Ray Donovan season 5 began on a very different note from prior seasons. There’s no direct explanation of what is going on or what exactly has transpired since the last time we were with the Donovan’s. Some of the arcs from the previous season are touched upon and some are even resolved. Though throughout the season opener we are slowly made aware that something major has occurred. We are keyed into what exactly that is through vague and somber nods and winks but prevailing through all of the innuendo is the idea that nearly everyone on the show that can be broken is now fully emotionally broke. You could make the case that Ray has been a broken man for quite sometime but throughout the opener we see elements of his character that we have never seen before. It seems as if this time Ray is truly lost on how to fix his situation because this the first time where he isn’t directly responsible for what has broken him down. The Donovan clan is now fragmented not only emotionally but by geography. Connor is away at what seems like a boarding school and it seems as if Bridget is now enrolled at NYU. This physical fragmentation allows Ray to go further down the rabbit hole of depression and despair. Despite his mental state, Ray is still actively working as Hollywood’s greatest fixer and it seems as if he’s diversified the services that his business offers as well. With his half brother now playing an active role at the office. The rest of the Donovan brothers are largely in the same positions they were at the end of last season though some major improvements and changes have been made with both of them.

Outside of the Donovan family, the season opener introduced us to some new players in the series as well with Susan Sarandon‘s ‘Samantha Winslow’ stealing the show. Her arc on this particular episode was rather open and closed but with an actress like Sarandon donning the role it’s safe to assume there will be a lot more from Mrs. Winslow throughout the rest of the season.

All and all the opener was a extremely solid, yet somber addition to the Ray Donovan catalog. The series seems to be addressing some of the criticisms that were hurled its way during its 4th season which will hopefully lead to a better show. I personally didn’t have a problem with the shows 4th season, but I also binged the entire series in less than a month at the end of last year. Therefore the traditional viewing experience may have yielded a different experience for other individuals.

Ray Donovan airs Sunday’s at 8 PM est on Showtime.

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