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If there’s one thing Season Two of True Detective loves above all else, it’s requiring audiences to listen to ludicrous dialogue delivered by Frank Semyon, the season’s least-interesting character portrayed by its weakest actor, Vince Vaughn.

One of Frank’s miscellaneous tough guys, Stan, was killed a few episodes back. Frank literally hasn’t shut up about it since.

This is, of course, despite the fact that absolutely nobody watching the show had any idea who Stan was prior to his death. And quite frankly, four episodes later, that hasn’t changed. But that doesn’t stop True Detective from referencing him constantly, or employing an entire scene in episode six “Church in Ruins” where Frank offers consolation money to Stan’s late wife, and a heartfelt speech about the majesty of the human spirit to Stan’s son. Because there’s nothing like watching a brooding monologue given by a gangster to a child about a tertiary character we hardly knew existed.

So who is this Stan guy anyway?

Stan had exactly two scenes on camera before he wound up on his back. First was the flashback to the time Frank supplied Velcoro with the supposed identity of his wife’s rapist. He’s just standing there, in the background, not doing anything.

The second was that time in episode two where Stan pepper sprayed a guy under a bridge so Frank could intimidate him. See this article’s header for that shot.

What? You forgot about that scene? You and everyone else. In this convoluted mess of a narrative, there’s absolutely no reason for that moment to have stood out, or for anyone to remember (or even learn) Stan’s name.

Those two scenes are 100% of the things Stan did on the show.

Why is True Detective (Season Two) putting so much time into this guy when he couldn’t be less important? He’s a nobody. He’s irrelevant. The only logical reason stems from the relationship we’re supposed to assume he and Frank had - meaning, one that lasted a while. If he was in the room way back when Frank first met Velcoro, then Stan had been a member of Frank’s goon squad for quite some time. His death would therefore mean something to Frank, even if it doesn’t mean anything to us.

But we’re the ones watching the show. Sitting through scenes dedicated to this guy’s surviving family members, and listening to Frank mourn him with lines like “he deserved better,” feels like a waste of time.

Maybe Stan’s character will have some larger payoff as the narrative plays out. But given the history of this season, probably not.

Frank may think Stan deserves better. In reality, the audience does.