Is it really the end for Detective Ray Velcoro?

Colin Farrell's character in HBO's "True Detective" season 2 was shot twice and left for dead by a masked man during the final moments of episode 2 titled "Night Finds You." The culprit was hiding inside the place where murder victim Ben Caspere reportedly looked for underage prostitutes.  But is the cop really dead? 

Based on the episode synopsis for the third episode titled "Maybe Tomorrow," Velcoro seemed to have ignored death's call. The synopsis reads:

Ani (Rachel McAdams) lets Ray know she's in charge after he goes rogue on the investigation, even though he stumbles on crucial evidence that takes the case in a new direction. Meanwhile, Frank (Vince Vaughn) meets with his former associates in the criminal underworld, but they make it clear they're not taking orders from him anymore; and Paul (Taylor Kitsch) hits the streets to see if Caspere's face rings a bell."

This proves that the crooked Vinci Police Department detective will survive the shot, but Ani will be leading Caspere's murder investigation from then on since his mischievous behavior endangered his life in the first place. However, it seems that the case will turn personal for the gutsy detective from Ventura County Sheriff's Office, as the investigation reminds her of her tumultuous past. 

Fans will also get to see more of Kitsch in the upcoming episode, since the California Highway Patrol officer is noticeably silent in episode 2. This time, Woodrugh will join Ani as they question the Vinci mayor's wife. He will also have a brief moment with Semyon when the two bump into each other in a bar. Based on the trailer for the episode, Woodrugh and Semyon's bar encounter will not be very friendly. 

"True Detective" season 2 episode 3 will air on Sunday, July 5, on HBO.