Ray Donovan Season 3 Episode 3 Review: Come and Knock On My Door
Carissa Pavlica
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It didn't cost me a f*cking thing.
That's what Ray told Terry about getting him out of prison on Ray Donovan Season 3 Episode 3. Terry called it the second he walked out of prison, however. Ray has to stop carrying the family. It's going to kill him.
Does Ray have anything left at this point? What else can he possibly sacrifice?
The focus of "Come and Knock On My Door" was fairly singular – for Ray to get Terry out of prison and save his life. A phone call to Mickey got him involved, but as usual, he only made things worse.
The pressure of Terry's life on Ray's shoulders was heavy, as evidenced by Ray's visions of his dead sister Bridget throughout the hour. The scenes between Ray and Terry showed how much his family means to him, however, and reminded us of the bonds created because of Bridget's death.
It was interesting that Finney made the connection of Ray as a middle child, as Ray is probably unlike most middle children. Yet a lot of what Finney does is unusual. If I was more of a conspiracy theorist, I might start to question whether he set up Terry with the Aryans to put Ray in a vulnerable position that would require his assistance just to get him into his employ.
It sure seemed to work out in Finney's favor, didn't it? But who could have predicted Mickey would come bumbling along, effectively killing the convicting judge by knocking his heart medication out of his hands during an argument. Some things can't possibly be planned.
Ray: Everything you touch turns to shit.
Mickey: Don't say that.
Ray: You just killed another one of your kids, Mick.
Somehow it worked out so that Ray put his entire world on the line, his livelihood, to save his brother, while Mickey sounded concerned and as if he would have done the same, but he didn't have to because his confession of guilt fell on dead ears. Once again, he confessed to the crime and offered himself up as a sacrifice, but nothing happened.
Instead, Mickey will continue to rake in money from a drug and prostitution ring while his son Ray does the real job of saving the family, finding himself indebted to a man with connections that really get the job done. The fixer went to the client to have his life fixed.
Ray: My, uh.. My brother's in prison. He killed another inmate. Self defense. The other guys, uh, they're gonna kill him.
Finney: That's terrible.
Ray: I need to get him out. Tonight. Can you help me?
How amazing was Liev Schrieber with all of the emotional scenes during this hour? He's always good, but one can only take so much of him with tears welling up in his eyes. Strength and tears are so juxtaposed it's jarring. Jarring, but incredibly effective.
Finney is a unique character and one I'm unsure of how to feel. It's clear he's powerful and gets what he wants, but he also seems to care. But if he really cares, would I so easily suspect him of possibly setting up the entire Aryan situation in prison?
How long did he have that employment contract sitting around just waiting for Ray to sign? There are always scenes that we don't see, but it sure seemed as if Ray signed it because it was expected as a result of the favor and not because it was previously discussed.
When they were sitting with the Governor after, what, 60 seconds, and Finney said, "This is taking far longer than I thought it would," because he just has that kind of power, it became even more clear what kind of man we're dealing with. That was all the Governor needed to hear to move forward. He was wasting Finney's time, and that wasn't good.
I can't help but admire Finney's character (the one on television, not his moral compass), and that scares me. I want Ray it to be beneficial to Ray and for him to finally thrive in a business relationship. Will that come back to bite this viewer in the butt?
The comic relief of the evening came by way of Bunchy. It was great that someone finally told him Fite Club was a front. The laugh out loud moment came when he needed to secure some breast milk for a fetish john, and suddenly the breastfeeding mother he spotted at the supermarket was pumping in the living room in the next scene. Oh. My. God. I thought Abby was going to flip a gasket!
A quick note on Abby. She was finally so happy with Dog that I was devastated for her when Conor let it out without the leash. The kid is such a pain in the ass. I'm about done with him and ready for a storyline where he gets his ass kicked. I'm not even a fan of Abby, but Dog brought her in line with the people. Hopefully she'll find some peace on her brief getaway.
It's taken a while, but the slate is pretty much wiped clean now. Ezra is dead, Lena and Avi are gone. Ray still hasn't fixed his marriage. Ray is with the Finney family, 100% in their employ. Terry is out of prison. Mickey is running drugs and hookers. Now seems like a good time for the pesky priest to rear his ugly head. Maybe Finney won't find Ray as attractive once that comes to light.
You guys used to love Ray. What's up with Ray Donovan Season 3 so far? Are you just not into it? Do you miss the way things used to be? Are you looking forward to the upcoming Finney storyline? Drop me a comment and share your thoughts.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
