Though Ray Donovan's "Snowflake" was largely focused on the fallout from "Sunny's" brutal murders, it was also still about the show's central theme of how Ray, and what he does, affects his family.  As Detective Halloran tells him (after Ray threatens him to stay away from his kids): "you're the one who turned your daughter into a liar."  By the end of "Snowflake," Ray's cracks about decisions like those were starting to show.  Is he really ready to confront things?  Hit the jump for Shorty's 9/11 Truther theories.

Finally, Ray's family and his fixer occupation have come together as one in "Snowflake," and the results are uncertain.  Though Bridget followed Ray's warning about Cookie, and did end up lying to the police that she didn't see anything, that decision became questionable to both her and Ray once Cookie showed up and hugged her, pretending like he had nothing to do with it.  Bridget being traumatized after she was embraced the day after Marvin's murder by his murderer, was difficult for Ray to witness.  It took him, of all places, to Ashley (and by extension, to Steve).

ray donovan recap snowflake

But that wasn't the only thing that weighed on Ray.  His manipulation of Kate just piled on to the guilt he was already feeling, because (again) things with her got personal.  When Ray told Lee and Ezra that Cookie wanted the rights to Recon and Marvin's catalogues, he didn't necessarily care that Cookie was profiting off of the murders he committed.  Ezra cared, but when Ray told him (emotionally) that Bridget was there, that changed everything.  These personal connections to his work are starting to form cracks that Ray is going to have to address sooner than later.

Bunchy's story this week showed what happens when you don't.  Though his relationship with his new girlfriend seemed to be going swimmingly (she even appreciated his need to take things slowly, sexually), his bond with her son Cliff took an unfortunate turn when he's asked to get Cliff out of the bath.  (Side note: as mild as Bunchy's personally seems, it can be argued that it was really inappropriate for him to be dealing with Cliff's bath time anyway).  Predictably, Bunchy freaks out when little naked Cliff attached himself like a monkey, going so far as to throw him to the floor.  But the melding of his childhood trauma with his current sexual confusion only frightened his girlfriend because of the fact he couldn't articulate what the issue was.  In his desire to not be a pedophile like his childhood abuser, he ended up sounding exactly like one.

ray donovan recap snowflake

Over in the L.A. barrio, Mickey continued to dredge up his own past by inviting Claudette around to tell her about Alan's infidelities, and then called her out for not waiting for him to get out of prison, after he had stolen that money for her.  But Claudette refuses to hear this, not only being disinterested in her husband running around, but telling Mickey that everything he's ever done for her has been selfish.  With Mickey, like Ray, it's hard to tell sometimes what actually sinks in and what gets brushed aside.  But Mickey didn't seem particularly wounded by Claudette's words.  Instead, he went to plotting a pot store robbery with Shorty, and gave the fake handbag he'd bought for Claudette to the sex worker he commissioned to suck off the security guard (as part of their casing the joint).

"Snowflake" showed the Donovans at important crossroads.  Bridget, Abby, Ray, Bunchy and even Mickey all had the opportunity to make choices that might have difficult ramifications.  As for Ray, Halloran represents everything that Ray isn't for his family -- someone who is emotionally and sexually available for his wife, someone who leads his daughter in the direction of truth, and even just a stable force for the family.  Ray thinks that all he needs is distraction -- a night with Ashley.  But what he gets is Steve asking him to tell him about his day, so he can counsel him, and help him work towards being better.  Steve may be full of shit, but the introspection he requires from his clients is something Ray could definitely use.  But will he?

Episode Rating: B+

Musings and Miscellanea:

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-- "This is what I do for a living, Bridge.  These are the kind of things I take care of.  I need you to trust me." - Ray.  And yet …

-- "My mother has no friends" - Bridget.

-- Avi has really been speaking up more, in terms of telling Ray to cool it (of course, Ray never listens).

-- I'm intrigued to see if and how Ray and Abby patch things up.  When Ray came home to find Halloran, she didn't defend him.  Later, Ray said he didn't care about Halloran and Abby ... it's an interesting dynamic right now.

-- Bridget describing how the brains and blood got in her mouth and she couldn't wash it out was powerful and heartbreaking.

-- Shorty's 9/11 theories were hilarious.  Them robbing that pot store can only end badly, though.

-- I was so happy Ray roughed Lee up a little bit.  It was really his fault that Cookie came after them … although, Cookie still came out on top with $ because the deaths will raise their profiles.

-- "You can keep the bag.  I have the real one at home." - Claudette, slaying.

-- Claudette was classy as ever in this episode.  Why she ever was or would still be involved with Mickey …

-- Who was it that Kate went to talk to in Walpole?  I can't remember.  Also, where the F are those tapes??

Ray Donovan Recap Season 2 Episode 9