The Deuce

:

Season 2
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 25, 2017
Season #: 1, 2
User Score
6.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 37 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 8 out of 37

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User Reviews

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  1. inannaishtar
    Sep 17, 2018
    1
    We are supposed to believe 5 years has passed and yet everyone looks EXACTLY the same except for the bad wigs and different clothes. It is as if no thought at all went into what everyone was doing the past 5 years. From the story line it is not much of anything. Did the writers quit or get fired?? The only thing interesting about James Francos character in season one was Abby and theyWe are supposed to believe 5 years has passed and yet everyone looks EXACTLY the same except for the bad wigs and different clothes. It is as if no thought at all went into what everyone was doing the past 5 years. From the story line it is not much of anything. Did the writers quit or get fired?? The only thing interesting about James Francos character in season one was Abby and they somehow managed to make her look awful in season 2. What was a great show is now not even watchable. PLEASE HIRE SOME WRITERS, and hire some female writers for the female characters because they are only thing interesting about this show. All of the females acting was phenomenal in season one. They have superb actors but no story lines and nothing at all to say. What a bummer!! Lets hope season 3 gets it back on track.… Expand
  2. NavyBean
    Sep 27, 2018
    2
    One season and two episodes in: What a slog. 86 critics' score? For what? I swear critics are afraid to be the one who reviews something honestly when the rest of their peers give it good reviews. Resulting in everyone overrating this dreck. Nothing's happened and I don't care about any of them. If this is supposed to be enlightening or loaded with new or interesting ideas they're beingOne season and two episodes in: What a slog. 86 critics' score? For what? I swear critics are afraid to be the one who reviews something honestly when the rest of their peers give it good reviews. Resulting in everyone overrating this dreck. Nothing's happened and I don't care about any of them. If this is supposed to be enlightening or loaded with new or interesting ideas they're being incredibly subtle about it. For example one idea that has at least 10 minutes of airtime in the first two episodes of the second season is the removal of a partition. Really? Butter and f'n onions, get some writers.… Expand
  3. OlivierPiel
    Oct 3, 2018
    2
    Why does it suck:
    - Franco:Acting is so ham-fisted, over-the-top , it's pathetic.
    - Plot: What plot? There is none. - Pretentiousness: This show is as high as can be. So Gyllenhaal is the former whore empowered by porn, trying to turn it into an art form. PLEEEEEAAAASE! - Waste of an excellent photography, lighting and cinematography (hence the 2 points). This show is a nice    Why does it suck:
    - Franco:Acting is so ham-fisted, over-the-top , it's pathetic.
    - Plot: What plot? There is none.
    - Pretentiousness: This show is as high as can be. So Gyllenhaal is the former whore empowered by porn, trying to turn it into an art form. PLEEEEEAAAASE!
    - Waste of an excellent photography, lighting and cinematography (hence the 2 points).

    This show is a nice well-crafted gift box with bad quality candies    … Expand
  4. Sons94
    Oct 2, 2018
    10
    Simply put, The Deuce is the most underrated show on TV. The acting, directing, writing, cinematography, editing and production values are all top notch. Phenomenal stuff.
  5. barnes1911
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    Excellent portrayal of life in the 70's in NYC. Brilliantly cast, you can't help but love Maggie Gyllenhaal for the struggles and success she achieves. Love the series.
  6. alric1952
    Oct 14, 2018
    7
    There is definitely something to this series, something good about. For one, the way it captures the period in appearance and rhythm. And I get they're recreating the story arc of an era. However, scene-for-scene, something is missing. There's no real impetus that hooks me. I keep watching because of the pedigree of the talent involved, and the subject matter itself is interesting.There is definitely something to this series, something good about. For one, the way it captures the period in appearance and rhythm. And I get they're recreating the story arc of an era. However, scene-for-scene, something is missing. There's no real impetus that hooks me. I keep watching because of the pedigree of the talent involved, and the subject matter itself is interesting. To cover the subject matter, they create these various scenarios, so as to reveal the facts. But the narrative that hooks the historical elements together just aren't compelling. Maggie Gyllenhal's character is one of the more cliched in depiction: the woman who's smarter than everyone else around her, and can somehow see the obvious. What's she's observing isn't that brilliant, but her character is presented as if she is.

    With the criticisms aside, I still find myself wanting to watch further, to give it some sort of credit. Something about it is deserving, if just for the detail that goes into creating the zeitgeist of Times Square of the period. There's also a garish tint in the cinematography that further eliminates the intent. I'm going to continue watching it, but it's not up to HBO standards. When you watch WESTWORLD or GAME OF THRONES, the dialogue in those series are constantly engrossing, so time flies per episode. Not so with THE DEUCE.    … Expand
  7. ksr91
    Oct 18, 2018
    0
    still the show gives you nothing to care about. there is no plot. you don't care or even remember the next episode.
  8. GrantD243
    Nov 18, 2018
    8
    Season two of The Deuce continues the interesting storylines of season one while also incorporating a time jump, and thus it focuses a lot on how the characters have evolved since season one and what obstacles they now have to overcome as the porn and prostitution industries evolve. It's still a great drama, albeit not as great as it could be. It never feels like there are any majorSeason two of The Deuce continues the interesting storylines of season one while also incorporating a time jump, and thus it focuses a lot on how the characters have evolved since season one and what obstacles they now have to overcome as the porn and prostitution industries evolve. It's still a great drama, albeit not as great as it could be. It never feels like there are any major moments, but instead several small moments that happen throughout the season that indicate a storyline shift or change. I'm very interested to see how the series will come to an end in its third and final season.… Expand
  9. UsernamePrime
    Oct 21, 2018
    5
    The 5 out of ten is for the crew. Terribly boring story.
    HBO you're driving your product into a hole. Get off the soapbox and just tell good stories.
  10. yoolie
    Oct 23, 2018
    9
    I love the show,its directed well and actors are really good. But. In the new season its a way too much of gays and feminists. I understand,that it was an important time for that but now this show is not about Vincent,the pimps and girls,but only about Abby and her friends and Paul and his friends. They are not the best actors at all in this series,its James Franco who play the best andI love the show,its directed well and actors are really good. But. In the new season its a way too much of gays and feminists. I understand,that it was an important time for that but now this show is not about Vincent,the pimps and girls,but only about Abby and her friends and Paul and his friends. They are not the best actors at all in this series,its James Franco who play the best and some of the pimps and girls and of course Candy. So it should be more about them,not the history of gay parade and feminism.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best TV Season of 2018
73
#73 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
97
#97 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Kevin Fallon
    Sep 11, 2018
    90
    Female characters are now taking center stage, both in the show and in their own lives. Seizing that agency doesn’t come easily, of course, but it’s their struggle for it and even just their awakening to its possibility that it is gratifying to watch. ... The empowerment of these women makes the show’s study of masculinity all the richer, complicating the pimp characters and the work of their performers. ... A highlight of this fall’s dizzying TV lineup.
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  2. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Sep 11, 2018
    100
    The second season pays dividends to the viewer in the form of taut and lively performances. ... If you’re not already invested in this drama, you may find this season to be shinier, brighter and more seductive than before. The Deuce was already an excellent drama. Now it’s definitively one of the best shows on TV.
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  3. Vanity Fair
    Reviewed by: Sonia Saraiya
    Sep 11, 2018
    65
    I cannot deny that Franco is a wonderful performer; he always has been...But his presence is not good for The Deuce. It seems to be a betrayal of the show’s characters—or a misunderstanding of its central appeal—to continue to double-bill him in the drama.
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