The Deuce Season 2 Recap

Set five years after the end of season 1, season 2 of HBO’s The Deuce saw changes in the inhabitants of Times Square. Legitimization of pornography and commercially influenced efforts to clean up the Deuce shifted the power structures in place. Now that season 2 has ended, we recap the season’s greatest evolutions.

Eileen “Candy” Merrell

In season 1, Eileen was Candy, a pimpless prostitute earning money on the streets at great risk to herself. However, season 2 showed Candy as a porn star with talent behind the camera and confidence in her own abilities. From the beginning, she was in charge of Harvey’s sets, but with the success of arthouse-style porn films, Eileen succeeded in making her own transcendent film, Red Hot, a reality. However, she did pay the price for coming out of the shadows. Eileen’s parents kept her from seeing her son.

Donna “Darlene” Pickett and Lori Madison

The Deuce Season 2 Episode 3

Season 2 saw prostitutes turned porn performers, Donna and Lori, escape their pimps, one way or another. Donna’s educational pursuits led her to meeting Renton, and he helped her find a job and accepted her when he learned the truth. With Larry more focused on acting in porn rather than pimping his girls, Donna saw an out. She moved out of Larry’s apartment and hoped to never see him again.

Lori became a star in the porn world, and with Red Hot, she had unlimited potential. Unfortunately for her, C.C. dragged her down. Kiki convinced the mobsters to buy him out, but a confrontation with Bobby and Frankie led to his death. Lori was finally free to go to Los Angeles.

Vincent Martino and Abby Parker

The Deuce Season 2 Episode 2 Recap

Vincent and Abby were still together at the beginning of season 1. However, Abby was no longer the wide-eyed college dropout, and Vincent realized the things he really wanted out of life. Abby worked with Dorothy in advocating for the prostitutes in the Deuce and butted heads with Vincent for his part in the cycle. When Dorothy was found dead, Vincent paid for the funeral, and it seemed that Abby would be putting Vincent’s cut of the take to use.

The Deuce

The Deuce Season 2 Episode 1 Recap

The Deuce was home to prostitutes on street corners, peep shows, and massage parlors. But the newly-elected mayor was looking to change that. He installed Gene Goldman with the task of cleaning up the Deuce. Goldman recruited Alston to his cause. Their efforts weren’t for purely moral reasons. There were interests to turn Times Square into a commercially profitable part of town, and this changed everything. Where previous efforts to clean up the Deuce failed, getting money involved would be the key to success.

If you’ve missed a recap or want to revisit the entire season, check out our full list of recaps below.