Brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino navigate their way through the rough-and-tumble world of 1971 Times Square. Vincent crosses paths with other midtown denizens while plotting to improve his situation. Elsewhere, NYU student Abby gets enlisted to buy amphetamines.

Vincent moves into a seedy hotel and contemplates an offer from mob capo Rudy Pipilo. Bobby hopes to take advantage of Vincent's new connections. Candy gets a first-hand look at porno filmmaking. C.C. shows Lori the benefits of having a pimp.

The appearance of an unexpected partner surprises Vincent. Rudy buys into a rival's plan to reconfigure the Deuce. Candy considers entering the filmmaking business. Abby languishes in her new job. Darlene works overtime to compensate Larry.

Rudy dangles a lucrative offer in front of Vincent. Longo uses strong-arm tactics to restore order among Bobby's unhappy construction workers. Bristling after a police shakedown, Vincent adds muscle in the person of Black Frankie, a Vietnam War vet.

Looking for a way out of his construction gig, Bobby tries to change Vincent's mind about Rudy's offer. Darlene returns from a trip home with a new girl. Roughed up by a john, Candy contemplates a change of careers. Paul explores the underbelly of gay life in the city.

An end-of-the-year crackdown by police in and around The Deuce sparks Vincent and Bobby. Candy tries to persuade her adult-film director that she can do more than act. A pivotal lower-court ruling on obscenity prompts Rudy to protect his interests in the peeps.

With police pushing their business off the streets, C.C., Larry, Rodney and other pimps worry about becoming obsolete. Candy eyes a different job on Harvey's set as Lori struggles with the demands of porn acting. At her wit's end, Ashley washes up on Abby's door.

Vincent balks at getting in deeper with Rudy, as expansion fever hits Frankie and Bobby. Candy gets a taste of directing, and enjoys the red-carpet perks of a major premiere. Alston finds himself in limbo at his precinct. Abby changes up the Hi-Hat's clientele.

A worn-out Vincent reconnects with his ex-wife, Andrea, as his relationship with Abby fades. Despite becoming a family man, Frankie continues his risky side hustles. With the newly dominant VHS format shaking up their industry, Candy and Harvey face the future of porn.

Frankie takes his porn business to the next level but ends up in conflict with Rudy, who pushes Vincent to up profits. Candy brainstorms a new film and finds that her new beau is not shaken by her past. Abby and Loretta take care of Shay when she shows up in bad shape.

Todd re-examines his priorities and asks for Paul's support. Melissa is forced to face her past. Alston explores different strategies for getting a shady SRO owner to sell. Tensions rise between Frankie and Rudy as a buyer complains about Frankie's product.

Lori returns to New York for an audition and runs into some familiar faces. Candy speaks to her critics at a Women Against Pornography meeting. Alston takes a drastic step to deliver for Goldman. Abby grows closer to Pilar as her relationship with Vincent wanes.

With his club shuttered, a distraught Vincent follows a lead down a dangerous path. Paul reaches out to Tod's parents. Candy battles Harvey over her latest script and reunites with her estranged son, Adam. Lori hits the feature dancing circuit with mixed results.

In the wake of a personal loss, Candy finds the emotional core of her latest movie. Abby confronts Vincent after she makes an alarming discovery. Paul turns to activism as AIDS continues to ravage New York's gay community. Vincent tips off Rudy to Tommy's disloyalty.

A struggling Lori turns to Candy for help before revisiting The Deuce. Candy makes a surprising deal to secure funding for her film. Abby takes a stand against the latest phase of Midtown redevelopment. Tommy explains the new world order to Vincent.

Big changes come to The Deuce as Gene sees opportunity in the city's public health crisis. Vincent looks to get out from under the mob's thumb and makes peace with Abby, who decides to pursue a new future. Alston recognises the truth of Midtown's redevelopment.

Vincent is now proprietor of a new mob-backed disco. Twin brother Frankie remains a problem, "borrowing" money from the sex emporium he manages to pay off his debts. Candy, now a porn actress, producer and director, is looking to make more artful, ambitious adult films.

C.C. doubles down on his assets while fellow pimp Larry Brown eyes a new opportunity. Growing creatively frustrated, Candy turns to a onetime porn director who's graduated to slasher films. Paul is promised mob protection after a customer is mugged outside his bar.

ori envisions a sunny future in LA after attending the AFFA Erotica Awards. Paul and Kenneth approach Vincent about a new nightclub, free from mob ties. Frankie wins a hand of poker but risks losing his job. Rudy sends a message to his rivals, but invites retaliation.

Ashley and Abby track down the identity of a young sex worker killed in a fire. Vincent witnesses the brutal side of Rudy's operation. Candy recruits some new faces to help out on her new film. Frankie finds his dry-cleaning business a less-than-perfect fit.

Temporarily flush with cash, Frankie is tapped by Candy to be a co-producer on Red Hot. With Rudy's blessing, Big Mike and Black Frankie hit a gambling house in the Bronx. Bobby finds himself stigmatised at home and at the Hi-Hat after a surprise raid run by Alston.

Candy shoots her opus guerilla-style on the streets of New York. Vincent makes a confession to Abby, along with a promise to change. Ashley and Abby help a prostitute escape the Deuce, with a little help from Vincent. Larry Brown gets a promotion.

Trapped by his own success, Vincent envisions an idyllic rural life with Abby. Candy is frustrated by her mob backers' misogyny and weighs telling her son, Adam, what she really does for a living. Shay reverts to form, to Irene's dismay, and Joey falls in love.

Rudy and Matty the Horse buy Lori away from C.C., who has a back-end agenda. Abby, Dave and Loretta warn Ashley about the dangers of her aggressive activism. Goldman shares his plans for cleaning up The Deuce with Alston. Larry Brown reunites with a girl from his past.

Red Hot premieres; Vincent and Abby deal with an unexpected loss; Darlene comes clean.