Ray Donovan [US Pace]
OGB
Posts: 9,229 Forum Member
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No threads on DS (whaaattt?) - I feel like I'm the only person watching this! 
I don't think I've done a great job of selling it to friends. It starts off as a drama chronicling the life of a 'fixer' - high rollers have a problem they need to disappear, Ray spins it away. After that, it gets, well, slightly more... murky...
I binged the first few episodes which led to the first 2 seasons. I am literally (Trademark Chris Traeger ;-)) exhausted after every episode, scene after scene of dark (and to be fair - predictable) foreshadowing where you dread the eventual payoff.
The light relief is usually unintentional - this show is a guidebook of how not to parent!
Jon Voight is amazing (and annoying as hell) as toxic 'patriarch' Mickey. He makes me sooo angry as he careens through life leaving unimaginable turmoil and destruction in his wake, with barely a shrug of the shoulders or eyebrow raised at the collateral damage.
Francis is the incredibly annoying, shrill, ungrateful, Mrs Donovan, steeped in deep denial when it suits her yet, very aware and machiavellian when needs must. She wanted the 'bad boy', got him and then spent the rest of her life justifying her choices. Did I mention the poor parenting thing?
Avi, Bunchy (!), Terry. Look, we're up to S3 E7 (Sky Atlantic if you're in the UK) - All Must Be Loved. Get on it! So much drama (literally) it'll make your life look freaking awesome!
Now, is there ANYBODY out there?
I don't think I've done a great job of selling it to friends. It starts off as a drama chronicling the life of a 'fixer' - high rollers have a problem they need to disappear, Ray spins it away. After that, it gets, well, slightly more... murky...
I binged the first few episodes which led to the first 2 seasons. I am literally (Trademark Chris Traeger ;-)) exhausted after every episode, scene after scene of dark (and to be fair - predictable) foreshadowing where you dread the eventual payoff.
The light relief is usually unintentional - this show is a guidebook of how not to parent!
Jon Voight is amazing (and annoying as hell) as toxic 'patriarch' Mickey. He makes me sooo angry as he careens through life leaving unimaginable turmoil and destruction in his wake, with barely a shrug of the shoulders or eyebrow raised at the collateral damage.
Francis is the incredibly annoying, shrill, ungrateful, Mrs Donovan, steeped in deep denial when it suits her yet, very aware and machiavellian when needs must. She wanted the 'bad boy', got him and then spent the rest of her life justifying her choices. Did I mention the poor parenting thing?
Avi, Bunchy (!), Terry. Look, we're up to S3 E7 (Sky Atlantic if you're in the UK) - All Must Be Loved. Get on it! So much drama (literally) it'll make your life look freaking awesome!
Now, is there ANYBODY out there?
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Comments
Personally I think the third series has been fantastic so far, just love all the different plots and the new cast additions. Was great watching Ian McShane back in Al Swearengen mode a couple of episodes ago!
I threw up a thread yesterday about the lack of discussion and threads on Ray Donovan. This series is an absolute 10/10!...In particular this season with Ian McShane absolutely nailing it with his acting!
Ray D is a very complex character, and this makes compelling viewing.
If you ain't seen this yet, watch it!!!!
Came to the conclusion that apart from Jon Voight there wasn't a single character in the show I cared a jot a about.
I was so so about season 1. Season 2 was much better. But Season 3 is dynamite. The characters are far more developed and the show as a whole is way darker. Ian Mc Shane is excellent to watch. He's very much playing a US version of the character he played in Sexy Beast.
I watched it last night and I know Mickeys a bad'un but he has tried to turn good and look after his sons and it aways back fires on him. Was expecting the romanians or someone to burst into the wedding firing at everyone but thankfully it didn't happen.
Great to see the old team back together....Avi & Lena, back with Ray, for the Poker incident....you just didn't know who they were digging the hole for.
Bridget & the Teacher.....trouble.
And as ever, Jon Voight steals the show.:cool:
He did, he was amazing. When he was suited and booted sat with the gun and had cleaned himself up he looked genuinely menacing and then when asking Ray for help at the end completely vulnerable, great actor.
Anyway, my musings
Terry experiencing a nightmare and wetting the bed - Francis showing him a level of compassion which saved him from further humiliation. Nice interaction. Oh and Ray noticed appreciatively.
Bridget and her teacher- urghhh. Can the scriptwriters recognise how thankful we all were when they consigned the slightly less irritating Connor to the background and do the same for this contrived brat. Seriously, we don't care for her at.all.
Teresa. Sigh. I fear she's not long for this show. I'm not invested or investing so that's all I'll say on that one. I'm saving my emotion for Bunchey, as he deals with the devastating fall-out of whatever happens between now and the start of S4. I hope I'm wrong, but unless she's around in S4 E1, she's dead to me already.
Mickey has used up all of his free passes with me so I was quite happy when Ray offered up suicide as a solution to the hot mess he's balls deep in with the Armenian mafia. My sympathy tank is on zero. Jon Voight is superb.
Terry dancing in the aisles of the supermarket after Francis dug deep and told the tactless old lady that abused him what she should do and what she was! Another nice scene between those two but I had already started to feel slightly... unsettled?
Francis telling Terry he looked hot after doing up his cufflinks prior to the wedding. Yeah, I was now officially on high alert.
Francis dancing with Terry at the wedding reception, head thrown back, laughing with gay abandon. Ray noticed. I saw a touch of pride and a touch of the uncomfortableness I've been feeling since the exchange between those two in E8, when Terry said 'You've got Ray' and Francis said 'You know I don't, none of us have' or words to that effect.
I don't want to see Francis make a pass at Terry to get back at Ray when she finds out he's done the dirty on her (again!) with our Katie Holmes. I don't want to see those two together regardless of the permutation or reason. Revenge, sympathy, solace, whatever! Please don't make this happen. (They've been throwing up big warning signs for a while which are now going off like air raid sirens, so yes, I know, but I'm still going to hate it when it actually happens).
Cochron popped up again and in a cruel or justifiable twist of fate, got handed a case which could bring down his former nemesis. Uh oh.
When Ray walked out of the church before the wedding, barely noticing the gaggle of bridesmaids on their way in, as he stood there, processing how much shit Mickey was in and figuring out how to find him and get Bunchy out of jail, I felt his pain. One mother effing thing after another, each worse than the last, Mickey at the root of most of them.
I love this show.
I am also loving this show, I think it's totally underrated. Jon Voight is amazing, as is Leiv.
I am finding Finny very unlikable and rather sneaky. I get the impression he will come to a nasty end at the end of this season - probably after pushing Ray out of the NFL deal.
Ray's wife is on course to have an affair with his brother. Chochran is on course also to meet a nasty end.
I totally meant Abby!
E10 was another doozy.
Daryl - I should make allowances for his father-free childhood, but he deserves everything he gets as a reward for his continuing dumb blind stupid following of the car wreck that is Mickey. I mean really...
Connor popped up and wasn't too irritating. I love the way no one thought it was inappropriate that he was playing Assasins Creed, but given what the family dynamic, it's probably the most childlike thing he encounters on a daily basis.
Bridget is always irritating.
Ray got Mickey out of the Armenian Mafia problem with a little throw back to a previous client who he rescued from a moment of indiscretion using a public restroom glory hole and a genocide flavoured pop tune. Cute. His power of attorney over Mickey freed him up from his human trafficking snitching duties and was inspired, as it meant he could, once again, tell him to get out of town. Never going to happen.
Anything concerning Terry and Abbie makes me feel really nauseous. (Why on earth do I want to call her Francis all the time
Avi! Oh shit. Cochron is onto him and Ray in a big way. Finney pissed me right off when he chose not to tell Ray that there was serious evidence of foul play against the crew in the murder he asked them to cover up for him. Cochron finessed his way into Avi's storage locker, took photos of everything and then won the secret game of Cluedo no one knew he was playing, setting up a calamitous last couple of episodes for Ray and co. Yep, it was Finney, in the drawing room with the poker.
I wonder if that dick pic Avi took will help after all. Leverage or not, you mean to tell me, he couldn't use a more secure storage facility? Ray should have words with him about that, during the highly likely conversation about what deal they're going to have to make to prevent him doing the rest of his natural in a supermax. Sigh.
Paige turning up at Casa Donovan's was such a no-no. The news was big, but cell phones are still a thing right? I blame her for making me think about Abbie and Terry again. A bigger dick move than Avi's dick pic. Yick!
I only realised Bunchy (on his honeymoon?) didn't make an appearance when the credits were rolling.
The only people in this show who haven't witnessed, been a co-conspirator in or have actually comitted a murder are Paige and Connor. 2 episodes to go so there's still time.
Why not use the spoiler alert, and so soon after it has aired!?