Removed from the Louisiana bayou of the first season, the second season is set in the fictional industrial city of Vinci, California. Also gone is the duo of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, this time replaced by four main characters once again assigned to solve a prominent murder.

The most noticeable change from the first season is in the storytelling. While the first season started with the actions of the characters before revealing their motives, this season takes the opposite approach. The first four episodes of the eight-episode season are devoted to exploring the lives and motivations of each of the characters. Only then is any headway made in the mystery. While this would seem needlessly slow for a television series, the radically different storytelling pays off immensely once halfway into the season.

What really make the story work, though, are the powerful performances from the leads. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch all play troubled cops who must grapple with their own personal demons before they can solve the murder. While all of the other leads are obviously engaging in their roles, the real surprise comes from Vince Vaughn, who plays a mob boss that is assisting the detectives for his own motives. While Vaughn is known for his brash comedies, he gives a measured and keenly sad performance that steals the show from the other leads.

While the second season doesn’t have the linear momentum or neo-noir undertones of the first season, it does maintain a grittiness that is truly captivating. Though the show made a risky move in abandoning the winning formula of the first season, the payoff is even greater than before.