The essential episodes of Ray Donovan
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Ray Donovan — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Ray's life is thrown into absolute turmoil when his father Mickey unexpectedly gets out of prison five years early, kills a priest, and arrives in LA, vowing to take revenge on Ray for framing him. Meanwhile, Ray's mentor, Ezra Goldman, and his law partner, Lee Drexler, need Ray to find a way to get a married action star out of a scandal with a transgender woman. Ray must also protect a beautiful singer from a stalker, but the case leads to tension between him and his wife, Abby.
- 02
Ray forbids Bridget from seeing Marvin but she visits him anyway and has a frightening encounter. Meanwhile, Ray flies to Boston to search for Sully. Abby and Deb commiserate over drinks and get themselves into trouble. Frank tries to shut down Van Miller's investigation. Mickey manipulates Sean into working with him on a movie project.
- 03
It's Conor's birthday - and both Abby and Ray forgot. When Conor demands a party with Terry, Bunchy and Mickey in attendance, tensions run high as the whole family gathers at the Donovan house. Meanwhile, Ashley's stalker is back, and Ray comes face-to-face with Cookie Brown when the ex-con/hip-hop mogul shows up to take Bridget for a night out.
- 04
Mickey pushes his luck by throwing himself a goodbye party.
- 05
In the Season 4 finale, Ray, hoping his deal with Hector will be his family's salvation, learns that Sonia has turned over incriminating evidence to FBI agent Frank Barnes. Ray is forced to wear a wire, but decides to play the Russian mob off the FBI, but things take a dangerous turn. Meanwhile, Mickey's attempt to cash in on the big fight leads him to a discovery that could help Ray against both sides.
- 06
Ray and Terry put their differences aside to try and fix Bunchy's problem once and for all. Meanwhile, Jay asks for a secret meeting with Daryll to decide the future of the movie and their relationship; Bridget's last-ditch effort to save Smitty lands her in an unexpected place; and in the wake of a tragedy, Ray turns on Sam - consequences be damned.
- 07
With Ray on the run, Radulovic and the Staten Island cops take a drastic measure: a move that sends Ray on a warpath. Mickey confronts his son. Sam makes her final move to win the election.
- 08
It's all-out war between cops and family, as the Donovans band together to save one of their own. Running out of options, Mac faces a difficult decision.
- 09
Ray settles his final scores and revisits the past with his father. The Donovans clean up their mess. Smitty gets a crash course in what it means to be a part of the family.
- 10
Mayor Feratti ups the ante in his negotiations with the Sullivans, and Ray must step in to finish the deal. Bridget and Smitty are called in to fix Jonathan Walker Hanson's unsavory publicity scandal. Claudette offers Daryll an opportunity to leave the Donovans once and for all, while Bunchy grapples with the consequences of his drugstore violence, and Terry struggles with the realities of his illness.
- 11
After Feratti's display of force, Ray and Terry travel to Coney Island to track down Ray's missing car. Mickey, Daryll, and Sandy continue their quest for the truth about the 1977 heist. Bunchy uses a few tricks he learned at the pharmacy to make some quick cash, and Smitty seeks revenge on Adam Rain.
- 12
Things heat up between Molly and Ray, but their families get in the way when Bridget, Bunchy, and Jim Sullivan all need Ray to fix their problems. Terry and Smitty help Ray with some detective work and Ray struggles to stay on Mickey's trail.
- 13
Mickey finally learns the truth about the botched heist, and he's out to get his fair share of the money. Ray reflects on his early memories of Jim Sullivan while he and Molly track down Sandy and Mickey by any means necessary.
- 14
With his back against the wall, Ray turns to Judge Scholl to clear his name with Detective Perry. Daryll is pushed to the edge by the Sullivans while Mickey continues to chase Jim's money. Terry makes an unexpected friend at physical therapy.
- 15
Ray finally learns the truth about his sister Bridget's death. Terry reckons with the death of a friend and his own mortality. Mickey's quest for the money he's owed leads to a deadly face-off between the Sullivans and the Donovans.
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