Ray Donovan Recap: Family Pictures (S7 E3)

Detective Perry sure picked the wrong Donovan to bedevil in “Family Pictures” (Season 7 Episode 3). If she had been following Ray instead of dogging Daryll, she would have seen Ray driving around with a very alive Mickey, and she would have seen him go to the house where he framed Mickey for the murders of the three corrupt cops: Big Al, Radulovic and Bianchi.

Respectively, they were killed by Mickey, Ray and Smitty. So even though Detective Perry was unhappy with Lt. Bricker’s orders to “take the win and call it a day”, she did have the right guy for one of the murders. She just didn’t know that the dirty cops deserved what they got, and she didn’t know that Mickey was still on terra firma, about to be shipped off to the Maldives.

Is that Jim Sullivan’s daughter? ~ Mickey Donovan

Before Ray shipped him off, Mickey told us who Molly and Kevin Sullivan’s father is: Jim Sullivan, “a legitimate piece of” you know what. Maybe Jim is the son of Patrick “Sully” Sullivan (another dead body on Mickey’s scorecard). Back in Season 1, Sully said his son “Jamie” got stabbed in prison. Maybe Jamie recovered and switched to a new nickname.

You made my brother look like something he’s not ~ Molly Sullivan

Molly went to Ray’s office and showed Ray her childhood picture with her babysitter, Ray’s sister Bridget. Molly told Ray that Bridget always said Ray was the best person she knew and she thought that perhaps he would give her the scandalous photo of her brother, Kevin, if that part of him was still in there somewhere.

Ray, I accept your forgiveness…. And I forgive you.

Ray had to make several stops before he finally got Mickey to the airport. He had to tell Amber McGrath the new story that Mickey killed all the cops. He had to stop by Daryll’s and give him his ticket stub and backstage pass to the Jonathan Walker Hansen show so Daryll could give them to Detective Perry. Claudette, Daryll’s mother and Mickey’s ex-lover, was there. Ray gave her the cold shoulder to the extent that he wouldn’t even acknowledge her greeting. Claudette looked out the window and she saw Mickey in Ray’s car. Mickey saw her, too.

Bunchy was in a downward spiral after asking for the raise he felt he deserved for thwarting the robbery of the store. The store manager told Bunchy that his actions were against the company’s safety policies: “Lawyers and corporate are coming in later today to decide whether we’re defending you, firing you, or suing you, and you want a raise.” He said Bunchy will be fired if the teenager he shot dies. It looks like Bunchy quit anyhow. Ray had to go pick him up from Farley’s and he went with Ray and Mickey to the airport. Even though Bunchy did not agree with Mickey that he would be an asset if he stayed in the country, Bunchy still felt like a bad son, turning his back on Mickey.

So that makes three people who have actually seen Mickey in the flesh and know he is alive. Who is the biggest threat? Last season, we saw that Bunchy would rather go to jail than turn Mickey in. If Daryll gets in any more hot water, Claudette might have a reason to use what she saw. As for Amber McGrath, there was absolutely no reason for Ray to bring Mickey to her door. He could have just shown her Mickey’s photo and said he was dead. We don’t think she even knows that Mickey is supposed to be dead. If her son, Jimmy (who also saw Mickey from his window) asked his mom who was with Ray, why wouldn’t she say it was Ray’s father?

We read these books together. They were about a veterinarian in London ~ Ray Donovan

Ray went back to Dr. Amiot and recalled reading the James Herriot books, “All Creatures Great and Small,” “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” “All Things Wise and Wonderful,” “And The Lord God Made Them All.” Dr. Amiot read them, too. Ray confided that those stories made him want to be a veterinarian like Herriot, “someone who helps animals.” Dr. Amiot suggested that Ray might want to help people. Well, isn’t that what Ray does? Just not for very good causes and not for very nice people.

I want you to find me a ten-year-old boy… to say he was the kid in the picture ~ Mayor Feratti

That hit home for Ray when the sleazy mayor informed him that the DA will be filing child endangerment charges against Kevin Sullivan and demanded that Ray find him a real ten-year old boy to say he was the “little person” in the picture. Ray decided to give Molly the card from the camera with the pictures that could ruin her brother’s life.

Back at the office, Ray told Lena that he gave Molly the camera. Lena said there will be hell to pay from Feratti and Ray agreed. “What, you don’t care,” Lena marveled. Ray said: “I don’t wanna do it anymore.” Lena told him to shake her hand because she was leaving. Self-centered Ray couldn’t come out of his zombie-like state long enough to do that, so Lena said “Bye, Ray” and left.

Other storylines

Bridget was in the studio canoodling with Adam Rain while Smitty was being fascinated by Mickey’s fantastic survival story. We’re not particularly fond of Smitty, but we can’t see how Adam is much of an improvement. First impressions aren’t always right so time will tell on that.

Terry went off with Liberty to see the Shaman. She scattered his medication to the four winds when they got there and it was strange that he let her do that. The Shaman said: “Our cosmovision incorporates ancestral medical techniques with a view of humankind and its place in the universe grounded in a devotion to Pachamama, Mother Earth,” and it was strange that Terry didn’t hobble off to the door upon hearing that gobbledygook, but the Shaman helpfully translated: “In other words, we will help you return to yourself.” We realize that Terry is desperate but shouldn’t he be asking for some proof that their method works?

Supporting Cast of “Family Pictures”