Ray Donovan Recap: Horses

Abby Donovan galloped off to freedom in “Horses,” freedom from a body she no longer wanted to be in, freedom from doctors, pain, and anxiety over possible side effects of treatment she didn’t even want to have. She left the world in her own bed, with dignity and the help of her daughter, Bridget, and brother-in-law, Terry.

Usually, we’re not ones to lament over any given episode. We like to just tell you what happened. But for those of us who have been following Season 5 from its beginning, a lot of this episode was like watching a rerun — we already saw parts of it in flashbacks.

What was confirmed was that Ray really did poison Smitty with meningitis bacteria. Abby got the news that she did not get a spot in the Sloan Kettering trial program while the Donovan men were working on getting the “Abby’s” sign on her new bar to light up. She told Ray at home later and she was fine with it. She had a prescription filled that she was going to use to end her life and she reminded Ray that they had agreed she could take control of her situation however she wanted if she didn’t make it into the trial. Ray flushed her pills down the toilet and left for New York City with Avi, after Lena got him medical files on everyone who made it into the trial.

There Ray sat on the plane, poring over the files and settling on young Smitty. Who knows why. Avi was high as a kite but claimed allergies. He told Ray that he could not name his contact because she was former Mossad, but she definitely had this bacteria. Ray wanted to know if it would kill the kid and we’re like, what the hell is wrong with you, man? Do you prefer that he dies from cancer? Avi said it would not kill Smitty but would definitely disqualify him from being in the program.

Avi managed to get himself arrested for trying to buy heroin and Ray made him give up the contact’s name and address. This woman, Tamar, professed not to know what Ray was talking about when he showed up and proceeded to give him a serious ass-whupping when he barged into her apartment to get what he was after. She cut his hand with a knife. Ray was not able to subdue this wildcat until she went to get a gun and he was able to get it off her and hold it to her head. He got the stuff, took one of her white cloth napkins as a temporary bandage and headed to the hospital to do the dirty deed. By the time Ray got back to L.A., he got a call that they had a spot for Abby in the trial program now.

But it was too late. Terry had already gotten Abby’s prescription refilled, at her request. He also bought a Heath candy bar, some York Peppermint Patties, a bottle of ginger ale, a deck of playing cards and a Color Shift Puzzle Ball. (We think the last two items were for him). Terry helped Abby break open the capsules and dump their contents in a glass as best as he could. He was shaking like a leaf throughout this whole episode. Bridget came and poignantly asked her mother if she couldn’t just put it off one more day. “I don’t need another day,” Abby said. Bridget poured the ginger ale into the glass, they watched Abby drink the suicide cocktail and stayed with her until she died.

Out in the hall, Terry and Bridget hugged and she sank down on the floor and began sobbing. Enter Ray with his good news and the scene where he finds Bridget crying on the floor and opens the bedroom door to find Abby dead replayed. “Why,” Ray cried, over and over. When Bridget came in to comfort him, he kicked her out.

She went down to the bar and when Ray showed up, the fight ensued that landed him in jail and those anger management classes (that we have seen very few of). Mickey was taken away by ambulance. Wouldn’t it have been better for this to be the 3rd or 4th episode, not the 8th? Now we’ve got what, 4 episodes left to wrap up the other storylines. We can’t even get all worked up over Ray not being there when Abby died. It actually seemed rather fitting. Throughout the entire series, Ray hasn’t really been home that much. At least Abby spared herself from finding out what Ray did to get her that trial spot. How Bridget found out should be interesting.