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TV:  Ray Donovan Pilot

If I had Showtime, I'd watch the show, but I won't subscribe in order to watch it.  Make sense?  Obviously influenced by classic LA private eye stories -- should be right up my alley -- but they make it a bit too pop for my sensibility.  Also, there was some stuff that didn't make much sense.  Also, what is the deal with references?  They have Elliot Gould losing his mind and wading out in the ocean as this obvious reference to The Long Goodbye and the Sterling Hayden character.  But why?  What is the point of references in movies/shows anyway?  Is it supposed to engender favoritism by people who are able to pick up on the references?  It doesn't do much for me.  Smacks of English majors jerking themselves off.

Still, fun, guy stuff in here.  Jon Voigt's small performance is damn good.  And I like Liev Schreiber - just not totally on board with the character.  Maybe it deserves HBO patience.