In the previous episode of HBO’s The Deuce, we caught up with all the characters in 1977. The porn industry was booming, and Vincent was doing well working for Rudy Pipilo. In The Deuce season 2 episode 2, the characters react to the changes in the porn industry with the announcement of AFAA nominations.
Big Bad Wolf
Eileen was getting frustrated with the movies she was making. She wanted to be working on films with better stories. Harvey introduced her to “Genevieve Furie”, whose real name was Agneiszka. She gave Eileen advice about taking control of her set. But for a former prostitute, it was difficult for Eileen to hear that she should stop using them because they had dead eyes. She told Eileen she should look to the classics for inspiration, and Russell suggested fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.
Her son was older now and asking her dating advice. Since things were going well for her, Eileen proposed the idea of getting a bigger apartment for the two of them. He agreed, and she said they would start looking soon.
It’s Changing
Lori was nominated for an adult film award for Best Supporting Actress. She talked with another porn actress who had just been nominated for Best Actress. She arranged a meeting for Lori with her agent Kiki. Kiki wanted Lori to hire her and leave C.C. since he would drag her down. Lori seemed to be considering it.
The pimps were struggling to find their place in the porn industry. Larry tried picking up a woman fresh off the bus, but she was already on her way to becoming a porn actress on her own. He asked Eileen if she could hire him, but she told him it required giving up control.
Protection
Though Paul was opening up his own place, he was still managing a bar for Rudy Pipilo. His friend was attacked outside of the bar, which caught the attention of another mob boss, Mr. Ianello. He suggested Paul ensure he was getting the protection he was paying for. He seemed to be re-considering paying for protection for his new place.
Meanwhile, Alston solved what had happened to the dead tourist whose homicide he was investigating. A teenage boy had acted in self-defense while hustling, and Alston coached him on his statement. Mr. Goldman approached him again, and Alston said that New Yorkers needed protection from the tourists, not the other way around.
Neponsit
Abby was in lively intellectual discussion that Vincent didn’t understand with a man at the bar. The next day, Vincent took Abby to a spontaneous trip to Coney Island. He talked about how it was for him there when he was growing up. They stayed at his Aunt Celeste’s house in Neponsit. When they got back, Vincent was supposed to take her to dinner. Abby got a call at the bar and canceled her plans with Vincent with no explanation. She went to a street outreach meeting led by Melissa, who was trying to help prostitutes escape their current situation.
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