‘The Deuce’ Season 1, Episode 3 Recap: “The Principle Is All” Shows Everyone Has A Place

The third episode of The Deuce has finally started to see the characters cross paths.

THE DEUCE RECAP

Abby begins waitressing at Vincent’s new bar, the Hi-Hat, and Rudy the mob boss is bankrolling the venture. He might even have the mayor on his side as a new Times Square developer. The pimps Larry, Rodney, and Gentle Ritchie all meet to talk business with their girls at the Hi-Hat as well.

Episode three, “The Principle is All,” for the most part shows us the inner workings of the Hi-Hat and how it helps bring all these diverse people together under one roof. But at the margins, we follow Candy and Bobby, who are finally realizing the dangers of their environments. Candy and Thunder Thighs travel to watch a live sex show she thinks is being filmed by director Harvey Wasserman. She learns, however, that Harvey isn’t actually filming, and he explains how difficult the market for pornography is. She is still determined to enter the porn world. “When do we ever leave a f–kin’ dollar for the other guy to pick up?” she says, knowing that Europe is having much more success in the porn game.

We learn of Candy’s other motivations as well, like her mother’s disapproval of her, and how she’s barely in her own son’s life. Her main issues now, though, is trying to get more work as a hooker, and how to expand her business.

Meanwhile, Bobby is still working on a construction site and has a heart attack, landing him in the hospital. While last week he was helping his brother connect with the mob, he’s not bumming for cigarettes in his hospital bed.

The Deuce also introduced a new face this week with Sandra Washington, a reporter snooping around the girls and around Leon’s diner. She goes so far as to pay a prostitute to hear about her life. Paul Hendricks was in the last episode at Penny Lane, and he comes back to bring some old clientele to Vincent. Lastly, drifter Big Mike finds himself hired by Vincent after he stops a guy from pulling a gun on opening night.

The Deuce works because it shows everyone has his/her own place within the story and within the world. Each character is a microcosm, some more obvious than others. Like Big Mike, a mysterious guy who seems threatening, but turns out to have good morals, and is hired by Vincent regardless.

We also see officers Alston and Flanagan, but not for long. They have orders to patrol the “no-go zone for purposes of an arrest,” so we’ll see who they lock up. Neither takes the job too seriously though.

Tune in next week for episode 4.