Necrotongue

The plot was more lively this time, with Ray's trip to Boston giving the story a nice boost. Abby's adventure and its aftermath were entertaining, but the storyline with Marvin and Bridget didn’t do much for me.

Just my luck — in my review of episode five, I complained about the show's deep dive into interpersonal relationships at the expense of action, and now we have Bunchy's housewarming party. I appreciate characters with depth, but we really need some excitement to break up the tangled relationship drama. 4*-

The show is steadily filling up with more or less (mostly more) disturbed characters, like the stalker who was after Ashley and seemingly passed his obsession onto her:-) I still have an issue with the creators focusing too little on Ray’s actual job and too much on his family relationships.

Surprisingly, Bert, who usually annoys me, was actually quite entertaining. I’m still getting used to the slimmer Martin, but he was perfect both in and out of the surgery. Aunt Ruth clearly outshines Aunt Joan, who was a bit too stereotypical. With Ruth, that’s definitely not a concern.

This episode was slightly better. I really enjoyed the family day in Bel Air — it clearly showed that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Ray Donovan and Stu Feldman wouldn't need paternity tests for their sons. Jon Voight's performance is excellent; his character gets on my nerves, which is exactly what the creators intended.

This episode didn't blow me away either. After the pilot, I expected the story to go in a different direction. Ray's work is still sidelined, with too much focus on relationships and analyzing feelings (especially Abby’s). The season isn't bad so far, but it could use a bit more excitement. 4*-

The pace slowed down a bit. Ray’s work took a backseat, and the story focused more on family and relationship issues, which made it less exciting. 4*-

The pilot episode was a hit. I loved the concept — Ray Donovan essentially does the same job as Mr. Wolf in Pulp Fiction, which means I’m bound to enjoy this series. The first episode didn’t just focus on Ray’s work; it also gave us a glimpse into his complicated personal life.

Season 2 of Occupied wasn’t disappointing. On the contrary, I was pleased because I was expecting a drop in quality compared to the first season. Actually, I think that the Norwegian filmmakers did an even better job in the second season. Once again, I liked all the political machinations and I enjoyed how the creators managed to draw a thin line between responsibility and betrayal, a fair fight and crime. Well done.

Season 1 of Occupied was quite well made. It’s true that there were some weaker moments here and there. If the story was set in Japan, I suppose the Prime Minister's bodyguards would perform a ritual seppuku. Anyway, I did enjoy the first season. I certainly wasn't bored, and, as is customary for me, I instantly took a liking to the cynical Ambassador Sidorova with her poker face and occasional condescending smile.