Morta di Fame

Times continue to change for the worse for a number of the characters of The Deuce. Morta di Fame feels like it's laying the foundations for tragedy, as political, social and economic change starts affecting everyone.

The Wire focussed heavily on the higher workings of the power systems. The Deuce has limited but sufficient focus on characters like Gene Goldman, but we see enough to understand the impact of his role and the interesting, hidden aspects of his character.

Frankie appears to be skating on thin ice and the writers have created an intriguing sense of danger around his self-serving antics. It's pretty clever storytelling when you side with a Gambino capo and testament to the humanity that Michael Rispoli brings to the role of Pipilo.

Other characters such as Eileen, Vincent, Lori, Abby, and Bobby have good screen time, particularly Lori, whose scenes on the porn set are a mix of shocking, dramatic and also humorous. How much do you want Eileen to end up happy with Hank? All actors are excellent as always.

The visuals are top drawer as ever. I love the cinematography, editing and art design. There is a great contrast between the scenes set in L. A. to those set in NYC.