If you watched season 1, youve seen Gyllenhaal here before.
When we met her character, Eileen, she was barely surviving the Times Square sex trade of 1972.
She worked nights as a prostitute, Candy, getting assaulted and worse.
Credit: Paul Schiraldi/HBO
But now its 1977, and Eileens a porn star with ambitions toward auteurism.
Its a luscious kickoff for an evolutionary season.
The pimps of yore are struggling.
Some prostitutes are now famous, new-minted porn stars in the era of porno chic.
And a few familiar characters look half-dissolved, addled by drugs and cruel history.
Its not like how it was when we started, says Lori (Emily Meade).
More money, more ripped-from-the-headlines problems.
Clever Darlene (Dominique Fishback) notices shes making fifty bucks less per day than her white costars.
Eileen seeks financing for a passion project, just another female director struggling to be taken seriously.
A few characters look fully activated by this new eras ambitions.
Sweet former bartender Paul (Chris Coy) is chasing moguldom on the downtown gay club circuit.
Its a whole lot of show, and I havent mentioned all the James Francos.
I understand that perspective and understand whyThe Deuceisnt for everyone.
The show meanders like co-creator David SimonsTreme, which I really liked and will definitely finish someday.
A few characters freely announce the themes theyre representing.
There is a very metaWestworldjoke.
Appropriate for 1977, theres even a new hope.
For Eileen, its unmissably autobiographical, the story of a girl lost and assaulted.
Now shes telling the story her way.
