Rodef Recap: Ray Donovan

Last week in Volcheck, the title character blew his brains out in a very public way and now his boss, Ed Cochran has to deal with the fallout. Abby put her cop boyfriend up to taking care of Cookie Brown in a permanent way, while Mickey organized a motley crew to rob the weed store.

“Rodef” (Ray Donovan S2 E11 – 9/21/2014) opens up with Cookie Brown attending the memorial for the rappers he killed, Marvin Gaye Washington and Re-Kon (whose real name was Reggie Mitchell), while Bridget Donovan stayed home from school and watches it on the news.

Ray meets with Lena and Harriet at the beach. Lena is still looking for the witness video. Harriet delivers a folder with documents Ray and Abby need to sign. Harriet wonders if she needs to close up shop but Ray assures her nothing will come back on her.

Preparing for the big heist, Mickey is thrown a couple of curve balls. Shorty’s oxygen didn’t come and now he will have to bring the safe to Shorty. At Ray’s, Abby shows him pot she found in Conor’s room. He tries to give her the documents Harriet delivered, turning over properties to her and the children in case she needs money. He admits that a female reporter plans to reveal that he hired Sully Sullivan to kill Mickey and he may go to prison. Abby angrily rejects what she considers his bribe and claims she and the kids are taken care of. Ray says the cop can take care of her and bleep her in his bed for all he cares when he’s away, but while he’s still there, the cop is going to stay away from his family. Conor admits that Mickey gave him the pot. Ray tells him to grow up and stay away from Mickey but Conor runs off, barging in on Mickey who is trying on his stick-up mask. Mickey makes him promise to stay there until he returns from his business.

In the truck they rented for the heist, Terry asks Daryll what we want to know — why he is now involved. Daryll says Mick needs him, but somehow we think he really got on board out of concern for Terry. Ronald Keith claims that Mickey has been on the up and up when he gets a call from Ray telling him to do his job and keep Mickey on a tight leash.

FBI head, Ed Cochran tells Agent Frank Barnes that he’s a loose end that needs tying up. He’ll get his full retirement benefits but he’s done at the FBI. Then he meets the press to make a statement on Volcheck’s suicide. When he says “this tragedy is proof that mental illness does not discriminate,” his wife Donna breaks down in tears and says “Tommy wasn’t depressed. He was a sweet boy.” Cochran has to get her out of there as a confused Megan Volcheck begins to cry.

Kate MacPherson is waiting for the newly retired Agent Barnes at his boat, the “Gotcha”, petting Katherine Shaughnessy’s dog, Baby. Frank tells her that Sully killed Katherine and Mickey killed Sully and kicks her off his boat. Ed Cochran pays a visit to Ezra Goldman to relay the importance of getting rid of Kate MacPherson. Ezra agrees to set Ray straight in exchange for having a “very powerful friend in Washington.”

Ezra explains the Jewish principle of the rodef to Ray: “The rodef is a person who is pursuing another trying to destroy them. They must be warned to stop but if the rodef fails to heed that warning, then according to Jewish law, the rodef should be killed.” Well, that’s not exactly right since the principle does not encompass premeditated murder. Ezra dramatically announces that Kate is the rodef. Ray has a warning of his own. He informs Ezra that the body of a Catholic priest is buried at his “precious RGOCC” (Ruth Goldman Ovarian Cancer Center) and it will turn up if anything happens to Kate. “A shanda!”, Ezra exclaims (a disgrace). Ray has cursed Ruth’s legacy.

Ray goes off to meet up with Cookie Brown, waiting for the “Rosie O’Donnell with fries” at Pink’s with a bag containing a million dollars so Ray can buy the witness video from Stalkerazzi. Cookie hands over the cash with the proviso that as soon as Ray gets his hands on the video, he brings it straight to Cookie. Then off Cookie goes where he has a run-in with Detective Jim Halloran, who stops his $235,000 car claiming that the driver ran a red light. Even Halloran’s partner knows this is bullshit while Cookie thinks it’s racial profiling. Nervous and on the spot, Halloran lets Cookie go. Avi has been following Cookie and reports the entire incident to Ray.

The best laid plans of mice and men…
The weed store robbery goes awry although Terry, Mickey and Ronald Keith manage to get the safe out to the truck. Just then, the knocked-out guard, Boris, comes to and hollers for help. When Ronald Keith goes in to check on him, Boris says the safe is empty. Keith decides to sell Mickey out, calling up Ray for $100Gs to send Mickey away for another 20 years. Terry goes in to find Keith and Boris kicks the door shut, locking him in. Mickey and Daryll take off as wailing police sirens get closer.

Conor has been sharing weed with Shorty and the oxygen arrives. Shorty sends Conor to lie down in Mickey’s bed then blows up his room while trying to light his joint on the burner. Daryll and Mickey just pulled up and Mickey was on his way to get Shorty. Mickey finds Conor under a door with a broken arm and gets him out. Daryll takes off. Shorty is dead. Conor calls Ray who rushes to the scene.

Ezra meets with Avi to find out if he is an observant Jew and knows about the law of the rodef, while Detective Halloran throws the cocaine he was going to plant on Cookie in the back seat of his car and calls Abby up to inform her that he couldn’t take Cookie down. Abby hangs up on him and takes out her own gun.

While Conor gets his arm wrapped in the ambulance, Ray spots Mickey. He accuses his father of almost getting Conor killed and Mickey tells him about Terry. Ray attacks Mickey. The cops warn Ray to calm down but as soon as they let him go, Ray snaps again and the cops cuff him and throw him in the squad car.

Supporting Cast of Rodef

So many admissions in this episode. Ray is hauled off to jail for a minor altercation. The witness video is in his car in the bag with what’s left of Cookie’s money. Terry has presumably been arrested and Daryll still has the safe that Shorty was supposed to crack. With all this going on, what will be resolved next week in the Season 2 finale and what will carry over to Season 3?