The Deuce Season 1 Review

The Deuce (2017-)
Season 1 - 8 Episodes (2017)

Watch The Deuce on Amazon Video with an HBO Subscription
Created by: George Pelecanos, David Simon
Starring:  James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Chris Bauer, Chris Coy, Gary Carr, Dominique Fishback, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Margarita Levieva
Rating: TV-MA

Plot:
Porn and prostitution were rampant in Manhattan during the 1970s and '80s. Brothers Vincent and Frankie become a mob front on Times Square, where various pimps and prostitutes embrace the now legal emerging porn industry.

Verdict:
This show has a lot of promise, but the entire first season felt like an introduction. With David Simon's pedigree, The Wire and Treme, I assumed I would like this. It never grabbed me. There are characters that have potential, but they never develop. The show feels like it relies too heavily on the nudity inherent from prostitution and the porn industry instead of crafting a narrative. This doesn't feel gratuitous, given the scope of the show, but there aren't any notable characters. Just a few with potential.
Skip it.

Review:
The title is named after 42nd street in Manhattan which was the center of exploitation films in the '70s. I thought episode one was a great set up. After every episode I had a similar question. When does the foundation building stop and the story take off? At this point I have to guess that is season two.
There aren't any stakes. Getting caught for prostitution just takes you off the street for a night.  This needs some amount of tension or risk, something to give everything we're seeing meaning. I'm disappointed and surprised I didn't like something from David Simon, but this season needed a pay off.

David Simon's previous shows, The Wire is one of, if not the, greatest television series. It had depth and nuance. It looked at cops and criminals and showed us they weren't always that different. It's an absolutely incredible show that analyzed a different aspect of Baltimore every season. It gave us characters we cared about and remembered even after they were gone. Simon followed that with Treme. It was set in New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina. It followed a similar format as The Wire, with numerous characters and intertwining storylines.

The Deuce follows the same pattern with numerous intersecting characters, but it just doesn't do enough. There are more than a few concurrent plot lines. James Franco plays twin brothers who get in with the mob and open a bar. That leads to their venture into prostitution. We see various pimps and professionals get into movies as the porn industry begins to take off. What brings them together is that they all are operating in the same geographical area.

Some of these character have loads of potential, but they don't have an arc. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Eileen. She's one of the more interesting characters just because we know a little about her and she has a goal. We don't know why she prostitutes, but she wants to get into movies, seeing the future potential. We learn that fairly early in the season, but it takes until the final episode for her to actually start directing. In between, it feels like the show is just biding it's time. I wondered if there would be a fight over her son, but nothing develops there either.
The series delves into this industry, from enforcement to business and legal ramifications.

It's well made with solid performances and an acute eye for historical accuracy. From the sets and locations to the cars and dress, the accuracy is painstaking.
There are many actors from The Wire in various roles. The second season very well could make this season retroactively better, but standing alone it only serves as an introduction. If this show were to end after season one, we'd be left wondering what happened next. This show has already been renewed for season two, so we will get to see what happens.

There's a death in the final episode of the season that has no impact because we didn't really know the character. I'm guessing that death will set up the police sub plot that's been hinted this season, but it would have been nice for that plot to develop this season.