Ray Donovan Recap of “Las Vegas”

In the second episode of Season 5 of Ray Donovan (8/13/2017), Terry and Maureen got married after all but the affair turned into a regular donnybrook, not all that unusual at Irish weddings. In fact, we’re surprised someone didn’t use that expression. Natalie James involved Ray in her marital problems. There were beaucoup flashbacks.

The title of the episode refers to where Ray and Abby spent their 21st anniversary, also the occasion of Damon’s first fight. Ray was right where we left him last week when the episode began — sleeping in Bridget’s bed. He was dreaming of the anniversary.

The Flashbacks

After sex, showers and jokes, Ray and Abby were hitting the road. Mickey was living with them and was telling Ray about the script writing course he was taking. A pest control service employee arrived and Abby showed him the places where she’s been hearing animal noises in the walls. She hoped it’s raccoons, not rats. The guy said he might have to open up the walls.

On the way out of town, Ray surprised Abby by taking her to a bah (a bar) for Bloody Marys at 8:30 in the morning. Abby reminded him that he had taken her to this place many times. He put a set of keys on the table and announced that it was hers. She was both stunned and overjoyed. Back on the road, Ray gpt a call from Terry who was in jail because of an altercation at a whorehouse. While Ray got him out, Abby intently watched a family of raccoons raiding the dumpster.

Terry said a guy named Earl got him in this mess and a hooker named London stole the ring that Terry planned to propose to Maureen with. It was their mother’s ring. So off they went to the original Sheri’s Ranch Brothel. Ray and Abby went in to get it back. Abby pretended she wanted to have a ménage à trois for her anniversary present and, of course, they requested London. Abby picked the Dominatrix package and London went off to get everything ready. She let Ray tie her to a chair and rough her up a little. Then Ray told her what they really wanted. She was quite uncooperative despite having a ball gag in her mouth. When Abby threatened to take her hair off with a jar of depilatory cream though, London gave up the ring right way. Better to be ringless than hairless.

On fight night, Damon knocked his first opponent out, literally. He knocked him right out of the ring in the first round. While celebrating with Ray and Abby, Terry talked about an operation he wanted to have to stop his uncontrollable shaking. Then he proposed to Maureen with his mother’s ring and she accepted. Abby just got up and walked off. Out on the balcony, Abby seemed upset about Terry’s escapade, relating it to Ray’s past infidelities. She believed it was wrong for Terry to propose to Maureen without telling her about the hooker and objected when Ray said “it never happened.” She asked Ray if that’s what he always did, rationalize things. Ray said he was not that person anymore and she agreed. She asked him to feel her head but she didn’t feel feverish to him. She thought that was weird.

The next morning, Ray got them some coffee while Abby took in the morning view from their suite. When he returned, he found her having a seizure on the floor, foaming at the mouth. At the hospital, Ray asked the doctor if this happened because Abby hit her head 3 months ago. The doctor just stood there looking like he had terminal news, and he probably did, but we didn’t get to hear it.

In the last flashback, Abby and Ray returned home where Mickey greeted them with the news that the pest control service didn’t find anything in the walls so far. Abby said they won’t find anything and headed upstairs to lie down.

In the Present

Mickey interrupted Ray’s initial dream to inform him that Terry’s wedding was still on and he needed to get dressed and get down to the bar for the toast. Mickey also wanted to know what a PDF is and how he can turn his screenplay into one.

When Ray comes downstairs, Natalie James’ leaked nude photos are back on TV. Ray notices the hole that is still in the wall while Mickey says Daryll has someone who will read his script. Ray offers to have it delivered. Mickey pins a boutonniere on Ray and says Abby is looking over him.

Upon arriving at the bar, Mickey says no matter what they always end up with the right ones. Bernadette, he says, was never right for Terry and Colleen was never right for Ray. Ray wants his father to cool it with that kind of talk just for today and Mickey agrees.

At the bar, Daryll is highly amused as Bunchy relates his failure to succeed as a luchador: “Then I hit a midget with another midget.” Bunchy is genuinely upset. Teresa is now going on the road for 3 weeks and he has no job. Ray says he still works for him but Bunchy says he can’t work with Lena and he’s no secretary. Ray tells the bartender, Beckett, that he now works for Bunchy now. Terry arrives and tells Ray that it took 9 and a half hours, but Maureen forgave him. Mickey has framed pictures on the bar of their family in heaven and they all join in the Irish toast:

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rain fall soft upon the field.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Lena calls to let Ray know that Natalie James is sitting in his office and needs help. Ray tells Terry he’ll be back for the wedding. Natalie wants Ray to go to her house with her so she can get her things and her dog. Her piece of crap husband, Rob, (apparently her manager, too) is the one who leaked the nude photos, so she is divorcing and firing him. At her home, she gets in a tussle with Rob right in front of Ray. He accuses her of sleeping with Ray and refuses to give her the dog. Rob tells Ray he’d sooner snap the dog’s neck than give it to him. Ray just leaves and promises Natalie he’ll send someone for the dog later.

Ray returns to the wedding. Mickey is telling the priest that boutonniere means button hole in French and how great it is that the Donovans and Dohertys, two ancient Irish families, are being joined together today. Ray tells Maureen she looks great, takes out Abby’s necklace that Terry gave him back last week and she allows him to put it around her neck. While Terry and Maureen danced to “I Only Have Eyes for You,” Ray got a message from Natalie wanting to know if he would help get her dog back tonight. Ray went to the bar and sat next to Maureen’s brother, Todd, who was in his police uniform. Ray said he knows Todd has issues with Terry but his brother is a good man. Todd kind of sneered at him and left.

After Bunchy welcomed Maureen to the Donovan family and messed up a word, a visibly drunk Todd got up and told his sister he was confused about the wedding. He pointed out that Mickey did 20 years in Walpole, said Ray is some kind of Hollywood scumbag and Bunchy is retarded. That was all before he got around to Terry. When he did, Bunchy jumped up and smashed Todd’s face into the table and all hell broke loose.

Later, Ray arrived home after driving drunk. Very drunk. He staggered in the house and had the last flashback, when a real knock came at the door. There was Natalie with a bloody nose and her dog. She told Ray that she shot her husband and held out the gun she did it with.

SUPPORTING CAST OF “LAS VEGAS”