Starting immediately after where season five left off, Ray Donovan's sixth season opens with Ray (Liev Schreiber) being rescued by a new character named Sean "Mac" McGrath played by The Wire's Domenick Lombardozzi, who spotted Ray falling into the water through the vantage point of sitting in the front seat of his car.
But to say that Ray isn't too happy about it would be an understatement, as Ray is bound and determined not to stay in this world, as throughout the episode, Ray continuously states that he didn't jump, but rather was following Abby, his now deceased wife previous played by Paula Malcomson.
An injured Ray is taken somewhere other than the hospital and as it turns out, is not alone in the car with McGrath either, as another new character named, Fetu Autufuga (Kelemete Misipeka) is introduced. Still there to get him out of this scrape however, is the return of season five character Sam Winslow (Susan Surandon), who continues to prove to be one of Ray Donovan's biggest powerhouse characters.
With a similar LOST concept of the character Ray also potentially loosing his way, the episode is rather cathartic and has moments of disorientating dream-like sequences with Ray meandering through New York City like a nomad, which also happens to be a name of bar that gets name-dropped by one of the new characters, while at one point, a song about vagabonds also plays over one of these montage scenes.
The episode is also, uncharacteristically for this series, filled with some profound philosophical dialogue coming from non Donovan characters and a couple of scenes almost have a quasi-eastern philosophical vibe to them, including one scene that involves Mickey (Jon Vought) picking up cigarette buds.
Speaking of the Donovans, the episode also catches up with each and every one of them. Well, except for one. Some are in better places than others, but the episode primarily fixes on Ray after a brief time jump, where he finds himself embroiled with three new characters that all may come with their own unique sets of unknowns, including one client of Sam Winslow's named Anita Novak (Lola Glaudini), a women running for New York City Mayor, which also gives Ray Donovan some freshness by leaning more into contrived political figures, rather than young Hollywood screw-ups.
That's not to say that some Ray Donovan staples aren't still present. The episode still has characters such as Bunchy (Dash Mihok), Daryl (Pooch Hall), Lena (Shane McCutcheon), and Mickey still residing in LA and where Mickey's screenplay and soon-to-be film, Mr. Lucky is still a plot device for two of these characters. There are also elements from the past that seem to tug away at Ray around every corner, while the episode also feels depressingly heavy full of emotional head blows, but keeps chugging along like always.
There has also always been bits of "New York" that have slowly bleed into the series, since so much of the Donovan brothers, especially Ray's story, derive from their disturbing New York City childhood and upbringing from the loss of their mother and sister to a deadbeat father entangled with organized crime, being sexually abused by a priest, to where Ray first met Abby. In some ways this feels like the beginning of an examination of one of the most often discussed psychological and spiritual arguments about going home again...
Catch the Ray Donovan season six premiere on Showtime this Sunday October, 28th at 10:00 EST.
Dialogue Teasers:
"Grief changes shape, but never ends."
"Could you call me cab?'
"You need dippers? We got dippers."
"Twenty seven men died building the Brooklyn Bridge. Did you know that?"
"So where did you learn how to fight like that, Irish mob?"
"I don't know why everyone likes firefighters. Is a firefighter going to stop someone attacking your daughter?"
"They can't take her from me."
"I'm not used to them being on my side."
"What's with the hat?"
"I'd like to "costume" him."
"Thank you."
"Keeping my mouth shut? Who sent you?"
"Oh, you know, he's a meth-od. Actor."
"Ok. Don't do anything till I get there."
Plot Teasers:
One character shows the audience a truly unique way to facilitate an escape plan.
A Donovan ends up living with one of the new characters.
One character may have a new love interest.
Two characters have scenes in jail.
One character works at an auto parts store.
Two characters are struggling with their children and broken marriages.
One scene features "disco" stereotypes.
There is an important motorcycle.
One character calls Ray in a panic.
One character gets a "thank you" from Ray.
