S U C K Recap: Ray Donovan

The fourth episode of Ray Donovan, Season 2 is “S U C K” (8-3-14). Yeah, nice title, but as it turns out, it’s Mrs. Cochran’s Scrabble word. Last week, in Gem and Loan, Ray was helping Stu Feldman so he would not block Bridget’s admission to Bel Air Academy while Bridget was snuggling up with Marvin Gaye Washington. The police were still investigating Mickey and made Claudette sign a sworn statement that he was with her when Sully was murdered. Kate McPherson was still trying to talk to Mickey and Ray took her out for a drink.

This episode begins with Tiny trying to pull off a heist at Super A Foods. He sticks some bologna in his pockets and starts to leave when he spies the fried chicken. Well, of course, he can’t resist but store security confronts him. Out-of-shape Tiny tries to haul ass but it’s no use.

Those drinks Ray and Kate shared lead to hot and heavy sex in a hotel. Afterwards, Kate lays a warning on Ray: “Hey, just because we bleeped, it doesn’t mean I won’t do my job.” Ray wants some more of that but she doesn’t think it’s a good idea. On his way down the elevator, he calls Deb and tells her to put in a bid on the Trousdale digs for the full asking price ($4.6 million).

Don’t fool yourself Ray. You don’t have morals.
Ed Cochran gets a call that sends him into a tirade of f-bombs. His wife, who is getting ready to set up for Scrabble Night, puts a stop to it with a stern: “That’s enough.” Back at the hotel, when Ray gets off the elevator, a smirking Frank Barnes is there to greet him and Cochran is waiting at a table. Ray was informed about Tiny’s shoplifting adventures. Tiny told the police he was on the docks the night Sully was shot. “Is there anyone who wasn’t there,” Cochran demands. Ray says he will take care of it. Cochran takes that to mean Tiny is dead meat but Ray says that’s not what he does.

The handsome man can’t dance with the band
At home, Abby is practicing losing her Boston accent. She gets snarky with the kids about their coming and going as they please when Ray arrives. “Nice of you to stop by, Ray,” she says. Ray informs her that he put a bid in on the house and heads off to shower. Well, that calls for a reward and she follows Ray, undresses and joins him in the shower. Only Ray is not up to it and we know why. Later she smells Kate’s scent on his clothes and she knows why, too.

Mickey feels the pain of minimum wage after tax deductions. Kate shows up but so does Mickey’s parole officer, Ronald Keith, who was sent by Ray. Kate tells Mickey that Ray won’t let them talk and thinks Mickey should make up his own mind. Mickey says “I always do, sweetheart.” Keith calls Ray and lets Mickey speak to him. Mickey agrees not to talk to Kate if he is allowed to go to the Fite Club to see his boys.

Ray bails out Tiny who apologizes for spilling his guts but isn’t down with going back to Boston. He thinks Sully’s 90-something mother has a hit out on him. Ray stashes him in a motel with Avi, who greets him with a punch in the gut. Ray takes Tiny’s picture and instructs Avi to keep him in the room.

Look at Frank Barnes with his brand new boss
Outside, Frank Barnes is smirking again and tells Ray: “Cochran doesn’t trust you.” Ray says Tiny will be out of the country before the day ends. He gives Lena two hours to get Tiny a passport, $15,000 and a ticket to the Maldives. Watch how she does it in this Behind the Fix bonus from Showtime:

Daryll has gone back to being a chauffeur and tells Mickey he is not going back in the ring for him after Mickey sold him out. Daryll says Claudette used to tell him stories about “the Great Mickey Donovan” and asks him why he has to be such an asshole. Undeterred, Mickey tries to talk to a guy who is training about throwing fights in Mexico. Terry kicks Mickey out.

Abby storms into her therapist’s office to blame him for Ray’s infidelity. Then she goes to the gun range to “exorcise her demons”. A man admires her gun but says it’s the wrong one for her hand and he provides her with the right one. Turns out he’s an L.A.P.D. detective. He gives Abby his card and tells her to call him if she ever gets in trouble. At the end of the episode, she gives him a call. His name is Jim Halloran.

Want me to shake down an old friend? I’ll do it, but it’s gonna cost ya.
Ezra won’t take Ray’s calls so Ray storms past Ezra’s secretary to confront him. Ezra whines about how Arthur Rosen knows June Wilson didn’t pay her $5 million pledge. Now nobody will pay. Ray says he will collect June’s pledge and take 20% for himself because he does Ezra’s dirty work and some other shit. We know he really needs the $1 million down payment for that Trousdale hacienda. Deb called and said he had to come up with it in 24 hours.

Shorty welcomes Mickey when he returns home and wants to know why the long face. Mickey complains about his paycheck and his sons, but Shorty is impressed with the almost $100 Mickey made. Mickey marvels how Shorty always has a smile despite having cancer and the shithole they’re in. Shorty shares his weed and oxygen with Mickey. The dolphin on Shorty’s baseball cap starts talking and tells Mickey she was wrong. Mickey is not a captain, he’s a sailor. A spooked Mickey yells that he’s not a sailor and runs back to his room to do 10 pushups and call Kate. Mickey offers his story for money but Kate demurs until he says that he was on the docks the night Sully was killed.

Supporting Cast of S U C K

At June Wilson’s, Carlos appears to say June isn’t home and Ray says he’ll wait. Carlos had two lines in this episode. His dialogue was cut short when Ray forced him to his knees. June was not as anxious to part with the $5 million as she was in Uber Ray. She tells Ray to look at the contents of the envelope he is holding. There is a photo of a young girl with Downs Syndrome. June says it’s her daughter, Allison, she has kept her hidden all her life. Ezra helped her hide Allison and apparently has blackmailed her ever since. She says she has worked with Lee, Hitchcock and Billy Wilder and was nominated for an Oscar four times. She will not let Ezra expose her secret and only be remembered by a scandal. Ray apologizes and asks if there is anything she needs. June gives him the big kiss off.

While Ray is on his way to export Tiny, Kate calls to says she’s met Mickey and guess what? She didn’t get to talk to him because his parole officer showed up. Ray laughs and reiterates the line she gave him earlier about doing their jobs. Tiny tries to escape through the bathroom window and cuts himself. Avi has to patch him up and Tiny balks some more about going to the Maldives. Ray says he doesn’t have a choice but Tiny says he does and rips up the passport that says he’s Burt Handey.

“If you want something done, you do it yourself.”
Meantime, Cochran’s wife has reminded her husband of something her mother always said. That gives him the idea to have Frank Barnes take Tiny out instead of leaving it up to Ray. (Anybody notice that he called his wife Donna on the phone although her first name has been listed as Holly on IMDB). Cochran meets up with Ray and plays Kate’s conversation with Mickey. Ray asks Cochran not to kill Tiny.

Ray goes to Super A Food and buys Tiny a chicken and a bottle of hootch. He sends Avi home. Ray is so nice to Tiny, it’s obvious he knows this is his last meal. Tiny wishes he had some ice cream and Ray says he’ll go get it. Ray passes by Frank Barnes in the parking lot. They exchange wordless glances and Ray drives away. He calls Kate to tell her she’s putting her life in danger by talking to Mickey. He texts her an address and agrees to meet her there.

Megan and Tom Volchek arrive at the Cochrans for Scrabble night. Barnes enters the motel room and shoots Tiny when he comes out of the bathroom, but the bullet grazes Tiny’s head and he charges Barnes and runs out the door. Barnes follows and shoots Tiny in the back of the head. He falls down the stairs on top of a motel customer on his way to his room. Barnes kills the customer too, and calls Cochran to say mission accomplished. He’s in his kitchen with Megan. As he leaves the room he grabs her breast in a most familiar manner.

Mickey takes a micro-cassette out of a Black Mass video sleeve. He places it in an envelope in his room when two men bust in and drag him out.

Ray meets up with Kate. He is visibly shaken and pours himself a stiff drink. She asks if some big bad guy is waiting out there to shoot her, and Ray says yeah. Kate says he’s full of shit. Ray kisses her and she says before she’s not doing this until…. he tells her to shut up and continues to kiss her passionately. She responds.

The episode ends with Scrabble Night. Mrs. Cochran spells “suck” and Megan Volchek adds 3 letters to the board that evoke appreciative chuckles from Ed Cochran. Before we jump to the conclusion that Ray will now get the leverage on Cochran that he’s had Lena looking for and that will take care of him, though, let’s not forget that Cochran is one ruthless S O B. Is it really going to be that E A S Y? And how will Mickey manage to F U C K it up in his quest to be a captain?

Squidward hated that jellyfish.
At the bike shop, Bunchy talks to a little boy named Clifford about what kind of bike he likes. When he offers to show her models, single mom, Patty, says they don’t have a lot of money. Bunchy offers to fix something up for Clifford and builds him a bike. Patty invites Bunchy to join them at a nearby Mexican joint. Bunchy tells Patty how he learned to build bikes and bonds with Clifford over Sponge Bob.