Saturday, August 12, 2017

What I’m Watching: Ray Donovan (Season Premiere)


Ray Donovan: Season 5, Episode 1 “Abby” (B+)

As soon as this episode started, I thought I had missed something. I remembered that Abby was sick but I didn’t think that she had died. Ray’s had enough problems to deal with over the years, and for him to have lost the most important person in his life is a tough blow. In the past, we’ve seen him get really angry and lose his temper on a regular basis, and now he just doesn’t even seem present. Flashing back to him driving on Mulholland with Abby seemed to suggest that Ray might have been directly responsible for her death, but that wasn’t the case. At first I thought Bridget was putting on an act when she met Smitty, played by Graham Rogers, who’s much more tolerable already in just a few short scenes than he was on “Quantico,” but her sadness seems genuine, and there’s some big connection that he has to Abby. Connor is much more serious than ever before, and has decided that he doesn’t want Ray in his life. Bunchy is a terrible fit for an office job, especially one previously held by Avi, though he’s even worse at Teresa’s family business. Daryll, on the other hand, seems to be very comfortable in his new position. Terry was finally set for some happiness, but it seems that, like his brother, all of his misdeeds come back to haunt him. With everyone else out of sorts, Mickey is staying out of trouble for once, moving ahead with a passion project that could actually come to fruition. Susan Sarandon is sure to be a formidable addition to this season, and I look forward to seeing more of her character.

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