And the Newest 'TD' Star Could Be... Another Guy

He may be behind one of the most exciting and innovative TV shows around, but when it comes to keeping his promises, True Detective showrunner Nic Pizzolatto could use a bit of work. Nearly a month ago, Pizzolatto and HBO announced that the show's season 2 leads would be announced within the week, but ever since? Radio silence. Thankfully, fans haven't had to sit totally in the dark during the wait, as new rumors about possible casting choices for True Detective's second season have sprung up practically every week. There was Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, and, now, the newest possibility seems to be Vince Vaughn, who TVLine reported on Monday is currently in talks to play a lead in the series' season 2.

Depending on how big a fan of Wedding Crashers you are, this news might either be fantastic or uninspired. Personally, I'm in the latter camp; while I don't dislike Vaughn, I'm not sure he has the appeal and talent to lead a TV drama, especially one as intimate as True Detective. To be fair, though, HBO could've named any actor as a possible lead and I would've been disappointed, because despite the hopes that the series' second season would fix its female problem and star at least one woman, none of the people rumored to be taking on a leading role so far have been, well, women.

While the network has never said explicitly that True Detective's new season would feature a female lead, it was implied after the show's first year elicited outcry from viewers for its poor, infrequent depiction of women. Then, in May, a fantastic rumor that Jessica Chastain would take on a role began circulating, but it was shot down by the actress just as quickly as it started. Still, there was hope that one or two actresses would end up with leading roles, considering that season 2 has been said to star three people, and it'd be a hugely unpopular move if HBO didn't fill at least one of those spots with a woman.

Yet since Chastain, none of the potential True Detective season 2 stars have been female, and it's getting me a little worried. While I still have faith that the network will cast a woman as a lead, if only because of the PR trouble it'll likely have if it doesn't, it's troublesome that so far, no actresses have been said to be in the running. And with (hopefully) so little time left until an official announcement is made, it's natural to wonder: has True Detective forgotten about the women?

Like I said, I doubt it, and I expect when the real casting is finally announced, at least one actress will be on the list. Still, there is a chance that it won't happen, and that season 2 of True Detective will look a lot like the year before: frustratingly all-male and cringeworthy when it comes to the portrayal of its female characters. Here's hoping that's not the case, because when a show as popular and acclaimed as True Detective has the chance to make things right by half the population, it'd be a real shame if it let that opportunity slide right by.

Image: HBO