We pushed them into the parlors been running women off the streets for awhile now, he reveals.
Thats been the goddamned plan all along.
Yeah, the parlors have been paying us.
Credit: Paul Schiraldi/HBO
She asks why hed ever tell her such a thing; he responds dumbfounded.
Later, they kiss, and the answer to the question is written all over Alstons face.
Its not just that hes attracted to Sandra though he is.
That system is what drives the storylines in Au Reservoir,The Deuces most emotionally complex episode to date.
The episode provides as close to a character spotlight as an ensemble piece likeThe Deucecan.
Ashley, played by Jamie Neumann, moves to the shows center after previously operating on the margins.
drops her off as the episode begins, and Darlene spots her outside the building.
Another day, another bunch of dicks, she jokes to Ashley.
Darlene walks in, but Ashley stays behind.
F this, she says to herself.
Ashley then wanders into the Hi-Hat, where she quickly catches Frankies eye.
He flirts with her, and she flirts back.
(The 1971 movie was a landmark for gay porn in real life.)
Frankie asks if that makes him sound crazy.
Ashley shakes her head: Sounds like youre free.
While she explores life beyond prostitution, inside are miserable experiences of objectification and entrapment.
Darlenes getting through it, clearly unsatisfied but not beaten by the change of scenery.
Its those around her who are crumbling.
(Some aint built for it, Thunder Thighs says to Darlene in response.)
Without the spaciousness of an apartment or the streets, they have nowhere to hide.
On the other side are the pimps, who are starting to feel obsolete.
I knew what I was there for.
While Larry aimlessly wanders the Deuce at night and C.C.
runs after Ashley wondering what went wrong, we see Reggie acting on feelings of powerlessness more destructively.
Leon, who spends the episode quietly bonding with Melissa, asks Reggie to let her finish her food.
Its a shocking moment that leaves Melissa paralyzed.
Melissas plight in the episode reveals the limitations of solidarity, but in other areas we see its vitality.
Eileen appears in much higher spirits when back on a porn set with Harvey and his crew.
Over the course of the episode, we see her emerge as an artist.
Then, in a stunning filming sequence, she essentially takes over for Harvey as Lori continues to struggle.
Its almost as if shes narrating while the camera rolls.
Yeah, just let her feel each inch of your c, one at a time.
Feels good like that, right?
… Youre getting us all hot.
That feeling of empowerment seeps into the episodes spotlight on Ashley as well.
The final shot of Ashley leaving the life crystallizes the importance of this approach.
We dont see a woman excited by what awaits her, nor clueless to the horrors shes leaving behind.
Rather, through Neumanns beautiful performance, we see a life lived, often difficult but survivable her own.
