TV Show Review

TV Review: RAY DONOVAN: Season 1, Episode 5: Irish Spring [Showtime]

Jon Voight Ray Donovan Irish Spring

Showtime’s Ray Donovan Irish Spring TV Show Review. Ray Donovan: Season 2, Episode 5: Irish Spring saw Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) “acting” badly. When Ray was “acting” perturbed because of Tiny’s death, it was a performance for three parties: 1.) Ray Donovan, 2.), the assassin, and 3.) the viewer. Ray Donovan knew exactly what was going to happen to Tiny after serving him his last meal. Donovan was pretending outrage, lying to himself as he bludgeoned Tiny’s assassin. It was a good act but even the most schizophrenic viewer couldn’t buy its validity.

Mikey Donovan (Jon Voight)’s incarceration camera performance and FBI Special Agent Ed Cochran (Hank Azaria)’s rant about Irish people were hilarious (though the latter was not PC). Ray Donovan told Cochran to let Mikey go back to Mexico, that he would be a problem. Cochran’s anger clarified that Ray was not only being truthful but prophetic in his warning.

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During Irish Spring, Tiny’s assassin made himself a liability, a liability with a possible drinking problem. In mob films, Banshee, and in Ray Donovan’s world, liabilities like that get taken care of, one way of the other. FBI Special Agent Frank Barnes (Michael McGrady) was trying to warn Kate McPherson (Vinessa Shaw) but in the process opened himself up to enormous and damaging questions about whom and why she should be fearful. It was a stupid, conscience guilt slip, one that may cost him his life.

The meeting of the minds at the end of Irish Spring was unexpected but the three ‘actors’ played their parts very well. McPheron was no easy sell: for every answer she had a rebuttal question. She was being an investigative reporter but she wasn’t thinking like a CIA Case Officer (most people don’t). She never asked herself: 1.) why they were telling her what they were telling her?, 2.) why were they telling her then?, 3.) what did they stand to gain? An even better question would have been what did they stand to lose if they didn’t tell her what they were telling her at that moment? Not every character though can be as well-trained, perceptive, and inquisitive as Carrie Mathison on Homeland.

McPherson taking the plane home with the special something in her pocketbook will bare fruit. Will she take it and come back to Los Angeles clandestinely or will she start an investigation more secretive this time around from Boston?

My guess is that she throws out the story the trio fed her as bull manure and writes a blistering investigative piece about a cover-up, Sully, and FBI involvement. She won’t dare write the story until she has more proof, much more. Now she knows that she has to be careful about obtaining that intelligence. The primary stakeholders have shown themselves and they have their freedom and their careers to lose.

If Marvin Gaye Washinton (Octavius J. Johnson) is not careful, his career will be manipulated by his just-released-from-prison uncle. His uncle sees dollar signs with Marvin, sees the future that Marvin has and wants to be part of that lucrative rocket as it takes off. Marvin’s uncle is probably angling to be his manager or agent, thus potentially netting himself 10% of everything that Marvin earns. First he has to get his foot in the door and buying his way in is the easiest and most direct route.

Leave your thoughts on this review and this episode of Ray Donovan below in the comments section. For more Ray Donovan reviews, photos, videos, and information, visit our Ray Donovan Page, subscribe to us by Email, “follow” us on TwitterTumblr, or “like” us on Facebook.

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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