S01.E06: Why Me?

[Drogo]

An end-of-the-year crackdown by police in and around The Deuce spurs Vincent and Bobby to action; Candy tries to persuade her adult-film director that she can do more than act; Rudy witnesses an important court ruling on obscenity and enlists Frankie and Big Mike to protect his interest in the peep shows; Alston tries to convince Sandra that's more than just a "source."

[Primetimer]

A landmark legal decision opens the door for all sorts of new porn.

View the full article

[Rinaldo]

If Cliff (Method Man) Smith was last week's standout player, this week it has to be David Krumholtz. He's a sleaze and an operator, but he also seems to genuinely care about Candy/Eileen and goes out of his way to make sure she's OK (in the process becoming the very first visitor to her apartment). And Krumholtz balances those two sides expertly. He also got to deliver the episode's best throwaway line: "Mankiewicz never had to wait around for a hard-on." (Best throwaway visual was that same hard-on-needing actor sifting through a pile of magazines to pick out a M/M title.)

Edited October 16, 2017 by Rinaldo

[Armchair Critic]

The number  given to Candy by the porn producer was for "Alex". I remember a famous "Madam Alex" in the 80's but I think she was in L.A.

[thuganomics85]

Hey, Roxann Dawson (B'Elanna Torres from Star Trek: Voyager) directed this one!  I know she's done a lot of directing post-Voyager, but I'm glad to see her get to direct shows like this (although, quickly glancing at IMDB, she directed a couple of episodes of Treme, so I guess she and David Simon have already got a working relationship.)

Glad Candy is getting out of the prostitution business, although I felt for her frustrations over wanting to be more then just a porn star, but getting denied.  I do think Harvey was sincere about it being a money issue, although I do wonder if he is nervous deep down that she could end up surpassing him somehow.  But now that the next film won't be for another month, he's got her the number for what I'm guessing is a madame named Alex?

After being in the back-burner for a bit, I'm glad Lori seems to be going somewhere by getting recruited by Candy to do that film, which I'm guessing she might keep persusing.  Of course, I should have known C.C. would find out and cause a ruckus.  Meanwhile, it seems like Larry is pushing Darlene to do it too, but she's not interested which I guess will cause problems later on.

Heh, I love that now the police are suddenly cracking down on everything because the holidays are coming up and they can't have all of this around the tourists! I'm guessing Frankie and Bobby's little business is going be booming very soon!  But they seemed to be unprepared about having to pay off the 14th District as well.  Uh oh!

I know Abby isn't the greatest character, but I enjoyed her interactions with Paul.

Big Mike might have just found a way to make peep booths become even more appealing to pervs!  

Still loving the interactions between Chris/the cop and Sandra/the reporter.

[Rinaldo]

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Meanwhile, it seems like Larry is pushing Darlene to do it too, but she's not interested which I guess will cause problems later on.

Maybe, but not necessarily. He gave her a choice, "From here on it's the movies or the ho-house." She didn't want the movies, so that left her the other alternative. And that was a dramatic gut-punch of a cinematic jump at the very end: after seeing all this activity from the outside and the lobbies, we suddenly see what's it's actually like for someone like Darlene, sitting alone, rickety bed and walls (sound coming right through), cheap bottle of lotion on the shelf, walls not even reaching the ceiling "like a stable" as one of the girls said earlier. And nice cinematography making us feel how boxed in she feels.

7 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Heh, I love that now the police are suddenly cracking down on everything because the holidays are coming up and they can't have all of this around the tourists!

True enough, but also part of the city plan to make the new massage parlors more appealing to the sex workers so they'll permanently stop working the streets. Hence the advisory that this sweep isn't going to wear off in just a week or two. Gotta get the indoor spaces populated.

[revbfc]

I certainly hope they were tuning in to a college radio station to hear the Velvet Underground, because no commercial station would have been touching that stuff back in the day.

 

(I absolutely LOVE THIS SHOW!!!)

[Kenz]

14 hours ago, Rinaldo said:

If Cliff (Method Man) Smith was last week's standout player, this week it has to be David Krumholtz. He's a sleaze and an operator, but he also seems to genuinely care about Candy/Eileen and goes out of his way to make sure she's OK (in the process becoming the very first visitor to her apartment). And Krumholtz balances those two sides expertly. 

I agree, David Krumholtz does a fine acting job. My husband told me that he played the younger brother of Rob Morrow on the tv show Numbers a few years ago, and I couldn't believe it. He looked so young on that show.

[luna1122]

35 minutes ago, Kenz said:

I agree, David Krumholtz does a fine acting job. My husband told me that he played the younger brother of Rob Morrow on the tv show Numbers a few years ago, and I couldn't believe it. He looked so young on that show.

He's only 39 now, but the weight gain, bad 'stache,  and the styling make him look much older on this show.

[Drogo]

Some of us may remember David K as Wednesday Addam's love interest in Addams Family Values.

 

He looks a lot different but he's pitch perfect as warm-hearted Harvey.  "I hate the way you feel now." 

[meep.meep]

37 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

He's only 39 now, but the weight gain, bad 'stache,  and the styling make him look much older on this show.

That, and it was seven years ago.

I remember him playing Bernard the Elf on the Santa Clause. 

Does the reporter even know that Officer Alston is trying to date her?  Speaking of which, their date, with that kind of jazz, is my idea of hell.

[BingeyKohan]

I'd seen on-set photos of Maggie G. wearing that costume for the first porno we saw them filming (w/the guy who chose "Hombre" to re-fluff himself with). My speculative mind figured it was Eileen in her "take me seriously, i'm a filmmaker now" mode, but now I see it was a teacher costume for the set-up of the movie shoot! I loved the look she and Harvey (what a tainted name now) exchanged when the actor fumbled his 'dirty talk.' Just 2 episodes left of the first season, is that right?

[Carolina Girl]

4 hours ago, Kenz said:

I agree, David Krumholtz does a fine acting job. My husband told me that he played the younger brother of Rob Morrow on the tv show Numbers a few years ago, and I couldn't believe it. He looked so young on that show.

OMG!  THAT's where I know that name from!  He was like a skinny little nerd.  THAT was my darling Charlie Epps?  Oh NOES!

[planet17]

This episode made me feel bad for the girls. Even more than before. I mean, we do see the stories here "interlacing", and we see them talking about profits and making money. It's something that sounds good and hopeful for the business, given the most recent obstacle they were facing. But it's all driven by the interest of men, really. They're the ones making good money out of it.

It's interesting noticing how the girls are framed in this episode. Especially Candy. They're "behind bars". It's like, the business is growing for the men, but it's like the girls are being "encaged". It's sad.

[Silly Angel]

5 hours ago, BingeyKohan said:

I loved the look she and Harvey (what a tainted name now) exchanged when the actor fumbled his 'dirty talk.

God, yes. Every time someone said "Harvey," I shuddered.

[Fretful]

David Krumholtz had thyroid cancer.  The weight gain is a result of the treatment.  I understand he's already lost quite a bit of it.

[LekoBoy]

10 hours ago, Kenz said:

I agree, David Krumholtz does a fine acting job. My husband told me that he played the younger brother of Rob Morrow on the tv show Numbers a few years ago, and I couldn't believe it. He looked so young on that show.

Before playing an elf in The Santa Clause, he played a molested boy on an episode of L&O:SVU. He’s gained so much weight; at first I thought he was wearing a fat suit.

[yellowjacket]

David K posted a fabulous fuck-you to twitterers who mocked his weight gain, which was due to thyroid cancer and its treatment.  

His performance in this episode was really good, touching, even (but not that way, right?).  I am wondering if Maggie Gyllenhall spent some rehearsal time with him, like she did last week with Method Man - maybe another acting collaboration.  Nuance abounds.

[Moxie Cat]

I'll always love Krumholtz as Neil's awesome college-age brother on Freaks and Geeks.

Something has to interrupt Vincent's upward trajectory. I'm guessing Pipilo will either shaft him (because that loyalty isn't always a two-way street) or he will unexpectedly save him from some disaster and Vincent will find himself even more indebted to the mobster (which he specifically told his wife he didn't want to be in the pilot).

I always want to see more of Eileen's home life. So something terrible happened with her father and there is a damaged brother too?

[TheNewJanBrady]

People gain weight over time. It happens. Sheesh. I love what Krumholtz is doing with the role.

[luna1122]

I don't see anyone ranking on him for the weight gain; most of us DO gain weight--I sure have--, and he's had health probs that most of us are aware of. He's lost a good deal of it now. I love him, I think he's talented and adorable and smart.  But it's hard not to notice the difference in how he looks in comparison to how we've come to know him. But part of it IS the styling for the show...the bad facial hair, the too tight, unflattering clothes. Even James Franco doesn't look as pretty as he usually does. It was an ugly decade.

[Rinaldo]

51 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I don't see anyone ranking on him for the weight gain;

I did see one instance (at least it seemed that way to me), but overall I agree that reaction has been sympathetic, as well as impressed with his acting chops here. Lots of good acting going on in this show.

9 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Eileen's home life. So something terrible happened with her father

It's been left very undefined so far. Might be just father irrevocably disowning and rejecting her for her choices, or might be something different. We'll get there, I imagine.

[Milburn Stone]

9 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

I always want to see more of Eileen's home life. So something terrible happened with her father...

I'm glad for this group. Because I thought the male voice she ran away from was that of the father of her child.

D'oh!

[shockermolar]

Quote

I'll always love Krumholtz as Neil's awesome college-age brother on Freaks and Geeks.

For me it was Ben in Slums of Beverly Hills.  He was young and really held his own in a movie with an AMAZING cast.  And then I met him about 2 years after the movie came out in an absolutely weird moment where he randomly boarded a mai-tai sunset cruise in Waikiki that was basically a whole bunch of us from a softball tournament, plus him and his SO. He was super nice to all of us super drunk ballplayers. And so, aside from his really great acting ability, I will always like him for not jumping into the ocean and swimming back to shore when the crazy started.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Eileen's home life. So something terrible happened with her father

Sounded to me like maybe Candy and/or her brother were abused by their father. Either their mother didn't notice or tacitly accepted it so she could stay married.

Quote

with that kind of jazz

And there I was, loving it. I think all the music on the show has been fantastic.

[planet17]

Oh, I forgot to mention. We got another glimpse of Eileen's past. Now we know that something happened between her and her father and they don't talk to each other anymore, which I believe is her life style. But what caught my attention for some reason was her mentioning her brother and the context that she did it. Her mother told her "would it kill you to say hello?", as Eileen responds something like "after all that happened, you think it's ok" and then she mentions her brother like she was comparing her situation with her father with her brother. It made me feel like her brother is another "shame" for the family. Gay, maybe?

A shot in the dark.

[MrWhyt]

1 hour ago, planet17 said:

Oh, I forgot to mention. We got another glimpse of Eileen's past. Now we know that something happened between her and her father and they don't talk to each other anymore, which I believe is her life style. But what caught my attention for some reason was her mentioning her brother and the context that she did it. Her mother told her "would it kill you to say hello?", as Eileen responds something like "after all that happened, you think it's ok" and then she mentions her brother like she was comparing her situation with her father with her brother. It made me feel like her brother is another "shame" for the family. Gay, maybe?

A shot in the dark.

the "have you visited your brother? I don't go up there" (poorly paraphrased) exchange made me think her brother was in prison.

[tljgator]

12 minutes ago, MrWhyt said:

the "have you visited your brother? I don't go up there" (poorly paraphrased) exchange made me think her brother was in prison.

That's an interesting guess I hadn't thought of ... I initially thought that brother was incapacitated in some way that the father blames her for (car accident, drugs, etc.), and, thus, she was disowned, etc. Considering the time frame, I'd think he could also have been disabled in Viet Nam in some way, but I can't see how that fits in with her, specifically. In any case, still interested to find out the full story.

[EtheltoTillie]

6 hours ago, MrWhyt said:

the "have you visited your brother? I don't go up there" (poorly paraphrased) exchange made me think her brother was in prison.

I had the feeling it was one of those homes for the developmentally disabled. At that time it would have been common to send such children away. 

[sugarbaker design]

19 hours ago, MrWhyt said:

the "have you visited your brother? I don't go up there" (poorly paraphrased) exchange made me think her brother was in prison.

I immediately thought of cemetery.

[txhorns79]

Quote

the "have you visited your brother? I don't go up there" (poorly paraphrased) exchange made me think her brother was in prison.

I thought she was talking about prison.  You figure if they have one kid whose life is such that she's been hooking for nearly two decades, it wouldn't be surprising that the other kid also has significant problems. 

Quote

But part of it IS the styling for the show...the bad facial hair, the too tight, unflattering clothes.

 

 

I agree.  The wardrobe they have him in makes him look much worse than he actually looks. 

[planet17]

I was rewatching the episode and there was one detail I forgot to mention. The actor having sex with Candy takes a gay magazine to get hard again. That was interesting. I know about the "gay-for-pay" thing, although I don't know if that was a thing back in the 70's or just a recent thing. But I never heard about a gay actor doing straight porn. He could be just bisexual too.

Anyway, I hope Simons explore those things. I'm sure he'll explore gay movies eventually.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On October 21, 2017 at 4:45 PM, planet17 said:

I was rewatching the episode and there was one detail I forgot to mention. The actor having sex with Candy takes a gay magazine to get hard again. That was interesting. I know about the "gay-for-pay" thing, although I don't know if that was a thing back in the 70's or just a recent thing. But I never heard about a gay actor doing straight porn. He could be just bisexual too.

Anyway, I hope Simons explore those things. I'm sure he'll explore gay movies eventually.

And ... segue to next episode :)

[mansonlamps]

If her father was sexually abusive toward Candy's brother, and her mother did nothing to prevent or protect him, do you really think Candy would leave her son in their care?  I hope that's not going to be the story. 

I had to unsubscribe to this podcast, it was so incredibly annoying.  The female podcaster doesn't let her fellow podcaster, apparently her husband,  get a word in edgewise and is a bit (to be kind) self righteous.  Yeah, sex workers in this era and situation aren't screwed up,  they are making a "career choice" yep, I'm sure that's the case ::eyeroll::.