Ray Donovan Season 4 Episode 10 Review: Lake Hollywood
Paul Dailly
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Where did it all go wrong for Ray Donovan?
Ray Donovan Season 4 Episode 10 was pretty much all about Hector and Marisol, and it was a drag. Giving these two characters so much screen time really ruined the hour.
There's just no redeeming either character at this stage, so I dare say the powers that be wanted rid of the characters due to the negative feedback about them.
You only have to take one look at the social media pages for the show to find out just how hated the characters are. It's not that I have anything against the actors. It's simply down to the fact that neither character has ever been fleshed out fully.
Why should we care about either character when they're both as flawed as one another with no redemption in sight?
Hector's relationship with his sister was never conventional. It's almost like the plot was thrown in at the last minute to add some shocks back into the show.
Shocks are good on drama series, but when they feel like an afterthought, they don't really have the same effect. For all of the reasons listed above, I'm glad Marisol is finally out of the equation.
That said, it was so over the top when Hector drowned her. All it took was his wife and daughter moving to make him realize the destruction Marisol brought into his life.
Murdering her was a bad move for his character. The little respect anyone had for him probably diminished in that moment. He couldn't quit her, so he killed her. He wasn't strong enough to steer clear of Marisol.
It's plain and simple. Sure, he had regrets afterwards, but he now knows he doesn't have to worry every single time she disappears.
Part of me wanted Ray to not go back after walking out on Hector. It would have signaled the end of the line for the character if he was arrested for murder.
Ray just always wants to save the day. That's why he went back. He knew how much having Hector in the gym meant to Terry.
There's not a hope in hell that Hector's part in Marisol's murder won't come back to bite him. It's sad, but I want there to be some sort of repercussions for Ray after all of this.
There was time when Ray was one of the best written characters on television, but with the change in showrunner, the character is doing a lot of questionable things that have me questioning why I continue to watch.
Liev Schreiber is turning in a consistent performance. It's just a shame the writing isn't backing up the performance.
After Ray Donovan Season 4 Episode 9, it seemed clear the show was returning to its former glory. All of the stuff with Dimitri and the Russians descending on Ray's stomping ground was so well executed that it made up for most of the horrible developments this season.
Avi's fate was well and truly up in the air, but we didn't get a definitive answer about whether Dimitri kept Avi alive. The way he took Jacob out without a second thought kind of makes me think Avi is already dead.
A character as fantastic as Avi does not deserve an off-screen death. It would be a gut punch, but it would suck.
"Lake Hollywood" was one of the worst episodes of the entire series. The little hope I had the show was improving is gone. The final two episodes had better hit the ground running, or there's a chance viewers will continue to flee the show.
Other tidbits from the episode:
- Terry is moving super fast with Doherty, but they are so damn cute together that I'd be glad with a wedding on the season finale.
- Teresa asking Bunchy to leave town was a great twist. She knows first hand now just how difficult it is with both of their families. A fresh start in a new locale would do them the world of good.
- Why didn't Dimitri's men just dispatch Ray when he was in the gallery? The art wouldn't have gotten very far.
- Abby giving tough love to Teresa was a highlight of this terrible episode.
Remember you can watch Ray Donovan online right here on TV Fanatic. Get caught up now!
What did you think of the episode?
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Note: Ray Donovan Season 4 Episode 11 airs Sunday September 4 on Showtime
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
