Is that it for the football team aspirations?

I don't know much about the politics of football, but it seems pretty clear they're about as static as those to which they are attached, which means when Verona, who supported the idea of a new team and his people – who would have moved mountains to get them into the state – lost the election, so went the franchise.

So here we are on Ray Donovan Season 3 Episode 6 and things are still wildly in flux with everybody. 

The state of the Finney family is even worse off than imagined. Finney was in love with Varick? What in the hell?? That was an unexpected curve ball. The family doesn't have great taste if two people fell for Varick. What is his appeal, anyway? Maybe we just haven't gotten to know him.

Sadly, Paige gave up the love letter from Finney to Varick, which most certainly held a lot of value over her father, as well as her last favor, in order to get him to sign off on a team that might never go through.

All I can figure at this point is I should have paid closer attention to who did win the election. Perhaps she has ties to someone in Ray's past and is someone over whom he can hold some sway. Ray has dirt on and connections to people going back decades thanks to his dealings with Ezra. Maybe now is the time that comes into play.

Surely he's not going to let 3% of an NFL franchise become 3% of nothing. Finney said there was the potential for the franchise to make billions. If that's not reason enough to kick it into high gear, then what is? I'd venture to guess Paige would be willing to sell off more of her team for additional help. 

Paige was all out in the open with her braces, which had me thinking they were probably the one thing helping Abby remain calm about Ray spending so much time with Paige. It was also surprising how nice Paige was to Abby. Thank goodness Ray never acted on any lustful thoughts. 

If the team does fall through, Ray and Abby can still move into the bar business in Boston. Hey, it's something!

Terry's story was confusing, in that he kept calling Bunchy's office his office. I had a feeling everything he was seeing was going to turn out as it did in the end, because he seemed to have forgotten a lot, well, pretty much everything other than he killed an Aryan. 

Bunchy took two steps forward and one step backward. Everything that happened with Teresa was so positive (he's getting married?!), but it's absolutely unfathomable that he trusted anybody outside of his own family by talking about a murder. That was pretty shocking. 

I'm not sure at what point it's ever OK to talk about a murder with anyone other than the person with whom you have committed it. I'm going on the record. Never. Never, ever is it OK to talk about a murder you've committed with anybody after you've committed it. Heck, he runs Fite Club. Surely he's heard about some of those rules. They pertain everywhere. 

But will Romero go after Bunchy or just Ray? Something tells me he's not after Bunch, but only Ray. Since he was unaware of Ray's molestation, will that have an impact on the way he sees what Ray did to his friend, or will he consider it all the same? 

As for the other stories that seem to be taking up time, they aren't capturing my interest. Mickey's shenanigans with hookers and coke? How are we suppose to find that compelling? He's a grown man who has been to prison, has been the cause of multiple people being killed over the years and still can't get his head out of his ass. It's tiresome.

Then there's Bridget and her school adventures. There have been so many student/teacher relationships on television that have been done poorly that I'm just waiting for something inappropriate to begin. Whether that happens or not is irrelevant. Because of the expectation laid out thanks to countless tasteless programming that came before, all other attempts to show something different will suffer as a result. In the meantime, I wait for it, and it's almost unbearable.

Come to think of it, this was probably my least favorite Ray Donovan in quite some time. It fell by the way of stereotypical television, which is hardly a familiar avenue for the series. The only unexpected perk was Bunchy taking control of his love life and betting on himself. While it worked, it did so with the help of someone who is out to get him and his family. That just makes me angry. If anyone deserves the break, it's Bunch.

So what did you guys think? Good TV or less than stellar for a usually grand series? Hit the comments and let me know what you thought.

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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.