Last week Ray Donovan murdered the man who was going to protect Mickey in jail. With Belikov gone Ray turns to Ed Cochran (Hank Azaria) to get his father out of County. In the meantime the plan is to have MIckey placed in the gay protection wing.
Cochran has evidence on the star of “Norman Saves the World” Sherman Radley (Reginald VelJohnson) who stabbed a co-star to death. Ed took care of the murder weapon and someone else disposed of the girl’s body. Radley’s agent, Nick Lowell (Balfour) was in charge of the body detail.
A surviving Minassian (Terry Moore) puts a contract on Mick and the hitman has himself arrested. Inside County, the man is instantly spotted by Mickey. Later the killer poison’s Mick’s soup. His cellmate eats it instead and later dies.
Sidenote: In a blackly comic scene, Mick pretends to be having sex with his dying cellmate as Brent Mancini (Thomas Crawford) comes to see him. Conor, not being part of the scam, tells Mancini that his grandfather is straight. The official goes to see Mick and deny him access to the wing. Mick’s “sex” ruse works and he is transferred just as the hitman becomes his new roomie.
Back at the gym Hector (Ismael Cruz Cordova) decides to do all his training there. Marisol (Lisa Bonet) gets kicked out of rehab and Campos tells Daryll to take her home. Hector has turned into a douche since losing his big fight.
Daryll picks up Marisol and she stops off for a fix. When they show up at the gym where Hector is giving a press conference, he is furious.
Cochran shows Ray the evidence against Radley. He then brokers the deal with Holt (Derek Webster). Avi is upset when Holt agrees to the deal and he tells Ray that Cochran is trying to screw him.
Ray meets with Hollywood agent Lowell and offers him Tommy Wheeler as a potential client. Lowell bites. Ray tells Nick to meet him at his apartment. Wheeler is there already and he tells Ray he does not need a new agent.
Lowell arrives and before he can get into the “deal” Ray takes him into anther room where Ed Cochran is waiting. Ed tells Lowell to give up Sherman Radley for the murder of Fiona Miller. Cochran tries intimidating the agent who is not fazed by Ed’s gun. Ed headbutts Lowell and Ray follows up by knocking him out.
Nick ends up being waterboarded by Cochran. Initially the agent is defiant and refuses to talk. Mid way through the torture Tommy comes into the room. He takes a seat and watches the proceedings. Finally Lowell cracks and he reveals that the late Ezra Goldman arranged for the body to be disposed.
Ray immediately knows who did the deed for Ezra; The Texan (Keach). Avi is not happy. Later, Ed blackmails Radley into telling him where Miller’s body is hidden. The star tells Cochran it is at his old restaurant. Ray watches The Texan and sees Radley talk to the man. He follows The Texan to the restaurant.
Donovan tries to warn Cochran who lies to Ray about where he is. The Texan arrives and enters the building. As Ray approaches he hears shots ring out. Entering the building he finds both The Texan and Cochran have been wounded. He asks The Texan where the body is and he finds it.
Ray leaves The Texan in the closed restaurant as Ed goes to give Holt the location of the body. As Donovan goes to leave, he stops and looks at The Texan as The Upbeats sing “Friday On My Mind.”
It is interesting to see how Ezra Goldman keeps cropping up in season four. Ray seems to be inexorably linked to the dead man. Cochran still has not learned that Donovan will always get the better of him.
Terry’s protege Damon (Dominique Columbus) wins his first fight and Bunchy talks Abby into looking after baby Maria for a bit longer.
The guest stars this week rocked. Stacey Keach still impresses as one bad customer. The look that he and Liev Schreiber exchange spoke volumes. Keach’s chops are still massive and very strong. Hank Azaria got a chance to show off his singing skills again and no one can play sleaze like Eric Balfour.
It will be interesting to see what happens next. Hector has changed and Mickey presumably still has a contract out on him. And who was the Minassian woman in the electric wheelchair. She paid for Mick to be killed and will obviously continue to be a threat.
Ray Donovan airs Sundays on Showtime. Do not miss this show. Great writing and great acting equals great television.
CAST:
- Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan
- Eddie Marsan – Terry Donovan
- Dash Mihok – Bunchy Donovan
- Paula Malcomson – Abby Donovan
- Kerris Dorsey – Bridget Donovan
- Devon Bagby – Conor Donovan
- Jon Voight – Mickey Donovan
- Pooch Hall – Daryll
- Steven Bauer – Avi
- Katherine Moennig – Lena
- Embeth Davidtz – Sonia Kovitzky
Guest starring Stacey Keach as the Texan and Eric Balfour as Nick Lowell and Austin Nichols as Tommy Wheeler.
