Ray Donovan - Season 2 [DVD]

Most of the time you have to feel a bit sorry for poor Ray as he tries to keep his increasingly dysfunctional family together while trying to do his day job as well juggling the consequences of his father’s irresponsibility and increasing interest from the FBI. It is not easy being Ray and it certainly doesn’t look it, but there is also almost nothing likeable about him either; he is a very disturbing and alarmingly plausible character. Season one was a cracking introduction to the characters and their motivations and season two builds upon that solid foundation. No time is wasted on deliberate character development; it just happens organically as the season progresses so there is nothing to interrupt the pace of the various narrative threads. The season opens with Ray’s life looking pretty normal – his father is ‘missing’, his marriage is falling apart and his brothers are doing the best they can while the FBI are looking into Sully’s death and Ray’s boss’ behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic. Everything is set for the anticipated spiral into chaos and, of course, it does. To say too much more would definitely constitute a spoiler, but suffice to say a lot happens and along the way we have some splendid new characters (it is great to see Bunk from The Wire as Micky’s … nope, I won’t say), the new FBI chief Ed Cochran (who just happens to play in a band) and a Boston Globe reporter following her own leads into Sully’s death. Much as in Season one, Ray lurches from one catastrophe to the next, but season two is much more coherent with very strong plot lines underlying each episode and this season is, darker, deeper and far more unsettling than the first. An easy, light and fluffy show it is not but it is utterly engrossing and the twelve episodes are over far too quickly. Ray Donovan is an astonishingly clever, well written, casted and directed bit of TV which, somehow, only the Americans can do this well. Season three is currently airing in the US so hopefully we will not have to wait too long for the Blu-Ray release (which will give us an excuse to watch the first two seasons again in preparation). We’re still hoping, too, for the cross-over episode where Blueblood’s Regan family meets the Donovans – the writers have just got to find a way to get Ray and Micky to New York!

After the events of the very good 'season one' this second season steps out with the actors, having become more familiar with the characters they are portraying, doing an even more exemplary job of bringing the stories to life. Liev Schrieber, as Ray Donovan, does a very convincing job of playing a clever, hard nosed, street wise, bruiser controlling the world he is employed to manipulate, as well as trying to hold his dysfunctional family together, whilst indulging in his own unfaithful weaknesses under a heavy cloak of lies and deception. Ray's father, Mickey Donovan ( played by Jon Voight), an old school con-man still influenced by past glories, employs absolutely no moral code in order to maintain his own delusions and low-life self interests, screwing everything up for everyone else just like in season one. This is the best I have ever seen Jon Voight act in all his career, since 'Midnight Cowboy'. If you viewed the first season and liked it, this is a must. If you haven't seen season one, get it and season two and treat yourself to one of the best television series' about the workings of the murky undercurrent that definitely must lie beneath Los Angeles supposedly respectable entrepreneurial front ever....really, ever. Eamonn

Excellent. I loved the first series and although I found the second dipped for an episode or two in the middle it made up for it as it raced towards the conclusion and the third inevitable series! Liev Schreiber is very good and makes you like someone who in fact is not very likeable which is very good acting. All the casting and direction is excellent and then there's Jon Voight, who plays the repellent Mickey and makes you dislike him intensely. Again, very good acting.

Ray Donovan what a super cool character and a great actor. This series is not for the weak hearted but it's brilliant and as per usual certain companies have the dominant power to show it! So I decided to just buy it on DVD and now with Season Three out I'd better get watching and so far so good. Karrie💐

This is an okay series to watch (while I am waiting for other sets to come out on DVD!)

Have both this and season 1 on DVD, have not watched it on DVD yet but watched both season when they were on TV, love this show, so unusual, funny, interesting & tragic. A mixture of all emotions and really good viewing. You will not be disappointed to give this show a look.

Warning - Spoilers !!! Not as good as Season 1 but still very entertaining thanks to some fantastic acting especially by Jon Voight. The plots are more than a bit haphazard and, quite frankly, most of them unbelievable. The relationship between Ray's wife and the cop she meets at the shooting range goes from initial meeting to "I love you" in an improbable time-frame and then Abby "proves" her love by trying to blackmail her lover into breaking the law. I have no idea what was going on with the motivational speaker and the stalker either. Then Mickey's heist - everything about it was laughable (and not in a good way). There is more, but I don't want to spoil any more treats. That being said, it's easy watching - just don't take it seriously or expect it to make much sense.

This is is such a a brilliant series, the season season is superb and really builds on what was already a great first season, Ray Donovan already has a tough job on his hands trying to solve other peoples problems but its the problems with his own family which close in on him fast!! You just want watch more and more as the season progresses.

Spitzen-Serie, stark gespielt, mit guten Ideen und einem ultracoolen Hauptdarsteller. Es ist beschämend, das nicht alle Staffeln von RAY DONOVAN auf Blu-ray angeboten werden. Die DVD-Varianten werde ich mir nicht zulegen. Schade, ich hätte gerne alle Staffeln gekauft.

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Les personnages sont très attachants, les acteurs sublimes, surtout Jon Voight. J'ai l'impression qu'il prend un plaisir de diable de jouer ce vieux connard. Un pur plaisir.

Très bonne série

Interesting characters and storyline. There is rough content, however, and this series may not be suitable for all viewers; this includes language and storyline.