Ep 2. There's an Art to This

There's an Art to This is the second episode of the second season of the critically acclaimed American TV drama, The Deuce. Set in the early 1970s, the gritty show explores the interconnected lives of pimps, prostitutes, and the police on the streets of New York City's Times Square.

The episode opens with a cold open in which we see Vincent Martino (James Franco) and his brother Frankie (Franco) hustling some tourists on the subway. Their plans get foiled when a police officer shows up and chases them off. Meanwhile, Candy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a prostitute-turned-porn-filmmaker, is striving to make a better and more artistic adult movie.

As the episode unfolds, we see Vincent and Frankie struggling to keep up with the loan payments on their bar, the Hi-Hat. They end up accepting money from a mobster named Rudy Pipilo (Michael Rispoli) who expects favors in return. Vincent's wife Abby (Margarita Levieva) is working as a waitress at a new disco called Club 366, where we see her making new friends and meeting an interesting musician named Paul (Chris Coy).

Meanwhile, Candy is trying to direct an artistic film that depicts sex in a more nuanced way than the crass pornography that is prevalent at the time. She collaborates with a French director named Jean-Claude (Sylvain Marcel), who encourages her vision and artistic sensibilities. However, she faces setbacks when the male lead for her film proves incapable of performing, and she realizes she needs to find a new actor quickly.

We also see the police cracking down on the sex trade and prostitution in Times Square. Detective Alston (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.) is tasked with heading up a new anti-prostitution task force. However, he quickly realizes that it will be difficult to eradicate the industry altogether and starts to look for ways to help the women get out of the business instead.

As the episode progresses, Vincent's debts to Rudy Pipilo start to cost him more and more. Rudy wants him to shut down a rival bar called The Terminal, which is run by an Irish gangster named Jackie Rohr (Kevin Breznahan). Vincent is conflicted about this because he has a history with Rohr and doesn't want to cause a war between the two factions.

The tensions between Vincent and Rudy come to a head when Vincent is called to a meeting with Rudy's boss, Matty the Horse (Garry Pastore). Matty threatens him and says that if he doesn't comply with Rudy's demands, he will lose everything he has worked for. Vincent is left with a difficult decision to make.

Meanwhile, Candy auditions a new actor named Rodney (Method Man) for her film. He proves to be a skilled performer and they share some chemistry, but Candy is wary of getting too close to him. She reminds him that it's just a job and that they shouldn't mix business with pleasure.

As the episode draws to a close, we see Vincent at a crossroads. He has to decide whether to betray his old friend Jackie Rohr and shut down his bar, or risk losing everything to Rudy and Matty. Candy is also facing tough choices, as she tries to make an artistic film in a world that values only cheap thrills and gratification. The episode leaves us wondering what choices they will make and what consequences they will face as a result.