HUNG: “This is America or Fifty Bucks”

Last night’s Hung was just okay.


Like my favorite critic, Alan Sepinwall, I have a big problem with stories that require their protagonist to be unrealistically stupid. Last night’s episode did just that. Moreover, it impinged upon a specific pet peeve I have in TV shows and movies. I absolutely hate it when the following happens:

a) A character’s secret gets exposed to someone.

b) That secret either has mitigating circumstances or in some cases is outright false.

c) The character doesn’t take the time to reveal the mitigating circumstance or explain that the secret the other party thinks he or she knows is entirely untrue.

In last night’s episode, “This is America or Fifty Bucks,” Lenore confronts Ray about stealing her cut from his business with Frances. Ray, we know, has had nothing to do with this and is learning about it for the first time as Lenore tells him. He makes one feeble attempt to say he didn’t do it. But other than that, he lets her walk away having threatened to destroy his life. Anyone…ANYONE would have chased her down the hall and vigorously and convincingly explained that Tanya duped them both. Then again later, when Mike accuses Ray of having betrayed and plotted against him, Ray makes virtually no attempt to explain the situation. So that bugged the hell out of me.

Secondly, I’m really not sure what to think of Tanya becoming such a terrible human being. I’m not sure Lenore’s accusation of her being a sociopath was entirely inaccurate. I was disgusted with the way Tanya spoke to Ray after he caught her in her betrayal. Ray, as we know, is a genuinely good person who never wishes ill will on anyone. And he certainly doesn’t deserve to be lumped together in the same moral realm as Tanya. I hope he has the good sense to go with Lenore over Tanya in next week’s finale.

Ronnie’s meltdown at the dermatology award ceremony would have caused me to shield my eyes in horror if I remotely liked Ronnie. He has derailed his entire marriage and now the respect of his peers as well. And of course his tirade drives Jess straight out of the room and into Ray’s arms.

I’m also a little disappointed that the whole idea of Ray learning to become a successful male escort has been dropped entirely.

Truth be told, not much in that episode worked for me. Hopefully, next week’s finale will be better.