Ray Donovan: The Movie

[SnapHappy]

So the movie wrapping everything up dropped on Showtime today. 

Is discussion here allowed? 

Edited January 14, 2022 by SnapHappy

[SnapHappy]

So we see how Ray's career as a fixer begins.  And we witness the earlier days of Mickey's reign of chaos.  I absolutely enjoyed watching him bleed to death, creepy as that sounds. 

It was good to see Lena, even so briefly.  If Darryll is smart, he'll never leave Venezuela for the rest of his life. 

Bridget sure didn't take after her namesake.  Sour, whiny and self-righteous from beginning to end.  She was so over Smitty, yet that hypocritical "grief" had to interrupt a pretty entertaining electric slide demo by the Donovan boys!  But she did the whole family a service by taking out Mickey, so she gets mad props for that.  

Terry's imaginary dinner with the younger family was heartbreaking.  He & Bridget are going to be a family of 2 now, since Ray is obviously taking the fall for Bridget & will be put on trial for murder.   Hopefully Bunchy heads to LA to try again with Theresa & the baby.  

I'm good with the wrap up.  And having Dr. Amiot there through the whole thing was oddly comforting.  Ray actually has somebody he could count on.  

Thanks to the showrunners, it was a good ride.  

 

[LoveLeigh]

2 hours ago, SnapHappy said:

I'm good with the wrap up.  

Thanks to the showrunners, it was a good ride.  

 

And I think this wrap up was awful. it was trite and predictable. I would have preferred it end with the last episode of the last season. It was more open ended.... This was a terrible final episode and certainly will not make any list of best final episodes ever. 

[Pestilentia]

I think things were all wrapped up a bit too neatly but that is better than leaving things hanging, so I guess I'm good. I could just about see the checklist of things they hoped to resolve though- it was a tad hamfisted.  
I was satisfied and got enough closure to suit me.  Good job Ray.     

Happy to see both Ray and Bunchy slimmed down.   

Still extremely distracted by how much Bridget looks like Waylon Flower's 'Madame' puppet, though. Take me right out of the show every time.

[Dminches]

I liked the movie more for the prequel aspects than the current storyline wrap-up.  

 

[gail56]

No mention of Ray's son. It is like he never existed.

[WaltersHair]

I'm glad we got the movie and and ending for the Ray and Fam. I feel like we've been inundated with Boston Irish Southies for 20 years: Wallbergs, Afflecks, Donovans and a Damon to name a few.

This movie could have used a healthy dose of Aunt Sandy for a few laughs, but I like it as is.

[SnapHappy]

4 hours ago, gail56 said:

No mention of Ray's son. It is like he never existed.

This is the only instance of Caw-neeeer that I ever enjoyed.  And the best 1 minute and 34 seconds of the entire series:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ray+donovan+dance+scene&view=detail&mid=54D980F282832654771754D980F2828326547717&FORM=VIRE

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by SnapHappy

[ethalfrida]

Is it time for actual discussion yet? I have questions.

[SnapHappy]

I certainly threw all my opinions up on Friday afternoon, and no Mod has removed the thread.

I think we're safe! 

Let's discuss, please!  You know more folks will come in & add to the conversation when they realize the movie dropped.  

Edited January 16, 2022 by SnapHappy

[preeya]

Hated it! Especially Young Mickey.

Perhaps I'll give it a do-over.

Edited January 16, 2022 by preeya

[LoveLeigh]

11 hours ago, preeya said:

Hated it! Especially Young Mickey.

Perhaps I'll give it a do-over.

Wow, finally an opinion I totally agree with. How did this get good reviews? I think it was awful. It is like they did it grudgingly to give fans an ending in which they tied up the plots in the series but is was depressing and a quick fake fix. 

Bunchy is going back with his baby mama? (for the fans?) Daryll is sent to South America to elude persecution for his crimes? (so fans are cheering?) Ray takes the fall for Bridget? (Liev Schreiber has described Ray as a serial killer so Ray gets his comeuppance?) Mickey is shot for all of his crimes? Terry gives himself a happy ending?

It was so rushed and trite.... and it was obvious they went for closure but the writers put no real effort into development. Maybe they wrote it between other jobs? 

Edited January 17, 2022 by LoveLeigh

[TV Anonymous]

One interesting point for me is that in the whole series Mickey is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who was released from a prison sentence for a brutal murder. Who knew that Mickey did not actually commit the crime? The whole arc about Mickey as a murderer is actually false. Ray framed him to protect his first client and to start his career as a fixer, a career that got him at least a house in Calabassas, an apartment in downtown Los Angeles, two Mercedes-Benz cars, a boxing gym, a bar, and a great wealth to be able to send someone to live overseas.

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, TV Anonymous said:

One interesting point for me is that in the whole series Mickey is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who was released from a prison sentence for a brutal murder. Who knew that Mickey did not actually commit the crime? The whole arc about Mickey as a murderer is actually false. Ray framed him to protect his first client and to start his career as a fixer, a career that got him at least a house in Calabassas, an apartment in downtown Los Angeles, two Mercedes-Benz cars, a boxing gym, a bar, and a great wealth to be able to send someone to live overseas.

I feel like we knew that Ray had set Mickey up, but not in as much detail as we saw in the movie?  And, at some point Mickey took his revenge on the actor that he took the fall for?  The series is all sort of a blur of the Donovans doing horrible things to people.

The saddest part of the movie, to me, was Terry cooking that big dinner and then thinking he was eating with his family.  Terry was my favorite character in all this mess.

[Soobs]

Well, that was depressing. It seemed like we're supposed to think Bridget stopped the cycle but I saw her as totally committing to the same violent, impulsive criminal lifestyle like the others. I guess I was hoping they all would decide to calm down and just leave Mickey to his own devices. I imagine that Ray's son is off living his best life and has blocked their numbers.

I guess the backstory was nice to see flushed out. I didn't really need it though.

[ethalfrida]

Lena needs her own show. 

[SnapHappy]

I think wrapping up the existing storylines within 6 years and 82 episodes is tough to do in 1 hour and 40 minutes.   It got a lot of views and a decent rating on IMDB.  

Happy with it or not, it's what we got.  

 

[Pestilentia]

Honestly, the one thing that shocks me most is how little discussion I am seeing of it.   

The way fans carried on and insisted on closure I would have expected a bigger turnout here.    

 

I think we knew that Ray set Mickey up and we also knew that Mickey knew that Ray knew he knew. IIRC it was presented as Mickey (perhaps subconsciously) agreeing to do the time because Ray (perhaps subconsciously) knew what a shit move it was to set him up and would (perhaps subconsciously) owe him one down the line. The whole problem with their 'perhaps subconscious' and entirely unspoken arrangement was that each of them inferred things not even considered by the other. Mickey expected things- he felt owed. Ray rationalized things- he felt justified. They both got it wrong.  

And that's why I think the whole finale/closure boiled down to just that issue, and is the only question I have regarding the ending.  For me, the ending is Ray understanding that no matter what a shit father Mickey had been he had been an equally shit son, so Ray will be able to forgive Mickey and make a stab at reclaiming what's left of the rest of his life- assuming he's not tied up in court and legal fees forever.  Conor is a non issue and I think Bridge will take a long time away from everyone. But Ray has to live with himself and really looking at himself and comprehending what he took from Mickey is essential- I think Ray has been in denial about that since forever. Not that it justifies Mickey's multiple failings and crimes against just about everyone, but more about the fact that on balance they are pretty well matched as far as a moral center and now maybe Ray finally gets that. He needs to get past blaming Mickey for his shit show of a life.     

My husband just thought Ray died. So what is the feeling here about Ray's state of mind/existence going forward?  

Also, ditto the Lena spin-off show.

[Dminches]

On 1/17/2022 at 12:24 PM, TexasGal said:

I feel like we knew that Ray had set Mickey up, but not in as much detail as we saw in the movie?  And, at some point Mickey took his revenge on the actor that he took the fall for?  The series is all sort of a blur of the Donovans doing horrible things to people.

The saddest part of the movie, to me, was Terry cooking that big dinner and then thinking he was eating with his family.  Terry was my favorite character in all this mess.

Who was the actor he took revenge on?  When did we see it?

 

[gail56]

I just rewatched the very first episode. At the end, Bridget hugs Mickey. Hugs him in episode one, and is the one to kill him in the end.

[TexasGal]

1 hour ago, Dminches said:

Who was the actor he took revenge on?  When did we see it?

 

It was first season, episode 10 - summary of the episode.  I thought Mickey had done the deed himself, but apparently he just told Sully and Sully did it. Which is why I had question marks before, I vaguely remembered the events but turns out none of the details!

[SnapHappy]

Bridget got all of the coldness, aggression and rage of both parents.  She's the one who unflinchingly and with no hesitation whatsoever helped Aunt Sandy use a chainsaw to cut up the bodies of the Staten Island cops that came after them.  Then they got buried in the yard.  Meanwhile, Smitty was vomiting on the sidelines, then serving up sandwiches.  

I think Ray would go back to LA, and back into private security.  But a less violent agenda, and hopefully with Lena.  There's nothing left for him on the East Coast.  He could probably talk Terry into going with him.  And as I said above, it sounded like Bunchy & Theresa were going to give their relationship another try.  She would definitely not leave her family on the West Coast.  

I also would have loved to see Aunt Sandy again, just for hilarity sake.  She was a great character.  

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by SnapHappy

[Bluesky]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:22 AM, TV Anonymous said:

One interesting point for me is that in the whole series Mickey is portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who was released from a prison sentence for a brutal murder. Who knew that Mickey did not actually commit the crime? The whole arc about Mickey as a murderer is actually false. Ray framed him to protect his first client and to start his career as a fixer, a career that got him at least a house in Calabassas, an apartment in downtown Los Angeles, two Mercedes-Benz cars, a boxing gym, a bar, and a great wealth to be able to send someone to live overseas.

I thought Mickey killed a priest?   
 

I hated how Ray had to pay for framing Mickey years ago by taking the blame for Mickeys inevitable murder.  He’ll be at Walpole just like his father.  Bridget got a taste of power and the cycle continues.  

[NoReally]

I could see Bridget becoming the next Lena.

New show?

[Readalot]

Honestly I was so hopeful for this movie. I loved the series. Bored quickly and it became background as I started cleaning the kitchen. But I have to admit I got choked up at Terry’s dinner. And I so missed Aunt Sandy. Adios MF Ray. 

[Shriekingeel]

On 1/17/2022 at 4:04 PM, ethalfrida said:

Lena needs her own show. 

With Avi co-starring. 

[aghst]

I’m assuming over the years they had different show runners and writers.

They probably had a rough outline of a backstory which they’ve alluded to over the years.  A lot of it was about the sister, the mother dying with a Mickey not around and the priest molestation.

Maybe they told Liev that they’d eventually depict these stories because I noticed that he got a co writing credit for the movie.

They started delving into the backstory in the last couple of seasons, after Abby died and they all moved to NY.  Maybe they figured all the seasons in LA with the fixer plots and the family drama got stale so they rebooted the show and went to the family’s past.

My recollection is that Ray seemed to be in pain, with all the loss and tragedy so he drank himself into a stupor and had a lot of sex.  The sad drunk arc did run out of steam but in this movie Ray remembers or recognizes that Mickey wasn’t so bad after all, that he loved all the brothers despite his selfish and minor criminal ways?

Then Bridget killed Mickey as he was dancing to cheer up Ray who had been shot and was bleeding out?

Seems like serious retconning.

I liked the happy Mickey over the years, him dancing to old 70s and 80s songs.  But his selfishness tore up the family and while Ray said he should have killed him many times, he never does it and actually saves Mickey’s life, more than once IIRC.

But it takes a return to Boston for all these memories to come flooding back and his favorite memory of Mickey seems to be the one when Mickey gets him to jump into the pool when he was a toddler.

It may be that the reaction to The Sopranos ending made them decide to kill off Mickey and probably Ray being caught, likely to go to prison.  They didn’t want to leave ambiguity nor be seen to let characters who committed many crimes get away with it.

Plus maybe they struggled to keep the show in production the last couple of seasons and they knew this movie was it, their one and only shot to wrap things up.

 

 

[lynxfx]

Disappointed in the movie. First hour was very slow. Not a lot to say that hasn't been said. It did pick up a bit in the final 20 minutes but overall a let down of a finale for a very good show.

[Dobian]

When Ray told the actor to go back to his trailer and say he fell asleep after drinking with Mickey, and called Ezra and told him to meet the guy there, and they showed the dead girl on the floor, the first thing that popped in my head was, "A career is born!"

There would be a lot of questions about Mickey's murder.  He was shot from behind, and from the door way, first of all, which they will easily deduce.  That doesn't work with Ray inside the room.  And Ray has a bullet in his gut from a gun that is not present at the scene.  So the question they will have is, who shot Ray?  It will be a tangled web to figure out depending on how Ray would play it.  He would need to concoct some kind of fictitious scenario involving another gunman at the scene who shot him and fled.  Even so, how and where Mickey was shot would be hard to explain in whatever story Ray comes up with.  Another guy shot Ray, so Ray shot Mickey in the back of the head?  Yeesh!

I liked the movie.  I get what people here are saying that it was too neat and trite and predictable.  But you have to understand that Liev Schreiber expected a full season eight to wrap things up and they had already story boarded the main plot for the season when the show was cancelled.  They were only given a little under two hours to tie things up so they had to keep the main plot very simple and straightforward so they had time for the flashbacks and all the reflective character moments.  I thought they did a great job given what they had to work with.  I don't think Mickey was retconned at all.  He is portrayed as a shitheel in the flashbacks, and in the present he still tries to make things right by getting a Ray a pile of money from the Sullivan stock, which has always been his MO.  Fix the family he has broken by getting them some money.  He always genuinely had affection for his sons, but that didn't change the fact that he was a terrible father.  Ray made peace with Mickey at the end.  He didn't exonerate him for his past sins.  The movie gave closure to the series, and I am good with that.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Dobian