Having got Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) on-side to spread the word about her new business, Tanya (Jane Adams) now has two new clients lined up for Ray to pleasure, although he's distracted by a desire to install a new roof beam in his burnt-down house using a pickle jar of cash his students have donated. A part of me suspected Ray would be too proud to accept charity, but he's actually keen to buy the timber and begin his repairs, until Tanya reminds him that her clients have paid in advance and could become lucrative regulars.
"The Pickle Jar" dealt with an issue that all startup prostitutes must face: how do you perform when you're not sexually attracted to a client? The first woman on Jane's list was the sweet, rotund Molly (Margo Martindale), a nervous middle-aged first-timer who's far from Ray's expectations of another hot, insatiable babe like Lenore. Ray initially feigns sickness soon after being invited into her hotel room, but eventually has to admit to Tanya that he's just not sure he can go through with bedding someone he doesn't fancy. Is it okay to be a fastidious gigolo, when you have bills to pay?
Of course, Ray's roof concerns eventually pressured him to reschedule his appointment with Molly, and it's here that Hung really managed to delight me. Molly admitted she requires the services of a prostitute because of her unfulfilling sex life with her husband, but can't go through with the deed because of her psychological hangups. Ray's secretly delighted to have an "out" over this uncomfortable situation, but as he's about to leave he suddenly realizes just how much good he could do by sleeping with Molly, and sweet-talks her into going through with their arrangement. Considering Tanya's labeled their business a "Happiness Consultant", it seems that Ray took a signifant step forward in realizing just what that means. It's not all about sexy for money, it can also be a valuable emotional bandage and self-esteem boost for women.
The subplot weren't great, but there were signs that Ray's kids are getting their own little stories now. Ray took Damon (Charlie Saxton) and Darby (Sianoa Smit-McPhee) to a drive-in movie, and got a little insight into his daughter's love-life when she noticed her ex-boyfriend Hammer (Michael Blaiklock) hanging out with a slutty new girl and Damon attacked him for dumping his sister so cruelly. I'm pleased to see the Drecker kids getting something to do and feeling like real people, but it still amuses me how neither resemble their screen parents in any way. It's just bizarre casting. Charlie Saxton would make the perfect son for Flight Of The Conchords' Jermaine Clement, but Thomas Jane? No, just no...
Overall, "The Pickle Jar" was a nicely-written and enjoyable episode that made me forget last week's dip and got things back on-track. I still have some concerns about the longterm appeal of this show, and everything that Ray stands to lose if he doesn't make some cash (his house, his kids) doesn't really concern me, but Hung's still quite fun and interesting. I also loved the suggestion that the "love note" Ray left in the peace-offering to neighbour Yael (Alanna Ubach) wasn't intentional after all, but now Yael has completely the wrong idea about Ray's feelings towards her. Plus, there was an amusing moments where Lenore shared a scene with Ray's ex-wife Jessica (Anne Heche) at a beauty parlour... and it seems likely that Jessica will eventually become one of her ex's clients, don't you think?
5 November 2009
More4, 10pm
written by: Colette Burson & Dmitry Lipkin directed by: David Petrarca starring: Thomas Jane (Ray Drecker), Jane Adams (Tanya Skagle), Anne Heche (Jessica Haxon), Charlie Saxton (Damon Drecker), Sianoa Smit-McPhee (Darby Drecker), Eddie Jemison (Ronnie Haxon), Justen Balay (Gary), Michael Blaiklock (Hammer), Rebecca Creskoff (Lenore), Steve Hytner (Floyd Gerber), Margo Martindale (Molly), Jillian Rose Reed (Skinny Girl), Margo Martindale (Molly) & Alanna Ubach (Yael Koontz)
