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- SHOWTIME
- Jun 18, 2013
- SHOWTIME
- Jun 18, 2013
Summary The problems and possible scandals of the rich and famous disappear when they hire private detective Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber). However, the return of his ex-convict father (Jon Voight) brings unresolved issues Ray may not be able to fix.
Created By: Ann Biderman
- SHOWTIME
- Jun 18, 2013
- SHOWTIME
- Jun 18, 2013
Summary The problems and possible scandals of the rich and famous disappear when they hire private detective Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber). However, the return of his ex-convict father (Jon Voight) brings unresolved issues Ray may not be able to fix.
Created By: Ann Biderman
Where to Watch
Season Episodes
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7 Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
75
72% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
25% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 36 Critic Reviews
75
72% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
25% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
[A] superbly tawdry new crime series. [8 Jul 2013, p.35]
Showtime’s taut and pretty terrific Ray Donovan.... Schreiber brings a solid, stolid presence to the role. But it’s Jon Voight as Mickey who gives this drama its ferocious, dangerous and sometimes creepy edge.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 240 User Ratings
7.6
80% Positive
192 Ratings
192 Ratings
10% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
10% Negative
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 240 User Ratings
7.6
80% Positive
192 Ratings
192 Ratings
10% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
10% Negative
25 Ratings
25 Ratings
In Ray and Mickey, producer Ann Biderman has created two of TV's most interesting characters and one of its most absorbing dynamics.
Viewers may find it takes some concentration to sort out the lineup and the dramas here. The payoff is worth the investment.
The first four episodes supplied to critics are engaging, but especially in the aftermath of his passing, the shadow of James Gandolfini is, sadly, everywhere.
There's enough strong raw material on hand that Ray Donovan could eventually be built into something great. Right now, though, it's raw material in search of a series.
Much of the show simply feels disjointed, or tired, or both. Despite intermittent flashes of liveliness, the pacing of Ray Donovan is off, especially at first, when it feels as though the show is trying to cover too much ground and cram in too much backstory about the Donovans' troubled past in Boston.
As I was checking the episode guide for season 2 I noticed U.S. ratings are ranging 1.5 million, I am in shock. Ray Donovan is an emotional and action pack crime drama series, if you're not watching it you're definitely missing out. The acting, directing, storyline, production, **** amazing! Glad to know it has been renewed for a season 3! WOO HOO!
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SEASON 1
Loved the story but absolutely sick and tired of the porn and hard core sex/nudity. I would have gave it a 9/10 but we are getting fed up with the Hollywood perverts who think its ok to make people watch others having sex. Another show that jeopardizes society morals. So sad.
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SEASON 1
I honestly don't get the good reviews this show has received from otherwise intelligent reviewers. It is an utterly unbelievable noir fairytale full of ugly characters sporting disgusting character traits. To begin with, our "hero" Ray (everyone calls him Ray) is nothing but a thug, yet he's more in demand than Steve Jobs at a technology conference. He's new to LA, but seems to constantly run into people that he knows, and they are all positively slobbering over him, "Hey Ray!", Hows it going Ray?" "How ya been Ray?" They also all seem to be in his debt somehow, for something he "fixed" for them at some point in the dim past. As a sign of his machismo of course, "Ray" treats them all with thinly disguised contempt, which they never seem to notice. Rich guys can't get enough of his enormous talents, "talents" which in the real world would have him dead or in jail in about a week. Get the picture? This guy is a comic book superhero without any super powers. His weaselly family, all with South Boston accents, are nevertheless in LA as well, and believe me you don't want to know any of them. Top this off by an appearance this season of Katie Holmes, having apparently just escaped from Tom Cruise's dungeon, wearing braces and looking AT LEAST ten years older than she is. Yuk…this show caused me to cancel my Showtime subscription, even though I'm going to miss Homeland.
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SEASON 1
This tired, derivative, same old same old clone with a new twist on a done to death genre could have been good if it wasn't so phony and downright sleazy. Making it so much worse is the cast of absolutely abhorrent scumbag freak show characters. Start with the ugly, sailor mouth, sickeningly overblown Boston accented red head wife. What an annoying shrill shrieking shrew! They cast a deformity as the daughter. Then you have the hideous fat **** for a mistress to the gym owner brother cast by a dwarf out of something like "Lord of the Rings". Of course there's the token profane beyond real(even in Hollywood they aren't quite this over-the-top, except for maybe cable TV execs) shouting balding elfin Jew lawyer/agent? who is the little rabid dog that's all bark and no bite. And then the two miserable leads... An Eastern Euro descended chipmunk who is a good actor but has no charisma. He plays tough sure with the unshaven look and no nonsense disposition and he is a big guy. That's all it takes these days? Remember somebody like Steve McQueen?
Worst of all is the disgrace of a solid veteran like Jon Voight playing not only a reprehensible evil mobster, sure I can see why he'd take that role, but a filthy perverted heinous freak of one? It's twisted beyond any measure of suspension of disbelief! Maybe he's not aware of what a goofy not very scary clown he's playing? If this is what an actor of stature has to do to regain notoriety and a paycheck then it's no better than flat out prostitution (which actually most all actors are fully game for sadly and they continually prove it). For that matter Eliot Gould should have remained in semi-retirement. Now he has this hideous blemish to haunt him.
Most of all, the scumbag Showtime execs behind this filth should be held accountable for the debasing of society. Guess what cable ****? People, including hot young actresses, generally do not use the phraseology "F--- me", "I want to taste you…" etc. constantly. Even in Hollywood there is some discretion at times. In this sordid show every character uses this kind of language all the time. It's a sick false way of life as depicted.
No, it's only the dweeb druggie sex obsessed writers, producers and execs of these kind of shows that think people talk and act this way. You see they don't get it in their real lives, so they openly fantasize about it here which sadly does in turn have a debased effect on the culture. They aren't stupid though, they know that human nature is such that curiosity gets the best of us and we watch. Sex and violence sells. It doesn't take more than the barrel of monkeys making this **** to pull that off. I'm done after six episodes not only because of all this rant on depravity. No it's mostly because the show is phony poorly written trash.
It's light years from "Breaking Bad" or "Goodfellas" or even "Michael Clayton" which it tries to rip off.
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SEASON 1
