Ray Donovan Recap: Get Even Before Leavin’

Ray Donovan and his father, Mickey, were on the trail of Ed Moapa and Pinkie-Toe in Primm, Nevada in “Get Even Before Leavin'”, Episode 5 of Ray Donovan’s Season 4. Ed and Pinkie were last seen taking off with the Big Green Horseshoe and its $4 million contents.

Ray scoped out the situation in Bill Primm’s casino, chatting up the blackjack dealer about the $250,000 reward sign posted for the return of the money, while listening to Silvie Starr sing the Zombie’s “Time of the Season.”

The dealer obligingly told Ray that the main suspect was a bartender who was caught running scams and that would be Mick (aka Chip). On his way back to the van where Mickey was waiting, Ray was stopped by a Russian man in a Chrysler who wanted to remind him about Sonia Kovitsky. He warned Ray to be back in Los Angeles by that night. Ray was pissed off to learn that Mickey went out for donuts and then came back and pissed in a jar in the truck. The donuts and the jar were sitting side by side on the dashboard, much to Ray’s disgust.

They went off to wait for Ed to show up for work and when he did, Ray got out and Mickey drove off in the van. He called Silvie Starr and put his phone up to the radio singing along to The Tyme’s “So Much In Love” before filling her in on his plans. A guy at the end of the bar had Sylvie under surveillance. Ray went up to Ed with a story about how he needed a tow for his broken down van a couple of miles away. Ed wanted $200. Ray readily agreed and off they went. Ray pulled a gun on Ed when they arrived at the van’s location. Mickey came out and suckered punched Ed. When Ed came to, Mickey was slapping him, demanding to know where the money was. Ed was belligerent until Ray shot him in the foot.

The money was inside Pinkie’s trailer. It wasn’t even hidden because Pinkie’s a nobody and it’s the last place anyone would ever look. Mickey warned Ray that Pinkie was “a few fries short of a Happy Meal.” Ray called Pinkie on Ed’s phone and claimed to be from Bill Primm’s casino. Pinkie dragged the sack of money outside, poured gasoline all over and around it and threatened to set it on fire. Pinkie’s dog Missy began barking like crazy when Ray approached. Pinkie screamed “shut up” at the dog while negotiating with Ray. He agreed to take $150,000. That might have been that but Mickey just couldn’t stay in the van like he was told to. He got out and shot the cigarette lighter out of Pinkie’s hand. Ray yelled at Pinkie to throw the gasoline can away while dragging the duffel bag full of money toward the van. Pinkie didn’t and exploded into flames. (That was not the fate we had envisioned for Pinkie at all. In fact, we thought Ed had already gotten rid of him.) Ray gave Ed a stack of money and told him to take off in Pinkie’s Jeep.

Mickey wanted Ray to take him back to Primm so he could pick up Silvie and go back to Boston with his half. Ray refused. A truck drove around the van and a slot machine fell out right in front of the van. Ray couldn’t swerve out its way and drove up on it. Silvie called Mickey right after that. One guy was sitting guard outside her room while another sat right next to her holding the phone in one hand and a gun in the other. Silvie found out Mickey’s location and said she would come to pick him up.

Instead Bill Primm and the cops showed up. Primm went up to the van and took the money. Mickey asked him what he did to Sylvie. Primm ignored that and said that they were all going to act like this never happened:”Federal law enforcement is gonna keep looking for the culprits, and you are gonna just keep evading them.” He snapped their photos and added “Lest you ever return to Primm.” The police officer said “Y’all have a good day now,” and they all left. As they continued back to L.A., Mickey insisted Silvie had been tortured or worse. Ray insisted that she turned Mickey in for the reward. Mickey deduced that Abby had cancer from the phone calls that had been ongoing throughout this between Ray and Abby. He also figured out that Ray needed the $2 million to get Belikov off his back. Mickey decided to take the rap for the Armenian murders. Ray warned him that the Russians would try to kill him in jail. But Mickey gave Ray his personal items, including a watch that Ray’s mother gave him, and turned himself in. Before Ray drove off, he saw a call from Silvie on Mickey’s cell phone but did not pick it up.

Get Even Before Leavin’ Guest Stars and Co-Stars

Additional storylines in this episode:

Teresa left Bunchy and her baby and went to her cousin Jorge’s house. She has postpartum depression big time. Bunchy went to see her with the baby. She told him she left because the night before, she had the urge to stab him with a pair of scissor, then kill herself and the baby. She said she never loved him. Bunchy said she didn’t mean these things– she was just really tired. He left little Maria with her and said he loved her. The baby was returned to the Fite Club later without so much as a “sorry, I can’t do this.”

Abby went to see Dr. Jeannie for a second opinion that was the same as the first. Abby was adamant that she wasn’t having a double mastectomy. The only thing Jeannie could do was suggest alternative treatment with the warning that if the cancer metastasized while she was pursuing that, her options would be severely limited.

Damon showed up to the Fite Club much later than Terry had instructed. Terry was going to send him away but he explained that if he came at 7:30 in the morning, he would miss breakfast at the Mission. Soon he was sparring with Terry.

Hector Campos came in looking for Ray. Darryl was so impressed that he didn’t even mind when Hector threw up in a bucket. Soon Darryl was sparring with Hector.

Avi made a bet with Conor that if he beat the kid at a video game, Conor would have to read “Jonathan Livingston Seagull.” Conor agreed on the condition that if he won, Avi would teach him how to use a gun. Avi was going to renege when he lost but a Russian guy showed up with a present from Sonia Kovitsky for Abby. So he gave Conor a short demonstration. Conor went and got a gun out of a lockbox. That’s not going to end well.

Bridget left Calculus Man Greg after learning that she was “not his first” student. We were unaware that was a condition of her undying affection.