The Deuce Season 2 Premiere Date Set By HBO

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HBO has set a premiere date for season 2 of The Deuce, David Simon and George Pelecanos' '70s-set New York porn industry drama. The series stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Franco, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Emily Meade, Margarita Levieva, Chris Bauer and Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

After unleashing one of series television's most acclaimed shows with The Wire, the team of Simon and Pelecanos returned to HBO for another complex multi-character drama detailing a specific time and place. Season 1 of The Deuce chronicled the very seedy and dangerous New York of the early '70s, during the burgeoning days of the porn industry. The action centered largely around a group of prostitutes and their pimps, together with Franco in the dual role of twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino as they embarked upon various business ventures backed up with mob money.

HBO confirmed the first episode of the new season will debut on the premium cable service on September 9. For The Deuce season 2, which was officially picked up by HBO shortly after season 1 premiered, Simon and Pelecanos return to New York, but there will be a bit of a time jump. Season 1 took place mostly in 1971, but for the second season, the show will shift ahead to 1978, the days of disco and punk. HBO teases the time jump in a tweet while also giving a glimpse of Gyllenhaal's Candy looking somewhat more glamorous than she did in the season 1 (see below):
 

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Franco got much of the attention when The Deuce premiered, mainly because of his double-role as twins, but as the show unfolded Gyllenhaal's character emerged as the show's true center. Season 1 saw Gyllenhaal's Candy working the streets as a solo prostitute not attached to a pimp, all the time dreaming of better things. After some harrowing experiences, Candy found herself giving up the street to become a performer in porn films. But just performing wasn't enough for her and by season's end she was well on her way to becoming a filmmaker and producer. Candy's clothes in the above teaser image not only tip off the show's disco-era setting, they also indicate that Candy has become quite prosperous thanks to her new career making porn films.

Candy's upward mobility certainly figures to be a major focus of The Deuce season 2. Fans will also be curious to find out what happens to Franco's Martino brothers as they presumably get more and more deeply involved in their mob-connected enterprises, and likely drift more into the sex industry. There was some doubt about Franco actually returning for season 2 after the sexual misconduct allegations leveled at him late in 2017, but the series moved quickly to shoot down any questions by announcing that Franco would indeed be back.

The Deuce season 2 premieres Sunday September 9 on HBO.