S07.E08: Passport and a Gun

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Ray and Smitty must cover for their own actions; Daryll calls Jasmine with an opportunity that lands them face-to-face with Declan Sullivan; Terry and Bunchy head back upstate to settle some unfinished business with the Shaman.

Promo:

Original air date: 1/5/20

[LoveLeigh]

WOW! After a show start this is really getting good. How many episodes are left for this season? I cannot see how Ray van get out of this mess, but at the end of every season he is good to go. And why did he call Dr. Alan Alda? 

[scrb]

Fucking Smitty.  Ray screwed up letting him see the family business.  I forget the circumstances in which he witnessed the cops they killed.

Declan seemed like a screwup junkie.  If he was any good as muscle, you figure Jim would have had him do collections instead of Ray.

He sure talked shit to Ray.  You know Ray will beat the shit out of him or worse.

Dumb Daryl, screwing up like Mickey, adding to the trail of bodies.

Jasmine said she won’t be with a thug but she was going to pop a cap in the motherfucker for that money.  Bullet in the head baby for your troubles.

Molly choosing Ray over daddy.  If Jim did cause Bridget’s death, Ray would make that family extinct if it weren’t for Molly.

So the Shaman’s game was about money after all.  Liberty must have been the lure, yet Terry didn’t have a dime so maybe they’re incompetent grifters.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Damn it, I always knew that Smitty wasn't made for this family but I didn't expect him to wear a wire. One thing I appreciated was that when Smitty told Ray that Terry had said Smitty would never be able to leave the family after what happened last season, Ray was clearly in disbelief.

Yes, Ray expects loyalty aka he expects you to KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, but I also think that if Smitty had said he was divorcing Bridget and moving to Australia, Ray would have done nothing to stop him and probably would have said, "Well, good luck," and bought him a plane ticket. Unlike an old school gangster family, I don't think that Ray would have forced Smitty to stay (married to Bridget or with the Donovans).

Darryl's situation is just adding to the clusterfuck. Gawd. I thought he was stupid just for opening the door when Declan showed up. Heh, Declan might be an idiot but he did have one thing right - Darryl never would have been able to convert that paperwork to actual money because he has no clue how to do it. I'm sure that whatever he tried, he would have gotten caught.

So was Jim molesting Bridget and that's why she killed herself? Or she thought they were in love and then he refused to leave his wife for her? Or she was getting too clingy and Jim killed her so she wouldn't tell anyone?

 

[mxc90]

Gary O'Malley is a special kind of dumb! He knows there is video/pictures but never looked at it to make sure it was Sullivan. So he decides to attempt to kill him in broad daylight anyway and now he is in jail. He tells Ray the video was working the last time he checked (when did he check, 5 years ago?). And to add insult, he was taken down by an "EPS" delivery guy!

If Gary knows what happened to Bridget, you would think that news would have reached the Donovan family a long time ago.

Sullivan should have destroyed the box of the tapes as soon as Ray gave them to him.

I had a feeling Smitty gave up Ray. I can't believe Terry or Ray didn't bother to question him when he came back from the police or ask if he made a deal. 

This is where Lena is missed, she would have picked up on Smitty /police and told Ray earlier.

At least Ray picked up on Smitty/police at the end. Too bad Ray confessed on the wire about shooting the cop and in the process gave up Darryl and Sandy.

After the confession, why didn't the police arrest Ray when he returned to the office? What else were they waiting to hear?

Why was Terry bleeding from the mouth? Did he bite his lip while giving the shaman a beating? I doubt the peaceful shaman landed a punch.

The shaman never asked for any valuables from Terry when he arrived.

Was Declan willing to stand by Ray's car all day?

Darryl is such as screw up and I don'r feel sorry for him! Didn't seemed concerned when Declan arrived with another man. Now Jasmine is the casualty when messing around with a Donovan! 

Two weeks ago, Bunchy is ready to work for Ray. This week, Ray calls and he looks pissed Ray interrupted breakfast to give him work.

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by mxc90

[Joimiaroxeu]

Is it really that common for people to have passports now? I'm not surprised Daryll has one but Jasmine having one was unexpected to me.

Terry and that left hook. The shady shaman literally didn't know what hit him, hah hah.

Aw geez, Smitty. The Donovans were dumb for underestimating him though.

I really thought Jasmine would turn out to be working undercover for the feds. Meanwhile, Daryll is a stone fool, always getting in over his head. Guess Jasmine was down for that life after all. And now she's permanently down.

Molly must really love Ray if she's willing to go against her family for him. Because I figure Jim would just as soon kill a disloyal kid as any other enemy.

At least Ray didn't shoot Smitty on the spot. Maybe he figured he was in deep enough sh!t since the cops were right outside. Smitty better be headed for witness protection because l think Bridget will likely off him now, or at least try to.

Edited January 5, 2020 by Joimiaroxeu

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, mxc90 said:

At least Ray picked up on Smitty/police at the end. 

I was surprised that Smitty didn't end up giving himself away. I think one of Ray's blind spots is that he assumed Smitty would be as loyal as the rest of the family. He only figured it out when he saw the surveillance van in the parking lot and put it all together. If not for that, who knows how much longer Smitty could have kept collecting confessions from Ray?

7 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Is it really that common for people to have passports now?

I've had one since I was a kid (even though I only left the country twice in that entire time and one of those times was just across the border to Canada) so all I had to do when I was an adult was renew it. Mr. EB didn't have one until he was an adult but he has one now.

It's a pretty simple process and it's good for ten years. I know some people who have passports and have never left the country. They got one just in case they ever want to go on vacation and don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to get an expedited passport approved (which is doable but expensive).

[preeya]

Funniest line of the night was by Declan Sullivan: "If you don't wanna help with Sammy Davis Donovan, I'll do it myself".   🤣 🤣 🤣

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by preeya

[scrb]

That could be kind of a stealth racial slur for a Southie.

[preeya]

 

24 minutes ago, preeya said:

Funniest line of the night was by Declan Sullivan: "If you don't wanna help with Sammy Davis Donovan, I'll do it myself".   🤣 🤣 🤣

 

2 minutes ago, scrb said:

That could be kind of a stealth racial slur for a Southie.

Exactly.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

 

[preeya]

16 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

 

 

Looks as if Ray got handed a surprise and I thought he knew everything.

Weird episode; no Mickey, no Bridget, no Sandy.

 

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by preeya

[WaltersHair]

I've been enjoying this season because we are finally seeing the family and how Mick's bone headed decisions have hurt people so much, they're still echoing in the present.

Smitty, dude.  You're days are numbered.

[TexasGal]

Molly could have maybe taken the whole box away from sleeping dad to sort through them instead of worry about waking him every time she made a clank?

Damn Smitty.  I hope Ray’s got something good left to barter with the cops.

[scrb]

Ray may not have said anything incriminating on the tape.

That may be why Smitty kept trying.

That may be Ray's escape path.

[preeya]

1 hour ago, scrb said:

Ray may not have said anything incriminating on the tape.

That may be why Smitty kept trying.

That may be Ray's escape path.

I think you're right. Smitty did most of the talking (repeated questions) and Ray didn't say much, if anything. It's also likely that Smitty has some sort of immunity for wearing the wire. In any case, I think Smitty's days are numbered.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

6 hours ago, scrb said:

Ray may not have said anything incriminating on the tape.

That may be why Smitty kept trying.

That may be Ray's escape path.

Conversations after Smitty started wearing a wire and were potentially heard by the police (I'm including any conversations that were held in Ray's office that the police could have heard even though I'm pretty sure Smitty had to be pretty close in order for his microphone to pick it up):

Smitty: Hey, Ray, that detective picked me up and she brought me in for questioning.
Ray: Yeah, I know. Terry told me.
Smitty: Yeah, well, it was just kind of more of the same - showed me pictures of heads, went over the alibi. I didn't say anything different. 
Ray: All right. 
Smitty: I just wanted you to know.
Ray: Okay.

[in this one, I omitted Gary's part of the conversation so that we only get what Smitty/the police heard]
Smitty: Ray Donovan's office. Hey, it's a it's a collect call from a Manhattan detention complex. A guy named Gary O'Malley?
[Gary]
Ray: What are you talking about, Gary?
[Gary]
Ray: Gary, you got a lawyer?
[Gary]
Ray: What makes you so sure it was Sullivan?

Declan: First you fuck over my brother, then you're literally fucking my sister. Jesus Christ, Ray, what's that about? Can't find anybody better than Molly?
Ray: What are you doing here, Declan?
Declan: My dad wants those stocks back. Says your half breed brother took them.
Ray: So take it up with him.
Declan: See, I was thinking, you know, since he's your brother and all maybe you should be the one to do that.
Ray: Yeah?
Declan: I mean, I could do it but, you know, might get messy. You remember that time in sixth grade when I kicked the shit outta you?
Ray: No, I don't.
Declan: Well, let me ask you something. Were you were you already sucking Father O'Connor's dick at that point? One way or another, I'm gonna get back what's ours. If you don't want to help with Sammy Davis Donovan, I'll do it myself.

Smitty: I keep having dreams about those cops. It's all just so clear and then it takes over. I just I don't know where to put it all. Do you still think about what we did?
Ray: Get some sleep. You need it.

Smitty: Holy shit, that's a lot of blood.
Ray: I thought I told you to stay in the car.
Smitty: Is this a crime scene? Do you think that Gary guy did this? Wait is that Daryll? You just erased all that?

Smitty: Can I ask you something? Terry said that whatever happens between me and Bridget I can't leave the family cause we killed all those cops.
Ray: What?
Smitty: I think about it all the time. Do you think about it? You think about what you did? I mean, just the sound of that fire poker going through that guy, I can't get that out of my head. I've never done anything like that before. And Daryll said that you went crazy on that cop. He said that you shot him like 20 times.
Ray: I shot him, he's dead. What's the difference?
Smitty: You don't feel bad? You don't feel bad for the families?
Ray: No, I don't feel bad. He got what he deserved. 
Smitty: Yeah. I don't feel bad either. That cop was going to kill Aunt Sandy. I did what I had to do too.

[TexasGal]

Thanks @ElectricBoogaloo!  So only the last one is really bad for Ray.  Maybe his taciturn nature is actually a skill taught to him by lawyers? 🤐

[Loandbehold]

7 hours ago, TexasGal said:

Maybe his taciturn nature is actually a skill taught to him by lawyers?

I think Ray developed that persona from having to be the one his mother and the rest of family leaned on when she became sick, along w/ dealing w/ an abusive father. Mickey may not have hit the kids, but abandoning them and returning just to steal money counts as abuse in my book. Given his responsibilities, he had to learn to hold it together and internalize everything. Which he channeled into his creative use of violence for Sullivan's jobs.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Loandbehold
Changed the name to avoid confusion w/ the "Sully" from season 1.

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, Loandbehold said:

I think Ray developed that persona from having to be the one his mother and the rest of family leaned on when she became sick, along w/ dealing w/ an abusive father. Mickey may not have hit the kids, but abandoning them and returning just to steal money counts as abuse in my book. Given his responsibilities, he had to learn to hold it together and internalize everything. Which he channeled into his creative use of violence for Sully's jobs.

Have they ever explained why Ray became the proxy dad for everyone, instead of Terry?  They probably did years ago but I don't remember. 

[scrb]

He doesn't talk.  None of the Donovan brothers do much talking.

Mickey is the one who's chatty.

Being the strong silent type may have been a response to the loss of his mother and sister and the other horrible things he went through, but probably made it hard on him and his wife and kids.

The thing is, at 10 Ray wanted to be a badass, cut his father.  And by his mid to late teens, he was an enforcer for Jim Sullivan?

He doesn't seem like the kind who would allow himself to be abused or victimized, unless it happened when he was even younger than 10.

Also, the other thing I wonder is if they ever referred to the Sullivans in the earlier seasons. I remember them talking about Sully all the time but not the Sullivans.  Maybe I missed it but seems like the Sullivans were a huge part of all the Donovans' lives.

 

[Tikichick]

What is Jim Sullivan's health issue?

[Loandbehold]

3 hours ago, scrb said:

Also, the other thing I wonder is if they ever referred to the Sullivans in the earlier seasons. I remember them talking about Sully all the time but not the Sullivans.  Maybe I missed it but seems like the Sullivans were a huge part of all the Donovans' lives.

James Woods played Sully (I shouldn't have used the same name when describing the head of the Sullivan family). I don't believe the two are related. I think Mick ratted out on Sully when he was in Walpole at the time the show began, but I may be remembering that wrong.

[WaltersHair]

I have a general wiretapping question. I live in Chicago. Illinois is a two party recording state.  I  only learned of this because a company I used to work for would tape our conversations and I had no idea until they said we could no longer talk by phone, email only.

New York recently changed the all party to the one party, but if Ray was still in California, Smitty couldn't wear a wire, is that correct?

[pfk505]

9 hours ago, Tikichick said:

What is Jim Sullivan's health issue?

Not sure if they specified, but its terminal, hence the succession planning.

[Tikichick]

10 hours ago, pfk505 said:

Not sure if they specified, but its terminal, hence the succession planning.

Thank you.  I realize it has a mortality component, but I had a wild idea about something in particular and wondered if I had missed the explanation. 

[Loandbehold]

16 hours ago, WaltersHair said:

New York recently changed the all party to the one party

This has been the law in NY since at least 1988.

[TexasGal]

17 hours ago, WaltersHair said:

I have a general wiretapping question. I live in Chicago. Illinois is a two party recording state.  I  only learned of this because a company I used to work for would tape our conversations and I had no idea until they said we could no longer talk by phone, email only.

New York recently changed the all party to the one party, but if Ray was still in California, Smitty couldn't wear a wire, is that correct?

In a 2 party consent state, they could still have wired him if they got a court order first I think.

[scrb]

3 minutes ago, TexasGal said:

In a 2 party consent state, they could still have wired him if they got a court order first I think.

That's a good point.

So presumably the detective got a court order to be able to get Smitty to wear a wire and would need PD support to have surveillance vans and personnel.

Yet didn't we see her superior tell the detective to clear and close the case, put the murders on Mickey, who died in the fire?

If she pursued it instead of pursuing other cases, would her department tolerate it?

Or even support her getting the court order for the wiretap and using department resources to run surveillance on Ray?

Or just even bringing Smitty in for questioning in the first place?

[Loandbehold]

2 hours ago, scrb said:

So presumably the detective got a court order to be able to get Smitty to wear a wire and would need PD support to have surveillance vans and personnel.

They didn't need a court order b/c Smitty "volunteered" to wear a wire. (He agreed b/c he thought it was the only way he could hope to stay out of jail.) If they wanted to bug Ray's office, then they would have needed a court order. I don't know for sure whether the superior would need to sign off on a warrant request before the detective would go to a judge.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Take your shirt off:

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by ElectricBoogaloo

[roughing it]

On 1/8/2020 at 1:50 PM, Loandbehold said:

They didn't need a court order b/c Smitty "volunteered" to wear a wire. (He agreed b/c he thought it was the only way he could hope to stay out of jail.)

They also must have threatened that if Smitty didn't wear the wire, they were going to go after Bridget.  That's why he did it, to "save" Bridget.

I was onto Smitty wearing a wire when he was asking all those questions of Terry and Ray.  At first I thought they were onto Smitty too, but then Ray carelessly admitted killing the cop.