The Deuce

As it turns out, the official description on HBO Europe does not match what the series is actually about. The development of the porn industry was pushed to the background for the most part. It was more of a gritty chronicle of downtown New York, which I enjoyed most of the time. Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco’s performances clearly stood out, and I enjoyed the show despite a weaker second season. (15.03.2020)

After the end of the first season, I am very satisfied, even though I was expecting something completely different. The porn industry is my favorite industry by far – the engineering industry or car manufacturing for instance leave me absolutely cold. This time I read the description of the series, which I don’t usually do, so I was quite surprised that pornography was actually pushed to the sidelines. But the creators had it well thought out, they wrote a great story, gave it a perfect retro vibe, showed off an excellent cast and totally won me over. Maggie Gyllenhaal played the life-hardened Eileen/Candy excellently, but the real tour de force was Margarita Levieva in the role of an almost twenty years younger Abby. 4*+ (23.01.2020)

The pilot was a standard introduction to the characters and the setting, taking its time. While the plot wasn't exactly groundbreaking, I found myself giving it an extra star just for capturing the vibe of 1970s New York so perfectly. (22.01.2020)

The episode didn't exactly race ahead, but I'm getting the hang of how this is all going to unfold, and I'm cool with it. In a sea of shows and movies where the lead character's struggle often revolves around their homosexuality or gender transition, this is a breath of fresh air. (22.01.2020)

Exactly my kind of thing. Sure, it could use a bit more fine-tuning, but overall, I'm pretty satisfied. I'm really digging this gritty, hidden side of New York. The absence of a typically positive character is refreshing, and I'm eager to see what the creators have in store next. (22.01.2020)

I just can't help but love this show. Even though the story took its time to unfold, I didn't mind one bit. Vincent's realization about nothing being truly free hit home. Plus, I had a blast watching the scene with him buying a gun with an operator, the deadly blowjob, and the date with a journalist. (22.01.2020)

The pace of the story took a bit of a breather, mainly because the spotlight was on bartender Paul. Despite that shift, I wasn't disappointed. The storyline remained engaging, flaws and all. While pornography still lurks in the background, the episode vividly depicted the struggles of professional escorta, handling it with a delicate touch. (23.01.2020)

After a bit of a detour, we've arrived at the heart of the matter exploring the early days of the porn industry in the USA. But you know what? I'm not complaining at all. In fact, I'm thrilled with how the creators handled it. Kudos to them for taking their time and doing it right. (23.01.2020)

Seven episodes in and I'm still hooked! Despite its leisurely pace, I find myself loving this series even more. A big part of that is the spot-on depiction of 1970s New York City and the fantastic casting. The characters feel so real and fully fleshed out. (23.01.2020)

A stellar finale to the first season! The creators nailed it with a diverse range of storylines, setting up a seamless transition into the second season. They even delved into the "progressive treatment" of homosexuality at the time, which makes today's complaints from the LGBTQ+ community seem somewhat baffling in comparison. Ruby's storyline added a darker layer, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the discovery of preferences in porn booths. (23.01.2020)

The second season wasn’t a nice surprise. I expected the quality to go up, but it turned out to be the exact opposite. The filming was sidelined by an oftentimes lackluster and unimportant plot, I often felt that the creators themselves were taken aback by the six-year gap between the first season and this one. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic and look forward to the third season. (13.03.2020)

The first episode of the second season left me a bit underwhelmed. While the vibe of New York in 1977 was spot-on, the plot felt sluggish. The creators fast-forwarded a few years between seasons and then struggled to find their footing. Overall, the episode just felt kind of flat. (11.03.2020)

The second episode still falls short of the standard set by the previous seasons, but I bumped up the rating because this time around, there were elements that caught my interest. It was undeniably enlightening; I've always found pornography from the seventies and early eighties aesthetically unappealing to me, and now I know why. (11.03.2020)

I was hoping for the story to take off like in the first season. Unfortunately, it didn't. While there were developments, such as awarding the first "porn Oscars" and the pimps getting more sidelined, I didn't perceive a notable leap forward in the story. (11.03.2020)

I bumped up my rating by a star as the creators of this series on the origins of the American porn industry finally delved into the actual filming process of a porn movie. The humor alongside the exploration of a tragic event made for a well-balanced episode that I couldn't help but enjoy. (12.03.2020)

Despite some significant plot deviations, I couldn't help but overlook them, especially considering the promising glimpse of what's to come in the next episode. While I found the narrative around other storylines more finely tuned in the first season, I'm hopeful that we're finally on track to uncover what the series was initially intended to be about. (12.03.2020)

In the sixth episode, the creators finally delivered what we've been waiting for. The filming of Candy's ambitious "artistic" porn movie kicked into high gear, and it was a riot from start to finish. I'm quietly hopeful that the rest of the season will keep up this momentum. Watching them shoot porn on the busy streets of New York was quite enlightening:-) (12.03.2020)

After the thrill of the last episode, this one felt like a plunge into icy water. It lacked substance, with only a few bright moments. It seemed like the creators were desperately trying to distract us from the fact that the plot was as plain as can be. Boredom, boredom, and more boredom. (13.03.2020)

The last episode was a total flop, but this one was pretty enjoyable. I can't wrap my head around Emily Meade's discomfort with the sexual scenes, questioning what her children will think someday. Didn't she realize her character's role as a prostitute and porn actress from the script? It's a head-scratcher, for sure. (13.03.2020)

I found the finale to be relatively satisfying. The plot was engaging, offering moments of enjoyment throughout. As usual, the most intriguing moments came towards the end, leaving me eager for more. And we have videotapes to look forward to! (13.03.2020)