Gird your polyester jumpsuits and afros. “The Deuce” is back and, this time, taking a time jump to tackle the days of 1978’s “punk, disco, and porn.” “The Deuce” follows the legalization of the porn industry and the rise of the drug epidemic.
The first season of “The Deuce” premiered last year to critical acclaim, with many people praising the directing and CGI recreating the sets. In our Bingeworthy Breakdown, we called show co-creator and executive producer David Simon “bit of a genius” and that the show was very reminiscent of his previous hit “The Wire.” Simon’s knack for taking his time to slowly unspool stories at their own pace definitely shows.
If all goes according to Simon’s and other co-creator George Pelecanos’ plan, this will be the penultimate season for “The Deuce.” In an interview with Collider, the two revealed the story they’re telling is three seasons long with the final one covering “when Times Square came crashing down around their heads.”
Much attention was brought to star James Franco for playing twins, but it was Maggie Gyllenhaal’s performance as the prostitute Candy that stole the show. In an interview with the actor, we highlighted that while the character has flaws, “Gyllenhaal transforms her into arguably the most well-rounded character.”
Not much is known about what the second season will cover, but it’s expected that stars Gyllenhaal, George Akinnagbe, Chris Bauer, Gary Carr, Chris Coy, Dominique Fishback, Margarita Levieva and Emily Meade from “The Leftovers” will all be back. Also returning? James Franco. Despite several sexual misconduct allegations against him, HBO confirmed that Franco would be appearing in the upcoming season. David Simon was one of the primary voices defending him saying that, while on the show, Franco’s behavior was “entirely professional” and that there had been no complaints during production. That being said, it’ll definitely be interesting to see how “The Deuce” handles his characters in the #MeToo era.
“The Deuce” season two begins on HBO September 9.