Bingeworthy Breakdown: Maggie Gyllenhaal & James Franco Return In Impressive 'The Deuce' Season Two

The Bingeworthy™ Breakdown is an occasional look at new TV shows. An estimated 500 scripted seasons of TV will air in 2018, and to help you sort the wheat from the chaff, we’re going to give you the lowdown to help you work out whether it’s worth tuning in every week for them or waiting to binge later. Today we look at HBO’s just-debuted new season of “The Deuce.”

READ MORE: 10 TV Shows To Watch In September

Season Two of George Pelecanos and David Simon’s “The Deuce” is still about porn in the ’70s, right?
Well, originally, it was about how prostitution branched into porn in the 70s. However, the first season was mostly about prostitution and the pimps that were affected by the onset of porn. Only in the final third did pornography come into the forefront of the plot’s focus.

Weird. Then what is the second season about?
Porn in the ’70s. Oh, and women rising up through the ranks of porn in the ’70s. And disco and the nightclub scene.

Can we get a recap of the first season real quick?
Season One takes us back to early ’70s New York City. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Eileen, a reckless, but fearless, prostitute without a pimp who sheds her Candy persona to enter the emerging adult film industry as a porn star. Once making money legally, Eileen works her way up the ranks to produce her own adult films. Eventually, she essentially steals many of the pimps on the deuce’s main prostitutes and recruits them in porn.

And what exactly is “the deuce?”
It’s a term given to 42nd Street, one of New York’s more famous thoroughfares, located between Broadway and 8th Avenue. It’s the street where all of the action happens in the first season of “The Deuce.” In other words, it’s where the prostitutes solicit and the pimps…well, pimp. The deuce was predominantly male and filled with sexually aggressive sleaze bags, so business was good.

What else should we know going into Season Two?
Ok. Well, meanwhile, James Franco pulls double duty as Vinnie and Frankie, two indistinguishable twins. Vinnie, or Vincent, is, by most accounts, a responsible adult who gets entangled with the mob after Frankie, by most accounts, an irresponsible adult, becomes indebted with them. But hey, that’s Frankie. Always borrowing money, playing poker, and generally being irresponsible. Vinnie and the mob go in on a bar, Hi-Hat, that serves as a safe haven for pimps and prostitutes as well as a neutral zone for third party “business transactions.”

The supporting cast is phenomenal. You have Gary CarrGbenga Akinnagbe, and rappers Method Man (Cliff Smith) and Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) giving stellar turns as shady, greedy pimps C.C., Larry Brown, Rodney, and Reggie Love, respectively. Then, you have Dominique Fishback and Emily Meade as prostitutes Darlene and Lori, Margarita Levieva as Abby, Vinnie’s employee at the bar, Natalie Paul as undercover reporter Sandra, who’s sleeping with Lawrence Gilliard Jr.‘s character, Officer Chris Alston, David Krumholtz as porn director Harvey, Chris Coy (who looks virtually identical to Major League Baseball player Tim Lincecum, but I digress) as Paul the bartender, hell, even the Karate Kid, aka Ralph Macchio, as a police officer as an added bonus.

A lot of characters right there. Is it hard to keep track?
Not at all. Because as solid as Gyllenhaal and Franco’s performances are in the first season, their respective character arcs are incredibly slow. So, the David Simon signature of a multitude of characters (such as in the incredible series “The Wire“) that begets interesting subplots is a saving grace for the show.

What is everyone up to, five years later, since Season Two jumps ahead to 1977?
Vinnie is now the proprietor of a disco named Club 366, while his now-girlfriend Abby manages his old bar, Hi-Hat, infusing it with the budding punk rock scene. C.C. is managing (sort of) Lori, now a porn star. Eileen is now a bonafide star, acting, directing, editing, and producing. Frankie manages a sex shop that operates a peep show, but he’s still borrowing money. Alston is now a homicide detective with a new woman. Paul is bartending at his own club, but planning to open a more upscale gay club.

Whatever happened to Zoe Kazan?
Ah. This brings up a very good point. There are characters, really interesting characters, that showrunners Simon and Pelecanos seemed to have forgotten about. That can be a side effect of having so many subplots. Case in point, Kazan was only in two episodes as Vinnie’s married, but separated, partner. Furthermore, they introduced Eileen’s brother’s character, Patrick (Dennis Flanagan) in the final episode of the first season, but haven’t mentioned him since.

It seems like Frankie is the only one who hasn’t really changed.
Of the main characters. Yeah. He’s stealing larger amounts of money from the sex emporium he manages. His character is rather strange in that his purpose is unclear. How does he serve the story? He’s either a gratuitous excuse for extra Franco screen time, or at some point, his character is going to experience actual consequence that will produce a ripple effect on those around him.

Rodney and Reggie Love are still pimping prostitutes that haven’t made the transition into the porn industry on the deuce. Even C.C. still has one foot in the door of the pimping game. If a client offers a better deal for a one on one with Lori, even if it violates her contract, he follows the money.

Tell me more about what Eileen/Candy is up to.
She’s using her position of power to take the industry in new directions by making pornographic films artistic, despite the men around her telling her “no.” Her editing is bold, transmitting a subliminal message to the viewer, clashing with Harvey’s old school sensibilities.

Is Season Two better or worse than the first?
Those who enjoyed the first season will most likely not be disappointed with the second season. The secondary characters are further developed. It’s fascinating to see the subtle changes that the costume and hair department have made to each character, particularly with Vinnie and Abby, who has the shaggy, bohemian, bumpy blowout à la Stevie Nicks with a touch of Joan Jett during The Runaways era. It’s more of the same, essentially. Outstandingly made show.

I sense some hesitation…
I mean, I just don’t understand how it’s not a “great,” and not just “good,” show, given all of the talent involved. Things get lost in the writers’ room. Aside from Vinnie’s wife and Eileen’s brother, the writers introduce subplots that never go anywhere. At one point during the first have the second season, Eileen’s son is reintroduced after only one brief appearance as a much younger child in the first season. During this reintroduction, her son asks for girl advice, thus inviting the viewer to follow this new storyline. However, at least during the first half of the season, we don’t hear anything about this subplot again. The same thing happens with Darlene’s subplot entailing her pursuing a college degree.

Not enough character development fills the extremely long runtime of each episode in “The Deuce.” To say that it is uneventful would be inaccurate. Rather, the series isn’t as exciting as it could be. It’s frustrating that the show takes its tedious time. Lingers far longer on certain scenes than it has any business too. Relishes in every long take. Prolong every already-extended pause.

Perhaps the problem with “The Deuce” is a problem that affects all “prestige television;” the same quality show could be aired in half the amount of time. I use quotation marks around the words “prestige” and “television” not to imply that shows such as “The Deuce” that fall into this category aren’t exceptional. They are. However, I’m simply saying that the whole notion of prestige television as a new medium rivaling that of film is an over-exaggeration. It seems as though, more often than not, as often as possible, shows try to extend their episodes’ runtimes to those of short- to average-length feature films. Let’s chalk “The Deuce’s” sluggish pacing up to the show being a byproduct of “prestige television” and its creator-driven roots, something Simon helped shape.

Alright, I’m gonna take an educated guess and say that you’re recommending Season Two?
Sure am. See it. Even at its most boring, it maintains the viewer’s attention. The performances continue to be thoroughly impressive. Gyllenhaal’s transformation from a depressed, numb, detached sex worker to a confident, creative, lively adult film producer remains the standout of the show. If a ’70s period piece about prostitution and porn is something you want to invest in, then go for it. Just be wary of its, sometimes, excessive runtime. Oh yeah, and Season Two has a bit more action, which does help pass the time. So, there’s that. [B]