No lie lives forever…but SPOILERS do…
Season Two, Episode Eight: “Sunny”
Written by David Hollander & Cheo Hodari Coker; Directed by John Dahl
There is almost always one constant in the life of Ray Donovan: He’s good at what he does for a living and kind of bad at everything else. He knows how to make his clients happy; his family, not so much. But this week is proof that you can’t “fix” everything.
Quick Breakdown
Ray wakes in his bed as the sun gleams in through the curtains painting him in soft, white hues — a very calming depiction of Ray after last week’s implosion. For at least a moment, the sunlight seems to indicate bluer skies; that the Donovan clan has weathered the storm, so to speak, and can focus on rebuilding. But what this scene more adequately represents is the eye of the storm, which is quickly realized once Ray rolls over to find that Abby never came home and decides to recruit Avi to do some, well, stalking.
Elsewhere, Lee Drexler makes his first appearance on the show since early last season, donning a Bluetooth earpiece (just one of countless ways to stereotype a douche) and board shorts, taking a quiet dip in the pool. (Seriously? Board Shorts? In the pool? How old is this guy anyway? Too old for board shorts.) All his time on vacation must have gotten him a little lax when it comes to work because he never got up with Cookie Brown like he was asked and now his rec time is being cut short.
Needless to say, Cookie makes an unexpected visit, and he ain’t happy. He’s looking for some type of interest on the $30,000 he gave Re-Kon to start a recording studio before going to prison, but he isn’t looking for a dollar figure — he wants Marvin. After discussing the matter with Re-Kon, it seems it’s in Re-Kon’s best interest to let him go. Of course, Ray didn’t put up much of a fight seeing he’s been trying to get rid of Marvin for most of the season. Later, he makes a deal with Cookie to let him take Marvin as long as he moves him out of Los Angeles.
Both Donovan women are still spiraling down that rabbit hole. However, the difference between them and Alice is that they don’t get to dance with anthropomorphic creatures in a world as envisioned by Crayola and then sleep for three days. No, this one takes you places you actually don’t want to go…like reality, only worse.
Abby tells “Jim the Cop” that she thinks she’s in love with him, something far more dangerous than Ray’s casual infidelity. (For the record, sexual situations are a given in this show, but anytime Abby is involved, I always feel awkward and uncomfortable. She’s says the weirdest shit at the most inopportune time.) Bridget also uses this episode as an opportunity to profess her love, telling Marvin how she feels after skipping school again to spend the day with him in the studio. (Worst. Decision. Ever.)
Mickey’s plans with a producer to sell his life rights for a multi-movie deal fall apart during a celebratory party at the producer’s mansion when Claudette’s husband, Alan, shows up. The two end up running into each other at the bar, an encounter that ends with Mickey wearing a cocktail and Allen laying on the bar with Mickey’s hands around his throat. Kate is back in action, too. Remember Sully’s girlfriend Catherine? Well, her mom noticed that Kate’s article for The Boston Globe about Sully and the FBI conveniently danced around mentioning her whatsoever and demands some answers about what happened to her daughter. After reluctantly telling the mother that a source revealed that Catherine was in witness protection, the whole story is blown to hell when the mother informs her that the two had a plan of communication in place had that come fruition. It’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing a lot of Kate on the backend of this season.
Ray has two separate confrontations: one with “Jim the Cop” and the other with Abby. The former is slightly anticlimactic considering everything that’s involved. Either of them could’ve easily ended up dead. Instead, Ray — while at gunpoint — exerts his authority loud and clear. “You know I’m a cop,” says Jim. “I don’t give a fuck,” replies Ray. Once returning home, Abby and Ray acknowledge her affair before an all-out fight ensues. Like, a real fight this time. The hurt, betrayal and contempt are blatant. I’ve spent a lot of time hating on Bridget for her Usher crush on Marvin (mainly because it’s been so apparent that her relationship with him is a ticking time bomb), but that dude can sing.
His version of Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny” is absolutely on point, even despite using backup vocals from Bridget. (No disrespect, but she kind of has that Meg White voice — can’t tell if she really knows how to sing and doesn’t care enough to try too hard or really doesn’t know how to sing and wants to be able to so desperately that she does it anyway.) But, I digress.
Lee and Re-Kon put on their thinking caps and decide that, in lieu of handing Marvin over to Cookie, they’ll return his investment fivefold by means of a $150,000 check. Cookie isn’t much of a businessman though; he wants what he wants, but more importantly, he wants what was agreed to. Since Lee and Re-Kon didn’t honor their word, Cookie takes matters into his own hands, rolling up on Re-Kon, Marvin and Bridget at a red light and popping off several bullets into Re-Kon and Marvin. Bridget, who had lain down in the back seat, watches the whole thing take place without Cookie knowing. There’s only one person who can help her now: Daddy.
Rating A I was unsure that this week’s episode would be able to adequately follow-up the complete and utter meltdown that we witnessed last week, but Ray and company found a way to meet and exceed the bar. Honestly, the shock-producing final scene is alone worthy of a standing ovation.
Stray Bullets… Number of times Ray makes/accepts a call: 11 “What the fuck is that on your neck,” Cookie asks Lee. “What is that Frankenstein shit? Did you get a facelift?” “No. I cut myself shaving,” says Lee. Did anyone else notice that the dad from “Even Stevens” is now a barkeep in Boston?
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