Ray Donovan

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bingybongy

Original Poster:

3,858 posts

145 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
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I just caught the first episode on Sky On Demand.

Soon to be on Atlantic, it seems we have a worthy successor to Banshee.

Liv Schreiber play a fixer to Hollywood's rich and famous.

I enjoyed it a lot.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2249007/

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Tuesday 16th July 2013
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First ep on tonight - right now in fact. I am really enjoying this. I've been watching Liev for a while (sounds a bit ghey - isn't. Honest) and have always enjoyed his characters. This one looks like it's got legs.

Nom de ploom

4,890 posts

173 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
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Liev is a fine fine actor and often under the radar of lesser but more famous actors.

his theatre work was very highly praised a few years ago.

I've Sky+ this for weekend watching, no spoilers please i'm looking forward to this.

walm

10,609 posts

201 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
quotequote all
It's good. Not Sopranos good, but still good.
I'll also watch anything with the legendary Eddie Marsan in it. Love that guy.

bingybongy

Original Poster:

3,858 posts

145 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
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walm said:
It's good. Not Sopranos good, etc.
Not a lot is.


VinceFox

20,566 posts

171 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
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Watching ep 1 now, it's on atm. Looking good so far.

slipstream 1985

12,127 posts

178 months

Thursday 18th July 2013
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pool table, brutal

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Friday 19th July 2013
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We've had the 1st 3 episodes now. It's pretty good, Jon Voight's character is very dark indeed and getting darker. It's well played by Voight, very believable as this seedy old gangster coming out after a long stretch and lacking any kind of moral sensibility. I like Eddie Marsan in it too, he's convincing as a Yank and his character is multi faceted and vulnerable. Showtime have already commissioned a second series.

Patch1875

4,893 posts

131 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
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Watched the first episode, really good I thought.

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
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Couldn't wait so I'm watching eps 2 and 3 tonight.

arfur daley

834 posts

165 months

Saturday 20th July 2013
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Nom de ploom

4,890 posts

173 months

Thursday 25th July 2013
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I've really enjoyed the first two episodes and the concept of a "fixer" is a pretty good one actually.

the charachters are all unique and identifiable, and whilst the dialogue is occassionally a bit hackneyed and unoriginal I'm hooked.

8/10 so far

bingybongy

Original Poster:

3,858 posts

145 months

Wednesday 7th August 2013
quotequote all
The slow burn is maybe a bit over done. Trying to make Liv What's his face into the new 'T' but I am enjoying it.

John Voight is very good.

P-Jay

10,551 posts

190 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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I've been really enjoying this series.... but I feel the same frustration I did with The Sopranos - the 'business' side of the Ray's life is so much more interesting to me that his home life - it's a series about a Hollywood fixer whose pretty crazy when needed and does a lot of cool spy/PI type st, so why spend 80% of each programme showing his domestic issues with his Wife and who his Daughter hangs out with. I get they need broad spectrum appeal and if they don't at least establish his background it gets a bit silly - but it can feel like a US Soap opera with occasional sparks of interest sometimes.

vxr8mate

1,654 posts

188 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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P-Jay said:
I've been really enjoying this series.... but I feel the same frustration I did with The Sopranos - the 'business' side of the Ray's life is so much more interesting to me that his home life - it's a series about a Hollywood fixer whose pretty crazy when needed and does a lot of cool spy/PI type st, so why spend 80% of each programme showing his domestic issues with his Wife and who his Daughter hangs out with. I get they need broad spectrum appeal and if they don't at least establish his background it gets a bit silly - but it can feel like a US Soap opera with occasional sparks of interest sometimes.
I agree with your comments about his 'business' life being better than his home. Come to think about it, your comment about The Sopranos was also correct.

At the moment it would appear his home and work lives are somewhat intertwined, but the wifey / kids stuff is proving a bit of a distraction.

greygoose

8,224 posts

194 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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Agree too, more of his business life and less of the home life would suit me more. Not sure it rates with the Sopranos at the moment.

lewisf182

2,084 posts

187 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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Having only just this past 2 weeks watched the first 3 episodes of both Ray and The Sopranos I think Sopranos is a much better programme. Ray is good, but I can already tell sopranos is a cut above after 3 episodes (even though its 14 years older!)

unrepentant

21,212 posts

255 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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P-Jay said:
I've been really enjoying this series.... but I feel the same frustration I did with The Sopranos - the 'business' side of the Ray's life is so much more interesting to me that his home life - it's a series about a Hollywood fixer whose pretty crazy when needed and does a lot of cool spy/PI type st, so why spend 80% of each programme showing his domestic issues with his Wife and who his Daughter hangs out with. I get they need broad spectrum appeal and if they don't at least establish his background it gets a bit silly - but it can feel like a US Soap opera with occasional sparks of interest sometimes.
But the USP of The Sopranos, and the reason why it was so successful, was that it showed the gang boss as a normal person. The fact that he had to deal with all the real life domestic stuff and the fact that the show highlighted his vulnerabilities made it more believable.

I'm enjoying Ray Donovan but it's far more superficial and the hero is nowhere near as multi dimensional as Tony Soprano.

Watchman

6,391 posts

244 months

Thursday 8th August 2013
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I've just watched eps 5 and 6. Ep 5 particularly shows him more at work. The story is developing but it's not "packed" as such.

Love the character development though.

Lurking Lawyer

4,534 posts

224 months

Monday 12th August 2013
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I missed this when it was first shown but watched Eps 1-3 from On Demand over the weekend. I thought it was really good - certainly enough to seek it out on the planner and series link it going forward.