This is already back. I was surprised by the six year time jump myself. Not sure what inspired it since we had quite a lot of story left where they left it off last season. The season two premiere was alright. Still think something is missing to make this more than just a quality tranche de vie of 1970s Gotham.
Was the jump that many years? I know they moved ahead but I didn't think it was that far. Probably not much of a story to tell about the skin industry exploding against a backdrop of NYC going to seed in the early to mid 70's. Maybe the producers felt a need to get a move on to tell their story in case a season 3 isn't in the cards. I'm in it for the long haul however it shakes out. If nothing else, this episode gets bonus points for using the Theme from SWAT.
Season one started in 1971. Admittedly I'm not sure when it ended. The second season started in 1977.
My only knock on this season is it seems they are just moving the story along, not building up to anything. Still 4 episodes left for something to happen. Thought for a minute at the end of the last episode Tess from The Newsroom was going to have a wardrobe malfunction - sigh. Maybe this week
I think that is my appraisal of the show. It's terrifically acted, amazing production values, at times mindbogglingly good at recreating the couleur locale of late 1970s Times Square. In spite of all those qualities, it has no clear direction. It is more a slice of life type show. Which is fine, even if some people clearly expect something else from it.
Normally an HBO series gets right to the main point of any season since they have a small window of time to work with. I'm OK with whatever direction the producers wish to go. Like you I appreciate the attention to detail in the production. The Times Square exteriors in the show are a very close copy of the gritty, seedy Times Square I remember growing up in the '70s.Although I was a bit too young to fully it appreciate it then.
The sequence where Paul goes cruising for some action in that abandoned warehouse was incredibly beautifully shot. Starting with the shot of him walking down that blue corridor, the only other point of light his burning cigarette.
There was definitely some criticism about the amount of female nudity compared to male nudity in the first season. I think that the full frontal male nudity is a reaction to that.
Was that a form of suicide by C.C.? The combination of his last scene with his one remaining girl to how he acted at the parlor seems to suggest this was all a conscious choice on his part.
I don't know if I buy that considering C.C. was more or less smarter than Bobby and Frankie combined. If he was looking for trouble I'm sure he would have dialed up the attitude beyond pissing Bobby off with the lighter. He certainly knew the good times were coming to an end with Laurie slipping away, the Mob getting in on the film action and the community activists stirring things up. He didn't know how deal with all of it. One thing is for certain - Ashley best be on the next bus out of town with C.C. out of the picture.
They've been laying the groundwork of Rodney killing her for a time in this season now. If that happens, I also see Shay returning to the lesbian manager of the peep show.
I doubt that scenario would be met with any acceptance should it come to pass. Irene got burned once already by Shay and IMO it would take all kinds of stupid to subject herself to another round of Shay detoxing. But then again most of the characters on this show don't have much of a moral compass to begin with, so who knows.
So we aren't going to be told who killed Ashley or even given a suggestion as to what might have gone down to have caused her murder. I also find it a bit weird that Paul would go to so much trouble to get his own place free from the mob and then return to the mob only to pour money into something that he knows will be a money pit in the form of his boyfriends theater. I did like Lori's arrival scene in Los Angeles. It perfectly mirrors her arrival in NYC in season one. A guy picking her up at the station/airport and taking her to breakfast.
I doubt Ashley's killer will ever be known. 2 of the possible suspects are out of the picture and the others would be more than happy to finger them for the murder if it came down to it. Paul going to Rudy for the money was a bit odd but I think he is using his little head rather than the big one on this idea. It's going to end in disaster one way or the other. Unless he takes Frankie on as a financial advisor...