The worst episodes of The Deuce
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
Twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino navigate their way through the rough-and-tumble world of 1971 Times Square; Vincent crosses paths with other midtown denizens while plotting to improve his situation; Abby gets enlisted to buy amphetamines.
- 02
The appearance of an unexpected partner surprises Vincent; Rudy buys into a rival's plan to reconfigure the Deuce; Candy considers entering the filmmaking business; Abby languishes in her new job; Darlene works overtime to compensate Larry.
- 03
Vincent moves into a seedy hotel and contemplates an offer from mob capo Rudy Pipilo; Bobby hopes to take advantage of Vincent's new connections; filmmaking intrigues Candy; C.C. shows Lori the benefits of having a pimp; Larry feels unsettled.
- 04
Lori envisions a sunny future in LA after attending the AFAA Erotica Awards with Harvey and Candy, who's looking to connect with west-coast producers willing to turn her fairy tale into reality. Paul and Kenneth approach Vincent about a loan for a new nightclub, free from mob ties. Goldman visits Alston's precinct to share the mayor's vision for cleaning up the Deuce. Frankie wins a hand of poker but risks losing his job. Back in NYC, Ashley pushes her reform agenda on Abby, while trying to avoid C.C. Larry Brown and Darlene learn a bitter lesson about supply and demand. Rudy sends a message to his rivals, but invites retaliation.
- 05
Confronted with the changing realities of prostitution and porn, C.C. doubles down on his assets while fellow pimp Larry Brown eyes a new opportunity. Growing creatively frustrated, Candy turns to Genevieve Furie, a onetime porn director who's graduated to slasher films, for filmmaking advice. After a customer is mugged outside his bar, Paul is approached by Matty the Horse, a rival of Rudy's, who promises Paul the mob protection he deserves. And following a nostalgic road trip to Coney Island with Vincent, Abby attends a street outreach meeting and recognizes a familiar face from Times Square.
- 06
Looking for a way out of his construction gig, Bobby tries to change Vincent's mind about Rudy's offer. Darlene returns from a trip home with a new girl, disappointing Abby. Roughed up by a John, Candy contemplates a change of careers. After getting busted, Paul explores the underbelly, and the exhilaration, of gay life in the city. With an assist from Alston, Sandra scores a key interview with a pimp.
- 07
Trapped by his own success, Vincent envisions an idyllic rural life with Abby. Candy is frustrated by her mob backers' misogyny and weighs telling her son, Adam, what she really does for a living. Shay reverts to form, to Irene's dismay. Joey falls in love. Darlene deals with unexpected news. Lori hits a roadblock in her quest for adult-film stardom. Alston faces a dilemma involving his old partner, Flanagan. Paul and Kenneth arrive at a crossroads.
- 08
Rudy makes Vincent a lucrative offer. Longo restores order to Bobby's construction workers. Candy experiences unwanted attention and intrigue. Paul's insecure at the Hi-Hat; Frankie is on a hot streak; Abby gives Darlene a gift.
- 09
An end-of-the-year crackdown by police in and around The Deuce sparks Vincent and Bobby. Candy tries to persuade Harvey, her adult-film director, that she can do more than act. Rudy witnesses a pivotal lower-court ruling on obscenity, and enlists Frankie and Big Mike to protect his interests in the peeps. Alston tries to convince Sandra that he's not just a "source."
- 10
Times Square, 1977. After his early successes managing the Hi-Hat and French Parlor, Vincent is now proprietor of a new mob-backed disco, The 366, while his girlfriend Abby has brought the nascent punk-rock culture into the Hi-Hat. Vincent's twin brother Frankie remains a problem, "borrowing" money from Show Land, the sex emporium he manages, to pay off his debts. Candy, now a "triple threat" as a porn actress, producer and director, is looking to make more artful, ambitious adult films, over the objections of her collaborator Harvey. C.C. pulls a con on Bernie Wolf, director of a porn film starring Lori, to get her more money. Hoping to launch a more upscale gay nightclub, Paul looks to sever mob ties from his current bar. Alston, now a homicide detective, is approached by Gene Goldman, a civil servant appointed by Mayor Koch to clean up Times Square.
- 11
On the eve of 1985, a worn-out Vincent reconnects with his ex-wife, Andrea, as his open relationship with Abby grows more distant. Despite becoming a family man, Frankie continues his risky side hustles. With the newly dominant VHS format shaking up their industry, Candy and Harvey travel to Las Vegas for an adult film convention where they disagree on how to navigate a fast-changing future. Fresh out of rehab, Lori is put back to work. Alston makes a very specific request of Goldman in their quest to revitalize Midtown. Now a bartender at the Hi-Hat, Loretta becomes an active member of Women Against Pornography.
- 12
All You'll Be Eating is Cannibals
Candy taps an unlikely co-producer. Bobby is on the wrong end of a raid. Big Mike cashes in on a hit.
- 13
Candy eyes a different job on Harvey's set, but Lori struggles with the demands of porn acting; C.C., Larry and Rodney worry that pimps are becoming obsolete as the police push their business off the streets; Ashley hangs out with Frankie, but later winds up at Abby's door; Alston finds himself singled out by the precinct's new captain; Abby asks Vincent to be her escort at her family's lavish party.
- 14
In the Season 1 finale, expansion fever hits Frankie and Bobby, but Vincent balks at getting in deeper with Rudy. Meanwhile, Candy gets a taste of directing, and enjoys the red-carpet perks of a major premiere; Alston finds himself in limbo at his precinct; Abby changes the Hi-Hat's clientele; Sandra faces editorial and legal hurdles; Barbara and Ruby connect with the wrong kind of clients; and C.C. encourages a former pimp to get back in the game.
- 15
Candy shoots her opus guerilla-style on the streets of New York. Vincent makes a confession to Abby, along with a promise to change. Ashley and Abby help a prostitute escape the Deuce, with a little help from Vincent. Larry Brown gets a promotion. Paul celebrates the opening of his new upscale club. Bobby turns to Vincent to find work for his wayward eldest son, Joey.
- 16
C.C. reluctantly gives up Lori; Candy puts the finishing touches on Red Hot.
- 17
Ashley and Abby resolve to track down the identity of a 16-year-old sex worker killed in a recent fire. Vincent is shaken after witnessing the brutal side of Rudy's operation. Frustrated by the progress on her new film, Candy recruits some new faces to help her out with the production. Frankie finds his dry-cleaning business a less-than-perfect fit. Larry Brown shows off his improvisational skills. Lori looks to forge a deal with Kiki while keeping C.C. in the loop.
- 18
Red Hot premieres; Vincent and Abby deal with an unexpected loss; Darlene comes clean.
- 19
Big changes come to The Deuce as Gene sees opportunity in the city's public health crisis. Vincent looks to get out from under the mob's thumb and makes peace with Abby, who decides to pursue a new future. Candy makes a critical choice in her relationship with Hank. Harvey speaks his mind about Candy's film. Alston recognizes the truth of Midtown's redevelopment. Melissa makes a commitment, while Loretta takes on a big responsibility.
- 20
Abby befriends a graffiti artist named Pilar and takes a surprising trip downtown. Candy sets a firm line with Hank when it comes to money. As Tod's health worsens, he reexamines his priorities and asks for Paul's support. Melissa is forced to face her past. Alston explores different strategies for getting a shady SRO owner to sell. Bobby pays Joey a visit on Wall Street as Joey's latest money-making scheme grows bigger. Tensions rise between Frankie and Rudy as a buyer complains about Frankie's product.
- 21
Frankie takes his amateur porn business to the next level and ends up in a confrontation with Rudy, who pushes Vincent to up his profits. Candy brainstorms a new film based on the experiences of her fellow sex workers and finds that her new beau Hank is not shaken by her past. Abby and Loretta take care of Shay when she shows up to the Hi-Hat in bad shape. Lori is advised be more compliant after she dares to stand up for herself on set. Alston is tasked with finding the mysterious owner of a prime piece of Midtown real estate. With the future of his businesses up in the air, Paul worries about his partner Tod's health.
- 22
Lori returns to New York for an audition and runs into some familiar faces; while searching for actors for her new film, Candy speaks to her critics at a Women Against Pornography meeting; as things heat up with Jennifer, Alston takes a drastic step to deliver for Goldman; Melissa leaves the city; Abby grows closer to Pilar as her relationship with Vincent wanes; Vincent and Frankie celebrate an eventful birthday.
- 23
With his club shuttered, a distraught Vincent follows a lead down a dangerous path. Paul reaches out to Tod's parents. Candy battles Harvey over her latest script and reunites with her estranged son, Adam. Lori hits the feature dancing circuit with mixed results. Abby reflects on her choices when she gets an unexpected visitor. Bobby does right by Black Frankie. Alston defends the plan to clean up Midtown. Gene reckons with his conflicted personal life.
- 24
In the wake of a personal loss, Candy finds the emotional core of her latest movie. Abby confronts Vincent after she makes an alarming discovery. Paul turns to activism as the AIDS epidemic continues to ravage New York's gay community. Vincent tips off Rudy to Tommy's disloyalty. Lori realizes she's on her own when both Greg and Kiki let her down. Bobby learns why the women who worked for him have abandoned the French Parlor.
- 25
A struggling Lori turns to Candy for help before revisiting The Deuce. Candy makes a surprising deal to secure funding for her film. Abby takes a stand against the latest phase of Midtown redevelopment. After a difficult visit with Mike, Vincent is approached by a candid Tommy, who explains the new world order. Bobby realizes that times have changed and considers Joey's latest money-making scheme.
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