'The Deuce' Season 3 Episode 7 adds a shocking twist to the show as the decaying society pulls another soul into its dark depths
Spoilers ahead for 'The Deuce' season 3 episode 7...
'The Deuce' season 3 episode 7 portrays one of the most shocking deaths the show has seen so far. Even if the show itself has been heading towards a close, considering this is the last season, some deaths cannot be accepted.
Over the seasons, we have grown fond of Lori Madison (Emily Meade). She came to the Deuce with clear ambitions - to become the hottest prostitute to walk the streets. That is one of the reasons why she readily accepted CC's (Gary Carr) offer when he picked her out from a crowd and allowed him to be her pimp. Over a decade later and even after the death of her pimp, we saw Lori change into one of the most happening pornstars in the country.
You see, not only did Lori grow in stature in the world of erotica and porn, but she also created a brand that a man such as Greg Taylor (Ryan Farrell) abused and used until she was left with no option but to leave him. She left Los Angeles as her partner Greg and her agent Kiki (Alysia Reiner) would book her on assignments where women were not even treated with respect and but were used as objects used to help men get off. Yes, she was a porn actor and to think of her audience's pleasure was her job but Lori was never happy with what her job entailed. She did not just want to be a pornstar and being boxed under the label of one suffocated her. This struggle was specially built up in the third season until the pressure of not knowing who she is broke Lori into taking her own life. While the act of taking her own life was in itself dark, the build-up to that decision was even worse.
For one last time, Lori stands on the streets calling out for a date and when she lands a customer, she doesn't look happy. It doesn't look like she is satisfied with being able to get a customer to pay for her after all these years. No, that wasn't what she had intended at all. Lori was experiencing her life one last time and all of this began the minute she walked out of her home in LA, away from Greg. Her visiting her once-upon-a-time home in Minnesota was just one of the things that hinted at her decision.
What really gave her away was the conversation that she had with Eileen (Maggie Gyllenhaal) about why she doesn't want to be known only for being a porn actor. While Eileen tries to tell her that Lori is someone who is loved and adored, none of it makes a dent on what Lori feels about herself. She is in the throes of depression and nothing Eileen tells her changes her mind. There is no convincing her of her self-worth when she believes that she is now nothing.
After the one customer that Lori gets, who pays for her room for the night, Lori arranges everything and maybe tries to use cocaine. Something stops her from doing so, and instead of the small bottle of her drug, she pulls out a gun and with no second thoughts, pulls the trigger.
It is heartbreaking to see how no one is aware of Lori's decision or her death. But when she doesn't turn up for the shoot, Eileen somehow knows. She knows because she has lost many people over the years in the industry and the realization that Lori is one among them hits her hard. This decay, the destruction of lives and the end of everything worth looking forward to is something that 'The Deuce' has been building up to and that it delivers without a hitch.
The next episode of 'The Deuce' will air on Monday at 10 pm ET on HBO.