The Deuce

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 10, 2017
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 170 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 142 out of 170
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 170
  3. Negative: 16 out of 170
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User Reviews

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  1. DamnedThing
    Sep 13, 2017
    9
    Loving this so far - one episode in. It really does bring me back to that time when even the grit had grit, the music had soul, and everyone had a story to sell. Most TV and movies don't get as close to this to capturing the feel of those years, there's too much gentrified shine and the gloss of nostalgia for them to ring true. The Deuce feels dirty and unpleasant, but it's an absolute joyLoving this so far - one episode in. It really does bring me back to that time when even the grit had grit, the music had soul, and everyone had a story to sell. Most TV and movies don't get as close to this to capturing the feel of those years, there's too much gentrified shine and the gloss of nostalgia for them to ring true. The Deuce feels dirty and unpleasant, but it's an absolute joy to watch that era come alive with stories and individuals worth spending time with. This is the closest David Simon has come to creating a world that exists at the edge of civil society since The Wire.… Expand
  2. Tony1984
    Aug 5, 2018
    4
    The first 3 seasons of The Wire were outstanding. Probably the best TV of the 21st century. Generation Kill was also very good. I tried to like Treme but it was just too uninvolving. I put it down to my indifference to jazz.

    And for me The Deuce is visual jazz. I can appreciate the artistry but I found it tedious. Too miserable and unpleasantly voyeuristic for my taste. Also I found    The first 3 seasons of The Wire were outstanding. Probably the best TV of the 21st century. Generation Kill was also very good. I tried to like Treme but it was just too uninvolving. I put it down to my indifference to jazz.

    And for me The Deuce is visual jazz. I can appreciate the artistry but I found it tedious. Too miserable and unpleasantly voyeuristic for my taste.
    Also I found the two Franco's were distracting. Maggie Gyllenhaal unbelievable. Positive portrayal of pimps repellent. Jarring over explicit sex scenes and vulgarity. No subtly.

    In short banal.
    Last Exit to Brooklyn is in a similar vein just way better execution.    … Expand
  3. HarryNuggets
    Oct 22, 2017
    8
    I always sit up when Simon comes out with something new. I've only watched the first episode so far. It promises to offer the sort of 19th century social realism which made, at least for me, The Wire one of the most gripping things ever to hit the small screen. I find myself, at the start of the new series feeling something very similar to my initial reaction to that masterpiece. ThisI always sit up when Simon comes out with something new. I've only watched the first episode so far. It promises to offer the sort of 19th century social realism which made, at least for me, The Wire one of the most gripping things ever to hit the small screen. I find myself, at the start of the new series feeling something very similar to my initial reaction to that masterpiece. This is something you slowly sink into, like a swamp. Many of the characters come off, at first glance, as repulsive. I suspect they will deepen and you will find yourself more ambivalent as the story progresses.… Expand
  4. PrettyGood
    Nov 7, 2017
    9
    The first season of The Deuce is one of the finest hours you'll see on television this year. The atmosphere, the ensemble, the writing and the directing are top-notch. The cast, led by Gyllenhaal (who shines in it), offers you a thrilling experience.

    (A must-watch for fans of The Wire.)
  5. LamontRaymond
    Sep 10, 2017
    9
    Really good first episode - it's great seeing ALL the actors from The Wire on board, and the writing is especially good. Maggie G is excellent in her part.
  6. Cooper1971
    Oct 17, 2017
    4
    To be honest I really had high hopes for this show. I just find it lacking. Maggie Gyllenhaal is great though, love her. Maybe it will get better, hoping so, but every episode I think something exciting is going to happen....it never does. I find it extremely boring.
  7. BillJustBill
    Nov 6, 2017
    3
    Such a disappointment. All that talent to tell us . . . what?
    How corrupt and corrupting the culture surrounding 42nd Street was back in the day?
    Everything about the show reeks of talent. But the culture of the show, and what they think they need to do in order to get an audience is soul-draining. How do we get people to watch it? they might have asked. The answer came back: we show    Such a disappointment. All that talent to tell us . . . what?
    How corrupt and corrupting the culture surrounding 42nd Street was back in the day?
    Everything about the show reeks of talent. But the culture of the show, and what they think they need to do in order to get an audience is soul-draining.
    How do we get people to watch it? they might have asked.
    The answer came back: we show porn. People screwing, and moreover we show them screwing in the most degrading ways. After all, everyone screws so everyone will like to watch all the people on our show screwing even when it has nothing to do with the story. (And by the way, story isn't very important, despite the fact we've hired some of the best storytellers around.)
    They've spent soooo much money . . . to so little effect.
    It falls into the same category as that segment on 60 Minutes where one of the Koch brothers is so proud to have spent $35 million to find out he bought some bogus wine. $35 million. Certainly enough to get a few hundred families out of the ghetto.    … Expand
  8. Opinionated75
    Sep 19, 2017
    7
    After two episodes, I can state the following: 1) The acting is uniformly excellent, 2) the directorial styles differ markedly, 3) some of the slang is wildly anachronistic ("do me a solid"), 4) the incorporation of stock footage is sometimes painfully obvious, and 5) in typical HBO fashion, the show glorifies low-life scum. I'll stay with it for a while to see how it develops, but if itAfter two episodes, I can state the following: 1) The acting is uniformly excellent, 2) the directorial styles differ markedly, 3) some of the slang is wildly anachronistic ("do me a solid"), 4) the incorporation of stock footage is sometimes painfully obvious, and 5) in typical HBO fashion, the show glorifies low-life scum. I'll stay with it for a while to see how it develops, but if it becomes too dark and depressing in a cynical bid for importance, there are plenty of other worthy shows to take its place.… Expand
  9. cajun67
    Sep 25, 2017
    3
    I really want to love this show. Cast in the early 1970's, it's a show about New Jersey pimps, hookers, mobsters, seedy bars, and porn. It features an A-list cast, including James Franco and Maggie Gylenhall. It should be the best thing on television.

    Sadly, it's not. It's actually kind of boring. The one thing they forgot to add in was the tension. The hookers who all work the same    I really want to love this show. Cast in the early 1970's, it's a show about New Jersey pimps, hookers, mobsters, seedy bars, and porn. It features an A-list cast, including James Franco and Maggie Gylenhall. It should be the best thing on television.

    Sadly, it's not. It's actually kind of boring. The one thing they forgot to add in was the tension. The hookers who all work the same street corner and compete for the same johns are the best of friends. The pimps hang out together in the bar and debate the best ways to run their women. James Franco and his twin brother, James Franco, have very opposite personalities, but instead of this creating tension between them they're constantly forgiving each other and grinning like idiots at each other. Cops rounding up the hookers seems like a bad thing -- until they get to the jail, and the arresting office orders Chinese food for all of the girls, which they sit out on the back patio and eat.

    Every conflict seems to get resolved in the same episode. There is no tension arising from ongoing conflict.

    And watching the show, you might think that hooking on a New Jersey street corner is a viable career option. It's not so bad! Some girls even get hired just to watch movies instead of having sex! Maybe if this show had been set in the 80's, the girls would be asking their pimps for health insurance and 401k's.

    I'm three episodes in. Based on what I've seen so far, I just can't recommend this show.    … Expand
  10. majstor
    Oct 4, 2017
    2
    Great costumes, A list actors, authentic surroundings, awesome music and no story.
    If you like to see how hookers and pimps lifestyle then you will enjoy.
    If you expect intense story go watch something else.
  11. EludiumQ36
    Oct 28, 2017
    2
    Again, we have the studio shills fawning with 9s and 10s and "real" people sinking this with 2s and 3s - and that's the lot I'm in. This should've been a great show but once again mainstream Hollywood can't get it right. You have to go to Netflix, Amzn, and Hulu for the best new shows. This show is so horrible, it's like a documentary of early 70s prostitution in New York City. And thatAgain, we have the studio shills fawning with 9s and 10s and "real" people sinking this with 2s and 3s - and that's the lot I'm in. This should've been a great show but once again mainstream Hollywood can't get it right. You have to go to Netflix, Amzn, and Hulu for the best new shows. This show is so horrible, it's like a documentary of early 70s prostitution in New York City. And that city is at its garbage-in-the-streets worst. I simply don't understand how someone pitches this type of show and doesn't get thrown out of the room! Who want's to see crap like this?! The only points I give for this are due to production value and casting, but story, plot, acting, and direction are just fails.… Expand
  12. mrjohnstrong
    Sep 11, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Two pimps sit at the Port Authority and pontificate about politics and prostitutes. No, this isn’t the opening line of a bad joke; it’s actually the opening sequence of HBO’s new series The Deuce. We are escorted into this world (pun intended) via the prolific ramblings of a savvy pimp who relates the state of affairs (Nixon era) to the pimping game. Nixon is a pimp, and the nuclear shenanigans of the times…merely Nixon keeping his pimp hand strong. While others may have found this exchange to be profound, dare I say an example of writing at its absolute finest I found it to be absurd and unrealistic. Am I saying that no pimp in the history of pimping could have been up on current affairs – a poised political analyst ready to work the desk at NBC if the whole pandering of female flesh didn’t pan out? Absolutely not, but I am saying that introducing me into this menacing, underbelly of society in such fashion makes me question the authenticity of what I’m about to partake. Am I getting a factually relevant, accurate portrayal of the times? Or an artistic re imagining through the lens of someone who can’t relate to the material they’re presenting? This isn’t a rhetorical question I really asked myself this. And I got my answer later on in the episode when a prostitute compared leasing her body for monetary compensation, to a car salesman selling cars. The common thread you ask? They both are simply doing their jobs. So, a John who ejaculates prematurely is not entitled to another "go" simply because she (the prostitute) didn’t have to work hard. The John paid for a service and he got it. Just as a salesman who sells a car effortlessly, displays the same professionalism as if he had to haggle…pull out every shady sales tactic known to man. How you arrive at your goal is of no consequence, the point is you got there. This took me out of the episode. No, this moment was not real. It was not genuine. It was a plot point, a beat, and a writer showing off. A writer saying, “Hey, the training wheels are off…I’m a big boy. Look what I can do.” But yet again I digress, maybe there is a woman of the night out there somewhere, in a piss-infested (rent by the hour) room delivering eloquent soliloquies in the mirror. All while a preemie sits sheepishly on the bed with both a deflated penis and ego. Maybe there are prostitutes who are lovers of the arts. Who regularly get paid to watch classic films, converse, and dine with their tricks rather than perform sexual acts. This too could happen. Heck, Richard Gere plucked Julia Roberts right off the streets and gave her free range of his finances…anything can happen (side eye). Real. Game of Thrones made me believe in dragons and turn a blind eye to incest. I actually believe The Rock played in the NFL, gets black out drunk and does huge lines of cocaine after watching Ballers. My dog didn’t come charging towards the front door when I arrived home one day and I swore he had departed like The Leftovers. The list goes on and on. Before Boardwalk Empire, before The Wire all the way back to The Corner in 2000. Now The Corner ladies and gentleman...that is real. An Earthy, visceral portrayal of life that feels, smells, and taste genuine. Three-dimensional characters in situations so engaging, you think you’re watching a documentary. No reaches, just raw realness.
    Is The Deuce worth watching? Sure, why not. I didn’t fast-forward to the end like I’ve done recently with other shows. I can’t say that I "hate" any of the characters nor the story thus far. It simply does not ring true. Yes, I understand I am the audience. And the goal is to keep me engaged, to entertain, not inform. But please don’t play with my emotions and intelligence by doing things for Emmy consideration and shock value. Just don’t. Remember it's not just TV it's HBO.    … Expand
  13. OlivierPiel
    Sep 22, 2018
    5
    It's better than Vinyl and the Get Down, but most viewers are "sucked" in by the titillating subject and the gorgeous directing and70's decor...but forget that the acting is sloppy (Franco) or hamfisted (the Mafia guys) and the plot is actually very thin.
    It's like a 70's Americn sports car: Beautiful to look at but sloppy, unreliable and badly built.
    Or is it a parabole on the trope    It's better than Vinyl and the Get Down, but most viewers are "sucked" in by the titillating subject and the gorgeous directing and70's decor...but forget that the acting is sloppy (Franco) or hamfisted (the Mafia guys) and the plot is actually very thin.
    It's like a 70's Americn sports car: Beautiful to look at but sloppy, unreliable and badly built.
    Or is it a parabole on the trope that acting and whoring are not too dissimilar i essence?    … Expand
  14. jonnybgoode
    Sep 13, 2017
    7
    The show's writing is good, but so far it is overshadowed, not by pornography, but by disturbing negativism, depression, and pornographic violence. The Wire certainly had subjects of darkness, but that was balanced by folks who were driven to make sense of the mess around them. I am hopeful that the side of the Wire that received rave reviews with come forward in later episodes.
  15. thelol
    Oct 15, 2017
    10
    Excellent show; the writing, acting, and especially directing are all great. The 70's New York vibe really sucks you into the era just like taxi driver did back in the real 70s. Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance is one of a kind, you know what she thinks and feels from her facial expressions. James Franco is also great as two twin brothers. It's also cool to see actors from The Wire.
  16. ALIREZA13
    Oct 27, 2017
    9
    The Deuce is probably the best new show of the 2017 fall TV season, with superb acting, punchy writing, expert production design, great music, and a storytelling flair that keeps you watching. That said, The Deuce may also make you feel a bit queasy.In The Deuce, producer David Simon tries to do for the sex trade and 1970s evolution of pornography what "The Wire" did for drugs.
  17. gxm143
    Oct 23, 2017
    8
    No Wire, but very well done. Franco's split-part acting is impressive. The show should have a warning for men though: don't expect your lady to be in the mood for romance after the down and dirty sex scenes. I even feel like I need a shower.
  18. ksr91
    Aug 15, 2018
    0
    the show gives you nothing to care about. there is no plot. you don't care or even remember the next episode.
  19. eva3si0n
    Nov 15, 2018
    10
    It is one of the best series about the 70th years in the USA. An era, excellent acting and a simple realistic plot is perfectly transferred. Watching The Deuce you understand that before you a real story which is perfectly transferred. Despite almost full absence the action of scenes, each series literally forces you without coming off to look further and further. And though in 1 seasonIt is one of the best series about the 70th years in the USA. An era, excellent acting and a simple realistic plot is perfectly transferred. Watching The Deuce you understand that before you a real story which is perfectly transferred. Despite almost full absence the action of scenes, each series literally forces you without coming off to look further and further. And though in 1 season origin of a porn of the industry only arises, it brightly lets know that the 2nd season will be more considerable more interestingly. David Simon shows again that the real history which is finished shooting with the maximum nearness to realism is much more interesting than the majority modern "extremely topical and fascinating" series.… Expand
  20. ZGiSH
    Oct 4, 2018
    8
    If you're looking for The Wire except set in the 70's and instead of drugs, it's women being pushed; this ain't it. There is certainly a lack of interpersonal tension and what few deaths happens in the show are played out flat and not too dramatic. The Deuce is about tension in society with the showrunners tackling all manner of "moral decay" and the evolution of the **** trade'. It's S2If you're looking for The Wire except set in the 70's and instead of drugs, it's women being pushed; this ain't it. There is certainly a lack of interpersonal tension and what few deaths happens in the show are played out flat and not too dramatic. The Deuce is about tension in society with the showrunners tackling all manner of "moral decay" and the evolution of the **** trade'. It's S2 of The Wire, with all of its shortcomings yet also with its underrated accomplishments. If you found S2 utterly boring, you will find The Deuce just as boring.

    But for people looking for David Simon doing what he does best, this strays not much further than the quality of Generation Kill or The Wire.    … Expand
  21. AkumaJack
    Mar 20, 2018
    7
    The Deuce succeds in portraying the life of sex workers in a credible and entertaining way. the cast is quite good.
  22. soybeanlogic
    Oct 30, 2017
    9
    Well drawn characters with incredible writing and meticulously researched era-specific details. Nothing like it since the wire ended. If you have the patience for it, I highly recommend it. If you don't have the patience for it, it might be worth it to flex some of those muscles and power through anyway,
  23. gray444
    Oct 3, 2018
    3
    Right before the show starts they have a #metoo moment and the words only your voice counts vote. Okay the #metoo thing this show is about hookers and women getting hit by men really bad choice for speaking on this. Now if they really believed in you the voter then they would support Trump 62 1/2 million people voted for him no voter fraud by the republicans at all. Google the democratsRight before the show starts they have a #metoo moment and the words only your voice counts vote. Okay the #metoo thing this show is about hookers and women getting hit by men really bad choice for speaking on this. Now if they really believed in you the voter then they would support Trump 62 1/2 million people voted for him no voter fraud by the republicans at all. Google the democrats and voter fraud in Detroit. There were 3 states that had a recount Michigan was one of them. What did we learn that Clinton did not get half the votes we thought. 37% of all the precinct around Detroit had more votes cast than actual voters. This November election coming up the democrats have already been caught in fraud men who died and served in World war 2 somehow register to vote ! So lets keep this crap out of t.v. shows and for god sake keep Maggie Gyllenhaal clothes on. She was laying down and her breast fell to her sides almost touching her back. This show s also suppose to be about porn and hot young women Maggie is not hot or young. Save that do not judge crap for a regular job the entertainment business is all about looks and no it I not a bad thing it is part of the job. This has been going on since they started making movies and will keep going long after we are all dead. You do not have pee wee Herman play Hercules and you do not have Maggie play the hot young girl this is called casting and to anyone who does not like it if your not in the business just shut up and go away. If you are in the business you dam well know looks are part of the job if you can not handle it quit ! I am so sick of you snowflakes trying to fix things that are not broken or ranting about feminism then doing nude scenes for a cheap t.v. show about porn and hookers oh also drugs. One of the worse is Lena Dunham preaching about respect then putting her ugly ass nude in all her films and when asked about it she gets mad. She is and example of no one is forcing her to do nude scenes just the opposite in fact. Then we have Mindy Kaling who is trashing Trump and your vote but she is also pregnant and who is the baby daddy last time I heard there was 5 possible men who could be the father. In any other generation she would be called a whore not a hooker the Deuce have taught us Hookers get paid whores just spread them for anyone. The truth is Mindy you are not a feminist you had sex with anything with a pulse and had no ide who the father was this makes you and honorary man. You only care about yourself and your needs not once did you worry about how the men would feel. Oh and thanks to todays modern women men feel hell they cry more than most women. Mindy you did not care one bit how they felt and even said they will not be in the child's life taking away their rights just like a man would have done to a woman yup go head James Franco keep running this crap before your show and watch it cancelled because of bad ratings. I will be fait James was not in the commercial. Yet if you keep making it about Maggie nude that will kill more than ratings well good luck you have been informed and educated I have a lot more if you want to keep this up.… Expand
  24. TellTheTruth
    Nov 4, 2017
    9
    The actors in this series are terrific when handling their storyline. I almost can feel the pain, fear of the women and men during the late 70s and 80s. This show brings back so many personal memories which explode with true reality. The writing is right on for the period since everything goes in the early 80s. I think its time to strap in because this show is going to take off in theThe actors in this series are terrific when handling their storyline. I almost can feel the pain, fear of the women and men during the late 70s and 80s. This show brings back so many personal memories which explode with true reality. The writing is right on for the period since everything goes in the early 80s. I think its time to strap in because this show is going to take off in the coming season with a huge explosion. Thanks to all the great writers, directors, actors, HBO, asst. for bringing this to us. I am just sad that 8 episodes were allowed for the first season.… Expand
  25. AndreaMonetDogs
    Nov 24, 2017
    7
    watch this. alcohol, sex, drama, cynicism. it has all the great elements of a great show everythione needs to watch. it starts rough and smooths out. i feel like i should recommend it
  26. DavidDaniel
    Dec 22, 2017
    9
    The Deuce is one of the few better dramas premiering this fall. The huge ensemble is great. Every performer makes the most of the limited screen-time they get. The writing and the directing are also great.
  27. geewah
    Jan 29, 2021
    9
    A gritty and at times brutal telling of Times Square, New York in the 1970's and the rise of porn industry.
    Tightly written, and led by some standout performances.
    One of 2017's best shows.

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best TV Season of 2017
44
#44 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
46
#46 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Nick Allen
    Nov 29, 2017
    50
    The Deuce can’t hold all of its many pieces together, despite the pockets of strong writing and performances, making viewers bounce around a visceral world with just not enough emotional gravity.
    Read full review
  2. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Emily Nussbaum
    Sep 18, 2017
    90
    David Simon and his frequent collaborator, the novelist George Pelecanos, together with writers such as Megan Abbott, have made a show that is quietly transformative. ... In many ways, The Deuce is a classic David Simon.
    Read full review
  3. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Sep 14, 2017
    90
    Vividly teeming with tragicomic life and reeking of desperation, danger and moral decay, the series takes a while to build an actual story--a common trait nowadays in high-minded long-form TV Narratives--but by the end of the first eight hours, an decriminalized porn becomes big business, you'll surely want to know what happens next. [18 Sep - 1 Oct 2017, p.27]
See all critic reviews »