The Deuce

The story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early ’70s through the mid ’80s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed there until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and the renewed real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence of the area.

The Deuce (2017-2019) is an HBO period drama created by David Simon and George Pelecanos, a three-season ensemble crime drama spanning 25 episodes. Set in 1970s and 1980s Times Square, it follows the legalization and rise of New York's porn industry through the eyes of a web of hustlers, managers, bar owners and workers. James Franco plays twins Vincent and Frankie Martino, a bar owner and a hustler whose ambitions pull him between family obligations and the lure of quick money. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Eileen 'Candy' Merrell, a street-walking sex worker who transitions into filmmaking, while Chris Bauer plays Bobby Dwyer, a vice cop navigating a corrupt precinct. Each episode builds on the daily grind of negotiation, rent, protection money and the constant threat of violence. The show's engine is the struggle to stake a claim in a neighborhood where fortunes are made and lost overnight. Its tone is gritty, melancholic and unvarnished, with a deliberate, observational pace. Fans of The Wire, Boardwalk Empire and Treme will find resonance in its layered ensemble and its portrait of a city in transition.

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its period recreation and performances while the final season is rated lower.

• The Wiregritty urban crime and vice, sprawling ensemble, period-authentic city decay
• Boardwalk Empireperiod drama of a seedy industry's rise, historical New York texture, prestige HBO drama
• TremeDavid Simon style street-level working-class city portrait, vice and hustle economy
• Boogie Nights1970s New York nightlife and sex industry milieu, ensemble of strivers

Created by

David Simon, George Pelecanos

Release Date

2017-09-10

Episode runtime

59 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (442)

What is The Deuce about?

In 1970s and 1980s Times Square, a legalized porn industry and the street hustlers around it struggle for money and survival as the neighborhood changes.

What is The Deuce like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Deuce as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is The Deuce violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Deuce as moderate.

What did critics think of The Deuce?

Audiences rate the series positively, praising its period recreation and performances while the final season is rated lower.

Which shows are like The Deuce?

Shows with a similar feel include The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Treme, and Boogie Nights.

How long is The Deuce?

The Deuce: 3 seasons, 25 episodes.

Is The Deuce still running?

No, The Deuce has ended.

Where can I watch The Deuce?

In United States, The Deuce streams on HBO Max.