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2 • October 28 - November 3, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kenneth Andeel TV Media S ometimes a change of scenery is necessary to move forward and mend. Other times, however, if you bring enough pain with you, a change of scenery will not suffice. When season 6 of "Ray Donovan" commences on Sunday, Oct. 28, on Showtime, the characters in the series and the fans watching it will together begin to explore the question of how deeply new sur- roundings can help to surmount the trauma initiated at the conclu- sion of the show's fifth season. With five years in the books, "Ray Donovan" has had itself fig- ured out for some time, devising and then settling into a recogniz- able narrative rhythm. The show's mixture of family drama and seedy criminal intrigue follows Ray Don- ovan (Liev Schreiber, "The Man- churian Candidate," 2004), a Bos- ton native employed in Los Ange- les as a "fixer" for a law firm. Ray's job requires solving his cli- ents' emergencies in creative, fre- quently illegal ways. When it comes to executing solutions, there isn't much that Ray deems unacceptable, and his tactics range from blackmail and threats to the actual instigation of may- hem and murder. The character occupies the sort of unstable and uncomfortable territory that was trailblazed in re- cent years by such seminal televi- sion antiheroes as Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini, "The Sopra- nos") or Walter White (Bryan Cran- ston, "Breaking Bad"). The audi- ence watches these characters struggle with their shaky moral codes, striving for self-improve- ment but consistently resorting to the performance of terrible deeds whenever challenged. Five seasons worth of "Ray Donovan" have exposed Ray's contradictory nature: he's fluctuat- ed between devoted family man and neglectful parent/inveterate adulterer; and alternated between clever, virtuous strategy and a re- treat to brute violence. Complicat- ed (and sometimes just plain bad) protagonists have become the norm in ambitious adult dramas, and "Ray Donovan" enthusiasts have grown accustomed to bal- ancing admiration with condem- nation when it comes to Schreiber's titular antihero. Ray's family life has always been a central part of the series. The first major conflict of the show involved the release of Ray's rep- robate father, Mickey (Jon Voight, "National Treasure," 2004), from prison and the uncertainty about how Mickey would reintegrate into the lives of his three sons — Ray, Terry (Eddie Marsan, "Miami Vice," 2006) and Bunchy (Dash Mihok, "The Thin Red Line," 1998) — and about how willing Mickey was to manipulate, abuse and be- tray them (the answer turned out to be "very"). Ray's wife, Abby (Paula Mal- comson, "Deadwood"), has been another pillar of the show, and her imperfect but devoted relationship with Ray, as well as her own strug- gles with personal demons, have offered a lot of drama. In the sea- son 4 premiere, Abby was diag- nosed with cancer, and to the fero- cious dismay of many fans, her story permanently concluded in season 5 when she succumbed to the disease and Malcomson de- parted the show. The season 5 finale set up an un- resolved cliffhanger as Ray, reacting to the loss of his wife, took a plunge off of a 10-story building into New York's East River, leaving fans to speculate whether it was some sort of dream sequence or a literal turn of events in the narrative. Promotional material for sea- son 6 reveals that Ray did indeed attempt suicide but was unsuc- cessful. Previews show Ray being rescued from his act of despera- tion by the timely intervention of an NYPD patrolman, Sean (Mac) McGrath (Domenick Lombardozzi, "The Wire"), who pulls Ray from the East River and engages the devastated man in an unexpected brawl to keep him from wading back in to his doom. Ray's fateful encounter with Mac and his new association with the sometimes corrupt fraternity of the New York Police Department will be a major part of season 6, and another accomplished charac- ter actor joins the cast to play a different police officer: Tony Cur- ran ("Doctor Who") will portray Sgt. Mikey (Rad) Radulovic and will offer another point of entry for Ray as he becomes entangled within the culture and affairs of the NYPD. Susan Sarandon ("Thelma & Louise," 1991) reprises the role of studio exec and media mogul Sa- mantha Winslow, who became a major client of Ray's in season 5 and will continue to provide him with work this year. Winslow of- fers Ray some direction and dis- traction in the aftermath of his sui- cide attempt by retaining his ser- vices to extricate mayoral candi- date Anita Novak, portrayed by se- ries newcomer Lola Glaudini ("The Sopranos"), from a compromising sequence of events that involve harassment, assault and a dead body in need of disposal and coverup. As Ray injects himself into the machinations of the NYC under- belly, family members from L.A. begin to trickle into the city, and the inevitable return of Mickey (who was sent to prison through Ray's plotting during season 5) will spark some midseason fire- works as the seasoned crook looks to wreak vengeance once again upon his estranged scions. The combination of the fresh New York setting, the absence of a major character in Abby, and the unresolved pain of the characters she left behind means season 6 of "Ray Donovan" represents a seri- ous shakeup. Ray will have to make his way in a new town with- out the benefit of his dependable Los Angeles resources and connec- tions, and the alliances he begins to form in NYC may turn out to have competing interests. Watch "Ray Donovan" conquer the Big Apple on Sunday, Oct. 28, on Showtime. Dealing with loss 'Ray Donovan' tries to overcome tragedy with a shift to New York City Cover Story this week Lola Glaudini joins the new season of "Ray Donovan" Conan In Tennessee, officials say that 400 guns were stolen from a UPS facility. Police are now looking for someone in Tennessee who only has 400 guns. In Arizona, a couple's "gender-reveal party" for their baby accidentally set off a wildfire that destroyed 47,000 acres and cost $8 million in damages. On the bright side, it's a girl! The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon A survey conducted by California Pizza Kitchen found that pizza is Americans' favorite food. Not surprisingly, the study also found that America's favorite state is California, and their favorite room is "kitchen." Southwest Airlines is holding a giant sale this week, offering some flights for $49. People asked, "What's the catch?!" and Southwest said, "You have to fly Southwest." Jimmy Kimmel Live Melania Trump was in Ghana today. As in, she's never Ghana come back. Late Night With Seth Meyers According to a former Yale classmate, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh once set off a bar fight in college after confusing another patron for the lead singer of the band UB40. And if you have any idea who that is, you also be 40. Ben & Jerry's ice cream recently helped a New York man propose to his girlfriend in a grocery store by creating a special label reading "Marry Me Mint." Which was a pretty big FU to all the recently dumped people perusing the ice cream aisle. 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