Ray Donovan - Season 1 E...
The pilot episode broke viewership records, becoming the biggest premiere of all time on Showtime.[4] In February 2020, the series was cancelled after seven seasons. The show's storyline concluded with the feature-length Ray Donovan: The Movie, which premiered on January 14, 2022, on Showtime.[5][6][7]
Ray Donovan - Season 1 E...
The series was cancelled without any advance warning, leaving fans and showrunner, David Hollander, in shock. Season 8 was supposed to have been the final season, and Hollander already had a plan in place creatively for the story.[13][14]
The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 10, 2014.[23] The second season was released on both media on May 26, 2015, and the third season released on December 29, 2015. Further seasons were released only on DVD. The fourth season saw a release on December 27, 2016, the fifth season on January 30, 2018, the sixth season came out on April 9, 2019, and the seventh season on May 5, 2020.[24]
Ray Donovan has received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season a rating of 77% based on reviews from 43 critics, with the site's consensus stating: "Ray Donovan moves quickly between genres and tones, with Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight's performances making the whiplash worth it".[26] Metacritic gives the first season a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".[27]
On February 4, 2020, Showtime cancelled the series after seven seasons.[2] However, on February 24, 2021, the network announced a feature-length film to conclude the storyline, set to premiere in 2022.[3] During the course of the series, 82 episodes of Ray Donovan aired over seven seasons, between June 30, 2013, and January 19, 2020.
"Bucky Fuckin' Dent" is the penultimate episode of this first season, and while it wasn't as explosive with action as some series might choose to be, it was emotionally explosive. Finally, here was the priest who not only abused Bunchy, but also attempted to rape Terry and -- we learn late in the episode -- also abused Ray. Now Ray's complex hatred of his father becomes clearer. Had Mickey been more in the picture, would the boys have relied so much on Father Danny's affections? Regardless, it should have been Mickey would protected them. Since it wasn't, Ray personally felt the burden for Bunchy being abused -- that he, Ray, should have been there to protect him, and that he failed also because he knew with Father Danny was up to.
This is a new Ray, one who is not fixing things very well at all. Mickey is not working with the FBI anymore, but nobody knows that fact. Ray is being pinned with Van's murder, Sean Walker is dead, Sully is on the loose and the fixer business has been put on hold (where has Lee been the past few weeks?) Early in the season I said that Ray Donovan would need to choose between work and family, just as Ray himself must, and the choice has been clear for a long time. WIth the Donovans, family is always first. Where that leads us for the finale and regarding the other loose ends remains to be seen.
There were many mind games this week, but so far, no winners. Ray is at a crossroads as everything begins spiraling out of control. But since we're only halfway through the season, the pieces should start to come together soon for Ray to mount his comeback (and not destroy everything around him in his confusion and rage).
"The Golem" hit heavy on consequences, a theme that has been coursing through the season, but was overtly mentioned last week by the woman Ray was spying on as leverage in her divorce battle. "Do you think about what you do?" is a question that has begun to chip away at Ray, just as his father has come back into town to dredge up more of his past misdeeds. Meanwhile, Ezra, a father-figure to Ray, is leaving him. His mental deterioration has left Ray without a guide or mentor, and as his life begins to fall apart around him, Abby steps from out of the shadows to ask him, point blank, "who the fuck are you?" Hit the jump for more on this and why everyone listens to the same radio station in L.A.
The episode focused heavily on Ray seeking out Sully (James Woods), the FBI's number one most wanted, and the only man Ray can get to kill his father. His trip to Boston was not a triumphant one -- the scars of that city weigh heavily on Ray, as he searches for answers about his sister's suicide. Another layer was added to the Ray's Boston backstory with Abby mentioning that Mickey killed Ray's girlfriend Colleen (Sullivan?), the murder he really wanted to put Mickey away for. Ray also blames Mickey for Bridget's death, but can't pin that on him so cleanly (the same goes for Ray's belief that Mickey was somehow responsible for Bunchy's woes as well). The evidence continues to mount against Mickey, and one can't help but think this season might see the end of him.
For now, Mickey looks to be ok. His relationship with Van will probably help save him, and it could easily be the kind of scenario where, by the end of the season, its Mickey who escapes and Sully who ends up dead or in prison. In the meantime, the cat and mouse game is getting more and more complex.
A few of you commented last week about how Mickey is the soul of the show, and I absolutely agree. While the first half of this season setup a scenario where Ray might kill his father, the back half of the season has set up some possibilities for reconciliation (or at least, a setting down of arms). Ray discovered that Mickey was not responsible for some of the things he thought he was, and Mickey is realizing some of his fatherly failings and why, to some degree, Ray feels the way he does. Ultimately though, both are united by family. Mickey sees how much Ray means and has meant to Terry and Bunchy, and he wants to stay close with his grandchildren. Ray, too, has seen how much Mickey is needed in his brothers' lives, and in the lives of his own children.
"Ray Donovan: Season Three": The reason film actors are willing to make the move to television is because of shows like this series. Liev Schreiber has taken a break from films to play the Boston native who makes the problems of celebrities, superstar athletes and business moguls disappear. In this third season, Donovan must face the harsh reality that his actions have consequences.The power and command that Schreiber brings to the character, whether it be at the major highs or lows, is the central strength of the series. And he's not alone. Along with the work of regulars such as Jon Voight, the series features first-rate guest stars, including Katie Holmes ("Dawson's Creek"), Ian McShane ("Deadwood") and Wendell Pierce ("The Wire").
"Shameless: The Complete Fifth Season": This other Showtime series is another superb reason Oscar-nominated actors such as William H. Macy will work on TV. Macy's Frank Gallagher is an alcoholic father of six close-knit and street-smart kids who will do whatever it takes to survive and stay together. Macy breathes life into the character every week. In season five, along with all their other problems, the Gallaghers are dealing with the stifling heat of a Chicago summer, Fiona (Emmy Rossum) juggles a crush on her new boss (Dermot Mulroney) with a new husband (Steve Kazee) and the return of her old boyfriend (Justin Chatwin). Frank (Macy) balances his brand new liver against that old healthy appetite for liquor, drugs and trouble. There have been no TV families as weirdly interesting as the Gallaghers. The DVD features all 12 episodes plus bonus content, including two featurettes and deleted scenes.
American crime drama series, Ray Donovan, aired its final episode in January of 2020, with the announcement of the series' cancellation following shortly after, in February of 2020. The season seven finale left off on a major cliffhanger, expecting to be resolved in the eighth season, but with the cancellation of the series, the story of Ray Donovan was left unanswered. In February 2021, Showtime announced Ray Donovan: The Movie, which made its debut on January 14, 2022, serving as the wrap-up to the story.
There are many engaging and action-packed episodes in the seven seasons of Ray Donovan, following Ray as he takes on numerous high stakes jobs, navigates his family life with his wife and two kids, and sorts through his complicated past with his father. While all 82 episodes received relatively high ratings from fans, there are certain episodes that ranked higher than others.
This episode is the highest-ranked in season five due to its raw and overwhelming emotion. It deals with real-life issues and hits home for many people, making the elicited response a genuine one. With the episodes preceding it being slow-paced and jam-packed with exposition, the heart-wrenching emotion and the exceptional acting by Liev Schreiber pushed this episode to the top of the ranks for season five.
While not the highest-ranked in season 3, this episode was overall very well received. It showed just how far Ray would go for his family. The juxtaposition of a seemingly dark and ruthless character and the love he has for his family is enticing and creates even more depth to Ray's character, and Liev Schreiber portrays both sides of Ray Donovan flawlessly.
This episode brings a seemingly unimportant subplot to the spotlight in an incredibly heartbreaking and unexpected way. The tension, the high-stakes emotion, and the dark plot twist "Sunny" takes is the reason this episode is ranked as one of the best, while still only being the third highest ranked in season two.
This episode further explores the lengths to which Ray will go to protect his family. The previous episodes in season six build up to the events of this episode, letting the tension finally spill over and create the intensity that leads it to be one of the highest-ranked episodes in the sixth season. The acting in the episode is all-around excellent, conveying the love, betrayal, and anger it explores. 041b061a72