The Deuce Season 1 Episode 7: Au Reservoir Review

If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.

Synopsis: With police pushing their business off the streets, C.C., Larry, Rodney and other pimps worry about becoming obsolete. Candy eyes a different job on Harvey’s set as Lori struggles with the demands of porn acting. At her wit’s end, Ashley hangs out with Frankie and, later, washes up on Abby’s door. Bobby is smitten with an employee while dealing with shakedowns, flare-ups and a medical emergency. Frankie is tasked by Rudy to turn a peep-show concept into reality. Alston finds himself singled out by the 14th Precinct’s new captain, McDonagh. Abby asks Vincent to be her escort at her family’s lavish party. (HBO)

Writer: Megan Abbott

Director: James Franco

Rating: TV-MA

Running Time: 59mins

The pimps are starting to disappear. This episode started with C.C. dropping Ashley off at the parlor while taking Lori to another porn shoot. Ashley was fed up and decided that she was done with the parlor. Frankie ran into her at the Hi Hat and wasn’t dissuaded by the fact she was a whore. Paul invited him to a movie and a party with him and his boyfriend but he wanted to take Ashely with him. The movie ended up being an artsy gay film.

Frankie couldn’t take it anymore so he left. Paul’s boyfriend was an actor in the movie and they didn’t stay at the party for long. Ashley loved Frankie’s sheets but they were at a hotel. Frankie did not have a place to live as kept moving around. Vincent then asked Abby if she could shelter Ashley. Eventually, she decided that she didn’t want to go back to C.C. and to visit her sister in Buffalo.

Rudy had a meeting with his other mob partners. They discussed splitting the area amongst themselves. Rudy also shared his self-pleasure box ideas with the others who were okay with it. He tasked Frankie to help him make it a reality.

Allston and Washington were staking out the parlors and she seemed to be more interested than he was. He shared what he knew about it which felt like he believed that she could do more about it than he could. He took her to his appartment and his feelings for her came out. The 14th precinct also got a new captain named McDonagh (Ed Moran) who appeared to show interest in him. This interest was because he learned that to get the most insight, he should find a veteran black cop who was just enough on the outside.

At the parlor, a prostitute named Shay (Kim Director) passed out. Bobby also became close to one of the prostitutes. He payed her to just be with him instead of engaging other clients and the other prostitutes became jealous. Those who own the parlor have paid many groups for protection but it wasn’t enough as Detective Haddix showed up asking for a cut of his own seeing that he was now assigned to the public morals task force. He had a few other challenges with a pair of prostitutes trying to steal from a jon and Bernice breaking down. Darlene told her that she should go back home.

Abby was invited to a high-class party with her parents and did not want to go so she asked Vincent to go with her although she downplayed it. Her father was skeptical of their relationship but Vincent assured him otherwise.

Candy met with her first high-class jon. She did not look comfortable at all and neither was he after he was done with her. Later on, she helped Wasserman during a porn shoot. The scene was not going the way he wanted so she provided her input for which the actors seemed receptive to. She made sure they got food and dressed up the set a little better. Wasserman was curious about how she got into the business but she didn’t give much of an answer.

Reggie barged into the bar, asking Vincent to talk to Bobby about being compensated for Shay’s absence but Vincent insisted that he had nothing to do with the parlor. The other pimps wondered what to do with their time with their girls working at the parlors. Meanwhile, Reggie pulled one of his girls while she was at the dinner so she could make up for Shay. The owner of the dinner finally had enough with Reggie’s behavior and shot him.

Overall, this was another great episode where the show finally became what it was supposed to be. All the stories were compelling, including Frankie who hadn’t gotten much focus, Candy as always, Bobby, and Ashley. One pimp is gone so it’s only a matter of time until they become irrelevant. With only 1 episode left this season, it will be interesting to see how it ends.

Score: 9/10

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.