaughn joined the series.[7] In November 2014, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and Kelly Reilly were announced as the remaining main cast members.[8][9]

The episode was watched by 3.17 million viewers, earning a 1.4 in the 18-49 rating demographics on the Nielson ratings scale. This means that 1.4 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[10] This was a 10% decrease from the previous episode, which was watched by 3.52 million viewers with a 1.6 in the 18-49 demographics.[11] But it was a 36% increase from the previous season premiere, which was watched by 2.33 million viewers with a 1.0 in the 18-49 demographics.[12]

"The Western Book of the Dead" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74% approval rating for the episode, based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus states: "Strong performances by the season two True Detective cast make for a compelling hour of television, even when the story takes a little too long to get going."[13]

Roth Cornet of IGN gave the episode a "good" 7.5 out of 10 and wrote in her verdict, "By its very nature True Detective Season 2 is poised to be compared with its predecessor. It also cannot become the unexpected hit of the season... because we are expecting it. We're looking for it. Some would defy it to be as riveting as those first few episodes of Season 1. This is not the mesmerizing tale of two diametrically opposed men who become bound by blood and the search for honor, though. The debut episode of True Detective's second season is burdened by an overly complex plot and weakened by simplified character sketches. However, in total this is an engaging enough detective series that has the potential to become more so."[14]

Erik Adams of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B-" grade and wrote, "'The Western Book Of The Dead' excels at setting up a mystery but lacks for satisfying drama, if only because these characters aren't so interesting on their own."[15] Britt Hayes of Screen Crush wrote, "'The Western Book of the Dead' isn't an incredibly strong episode, but it is a rather solid introduction to the dark and grimy world of Season 2 — and it firmly establishes itself as independent from its predecessor in the process. To its credit, the premiere (and especially the last few moments) leave me wanting to know and see more."[16]

Alan Sepinwall of HitFix wrote, "This episode on a whole felt a lot more like a lot of other crime shows, albeit with a great cast and Pizzolatto's brand of dialogue."[17] Gwilym Mumford of The Guardian wrote, "For so much of this episode, the connective tissue between this quartet remains hidden, as if writer Nic Pizzolatto is happy just to wallow in the murk and misery of their circumstances."[18] Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the episode a "B-" grade and wrote, "'The Western Book of the Dead' is far from a perfect episode of television, but it also shouldn't scare off any viewers who didn't expect lightning to strike twice."[19]

Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "We have a three-headed narrative, pocked with vice and steeped in themes of sin, penance, and flailing redemption. This year's collection of characters and the storytelling don't capture my imagination the way Rust Cohle, Marty Hart, and the time-toggling, unreliable narrator yarn-spinning did last year. So we hope-watch, to borrow from Alan Sepinwall. May the season catch fire, or I'll be as sad as Colin Farrell's droopstache."[20] Aaron Riccio of Slant Magazine wrote, "As the camera zooms out at the close of 'The Western Book of the Dead', the three officers stand triangularly around the body and look at one another. It feels like an opportunity not just to be seen, but to change the way they're seen. It is, pretentious as it may seem, a chance to live anew."[21]

Kenny Herzog of Vulture gave the episode a 3 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "This True Detective introduces us to ostensible protagonists even further removed from their humanity than Rust Cohle or Marty Hart, with that much more work to do if there's a chance at redemption. It's a lot like casework."[22] Tony Sokol of Den of Geek gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "True Detective is art. Sure, this season is going to be a police procedural devoid of the mystical mayhem that made the debut an instant classic. But we are going to see procedures we don’t get on other shows. It's just deeper. It's a novel onscreen. You can almost hear the click of a keyboard as the camera fades take the place of commas and periods."[23]

Carissa Pavlica of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.3 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "We couldn't ask for a better cast of actors to embody the characters introduced in 'The Western Book of the Dead'. They are some of the very best of our generation. Whether they'll find the same simpatico rhythm that Rust Cohle and Marty Hart found by the end of Season 1 remains to be seen, but all of the elements are certainly within this group for magic to happen."[24] Shane Ryan of Paste gave the episode a 7.8 out of 10 and wrote, "Of course, the rawness of tone persists, and it makes 'The Western Book of the Dead' a compelling hour of television. I just hope that as we dig into this world, we move past the stylistic bag of tricks so expertly provided by director Justin Lin. At some point, we need to hit a foundation."[25]