[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

Conflicting insights, and I don't want to oversell after only two episodes. But the first two episodes gave me a sense of excitement about the possibilities that I only had with Friends, Seinfeld, Deadwood, Sopranos and Mad Men that early on. Not even Game of Thrones had me hooked so quickly, at least not that degree. That's some heady company. It could all go off the rails like The Killing [which eventually recovered] and Heroes, but if not look out.

I liked the echoes of the Bernadette tattoo and the much subtler, and to now poignant, tattoo of Ray's dead sister over his heart in the opening scene. The brother loved a girl, Ray loves his family

And that Russian is certified bad ass, a grunt level crewman who has the capacity to take any of his 'superiors,' thrashing the **** out of Ray and his love child brother in the same day. Plus he seems to know his way around intel gathering and IT.

There's an intriguing mix of old school mafia and modern fixer. Both require ruthlessness and cunning, but Hollywood required and requires a subtler approach, a velvet glove to go along and get along in that society. Its the evolution of guys a generation ago would be stealing parking meters and commandeering trucks of merchandise for cash and black market resale, who are now taking care of the self-inflicted wounds of the hyper rich. Both required a steely jaw, a mind thinking three steps ahead, and absolute immorality to get things done.

It's been bugging me who that guy is, but not to the point of looking him up on IMBD. Then it suddenly dawned on me. IT'S MANNY!