The Deuce, Seasons 1-2

Series Premiere. Twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino--one a double-shifting bartender with two kids and a wayward wife in Brooklyn, the second an insouciant gambler with piling mob debts--navigate their way through the rough-and-tumble world of 1971 Times Square. While Vincent plots ways to improve his situation and pay off his brother's debt, he crosses paths with other midtown denizens--including veteran hookers Candy and Ashley, young streetwalkers Darlene and Lori, and smooth-talking pimps C.C., Larry, and Rodney--as they ply their trades under the not-so-watchful eye of the NYPD. Meanwhile, when NYU student Abby is enlisted by friends to buy amphetamines on the street, she ends up in the Times Square precinct, an unlikely starting point for making a bold change to her privileged life.

With his marriage failing, Vincent moves into a seedy Times Square hotel and, fueled by his success drawing customers to a struggling Korean bar, contemplates a tempting offer from mob capo Rudy Pipilo. Meanwhile, Vincent and Frankie's brother-in-law Bobby, a Brooklyn construction foreman, eyes Vincent's new connections as a way to better his own lot. Reluctantly agreeing to pinch-hit for a friend in a pornographic short, Candy ends up being intrigued by the filmmaking process. C.C. shows Lori the advantages of having a pimp, while Larry is unsettled by Darlene's interest in literature--and by Sandra Washington, a reporter. Police officers Chris Alston and Danny Flanagan are joined by detectives Grossman and Haddix for a routine hooker round-up, as well as a raid of an adult porn shop whose peep shows cross the line.

Putting the finishing touches on his new bar, Vincent is blindsided by the sudden appearance of an unexpected partner, causing Frankie to blow a gasket. Rudy buys into a rival's plan to reconfigure The Deuce, hopefully with the support of an ambitious mayor. Candy eyes an entree into the filmmaking business; Abby languishes in her new job; Darlene works overtime to compensate Larry; C.C. tasks Lori to play the 'long game'; Bobby pays a price for his recent stress at work. Big Mike, a menacing drifter, proves useful to Vincent as the Hi-Hat finally opens.

Rudy dangles a lucrative offer in front of Vincent. Longo uses strong-arm tactics to restore order among Bobby's unhappy construction workers. Candy attracts unwanted attention and is intrigued by a legitimate suitor. Paul questions his place at the Hi-Hat; Frankie hits a hot streak; Darlene gets a gift from Abby; Alston sees through Sandra. Bristling after a police shakedown, Vincent adds muscle in the person of Black Frankie, a Vietnam war vet.

Looking for a way out of his construction gig, Bobby tries to change Vincent's mind about Rudy's offer. Darlene returns from a trip home with a new girl, disappointing Abby. Roughed up by a john, Candy contemplates a change of careers. After getting busted, Paul explores the underbelly, and the exhilaration, of gay life in the city. With an assist from Alston, Sandra scores a key interview with a pimp.

An end-of-the-year crackdown by police in and around The Deuce sparks Vincent and Bobby. Candy tries to persuade Harvey, her adult-film director, that she can do more than act. Rudy witnesses a pivotal lower-court ruling on obscenity, and enlists Frankie and Big Mike to protect his interests in the peeps. Alston tries to convince Sandra that he's not just a 'source.'

With police pushing their business off the streets, C.C., Larry, Rodney and other pimps worry about becoming obsolete. Candy eyes a different job on Harvey's set as Lori struggles with the demands of porn acting. At her wit's end, Ashley hangs out with Frankie and, later, washes up on Abby's door. Bobby is smitten with an employee while dealing with shakedowns, flare-ups and a medical emergency. Frankie is tasked by Rudy to turn a peep-show concept into reality.

Season One Finale. Vincent balks at getting in deeper with Rudy, as expansion fever hits Frankie and Bobby. Candy gets a taste of directing, and enjoys the red-carpet perks of a major premiere. Alston finds himself in limbo at his precinct. Abby changes up the Hi-Hat's clientele; Sandra faces editorial and legal hurdles; Barbara and Thunderthighs connect with the wrong sort of clients; Vincent settles a score. C.C. encourages Ace, a onetime pimp, to get back in the game.

Season Two Premiere. Times Square, 1977. After his early successes managing the Hi-Hat and French Parlor, Vincent is now proprietor of a new mob-backed disco, The 366, while his girlfriend Abby has brought the nascent punk-rock culture into the Hi-Hat. Vincent's twin brother Frankie remains a problem, "borrowing" money from Show Land, the sex emporium he manages, to pay off his debts. Candy, now a "triple threat" as a porn actress, producer and director, is looking to make more artful, ambitious adult films, over the objections of her collaborator Harvey. C.C. pulls a con on Bernie Wolf, director of a porn film starring Lori, to get her more money. Hoping to launch a more upscale gay nightclub, Paul looks to sever mob ties from his current bar. Alston, now a homicide detective, is approached by Gene Goldman, a civil servant appointed by Mayor Koch to clean up Times Square.

Confronted with the changing realities of prostitution and porn, C.C. doubles down on his assets while fellow pimp Larry Brown eyes a new opportunity. Growing creatively frustrated, Candy turns to Genevieve Furie, a onetime porn director who's graduated to slasher films, for filmmaking advice. After a customer is mugged outside his bar, Paul is approached by Matty the Horse, a rival of Rudy's, who promises Paul the mob protection he deserves. And following a nostalgic road trip to Coney Island with Vincent, Abby attends a street outreach meeting and recognizes a familiar face from Times Square.

Lori envisions a sunny future in LA after attending the AFAA Erotica Awards with Harvey and Candy, who's looking to connect with west-coast producers willing to turn her fairy tale into reality. Paul and Kenneth approach Vincent about a loan for a new nightclub, free from mob ties. Goldman visits Alston's precinct to share the mayor's vision for cleaning up the Deuce. Frankie wins a hand of poker but risks losing his job. Back in NYC, Ashley pushes her reform agenda on Abby, while trying to avoid C.C. Larry Brown and Darlene learn a bitter lesson about supply and demand. Rudy sends a message to his rivals, but invites retaliation.

Ashley and Abby resolve to track down the identity of a 16-year-old sex worker killed in a recent fire. Vincent is shaken after witnessing the brutal side of Rudy's operation. Frustrated by the progress on her new film, Candy recruits some new faces to help her out with the production. Frankie finds his dry-cleaning business a less-than-perfect fit. Larry Brown shows off his improvisational skills. Lori looks to forge a deal with Kiki while keeping C.C. in the loop.

Temporarily flush with cash, Frankie is tapped by Candy to be a co-producer on Red Hot. Lori eyes a plum role in the film, but still feels the burden of being under C.C.'s yoke. With Rudy's blessing, Big Mike and Black Frankie hit a gambling house in the Bronx. Bobby finds himself stigmatized at home and at the Hi-Hat after a surprise raid overseen by Alston. Paul encounters resistance to his elaborate renovation plans. Out of rehab, Shay is convinced to move in with a nurturing Irene. As she and Abby deliver on their promise to provide medical care to sex workers, Ashley decides to confront her past...and doesn't blink.

Candy shoots her opus guerilla-style on the streets of New York. Vincent makes a confession to Abby, along with a promise to change. Ashley and Abby help a prostitute escape the Deuce, with a little help from Vincent. Larry Brown gets a promotion. Paul celebrates the opening of his new upscale club. Bobby turns to Vincent to find work for his wayward eldest son, Joey.

Trapped by his own success, Vincent envisions an idyllic rural life with Abby. Candy is frustrated by her mob backers' misogyny and weighs telling her son, Adam, what she really does for a living. Shay reverts to form, to Irene's dismay. Joey falls in love. Darlene deals with unexpected news. Lori hits a roadblock in her quest for adult-film stardom. Alston faces a dilemma involving his old partner, Flanagan. Paul and Kenneth arrive at a crossroads.

Rudy and Matty the Horse buy Lori away from C.C., who has a back-end agenda. Abby, Dave and Loretta warn Ashley about the dangers of her aggressive activism. Goldman shares his plans for cleaning up the Deuce with Alston. Larry Brown is reunited with a girl from his past. Vincent turns to his father for relationship advice. Candy puts the finishing touches on Red Hot in advance of its premiere.

Season Two Finale. As Red Hot premieres, Candy, Harvey, and Frankie get caught between competing investors. Vincent and Abby must deal with an unexpected loss. Lori is afraid to go to LA without C.C.'s permission. Paul turns to a familiar source to help finance Tod's dream. Darlene comes clean. Goldman and Alston's plan for cleaning up Times Square hits a roadblock.