I am – Hercules!!
Jane Adams is in particularly fine form in tonight’s installment of “Hung.” Ahead:
Episode #13:
“Mind Bullets” or “Bang Bang Bang Bang Motherfucker”
JULY 18
Spurred by criticism from Damon (Charlie Saxton) and Darby, Ray tries to prove he’s not an insensitive ex-jock. Seething from the demands of her new boss at work, Tanya turns to Charlie (Lennie James) for advice on how to deal with an even more irritating problem: Lenore. Meanwhile, Jessica feels the pinch of the economic downturn, but can’t stomach Ronnie’s (Eddie Jemison) remedy. Written by Colette Burson & Dimitry Lipkin; directed by Jennifer Getzinger.
Episode #14:
“Sing It Again, Ray” or “Home Plate”
JULY 25
Ray gives Lenore an ultimatum, and probes Tanya about the possibility of cutting ties with her fellow pimp. Disturbed that Damon has defiled the school baseball diamond, Ray considers Tanya’s suggestion that his son find a new hobby to shake him out of his recent doldrums. Ignoring Ray’s warning, Lenore offers Jessica advice in dealing with Ronnie. On his way to meet a new client, Ray has to think on his feet when he runs into Mike in a hotel lobby. Written by Brett C. Leonard; directed by Uta Briesewitz.
Episode #15:
“A Man, A Plan” or “Thank You, Jimmy Carter”
AUG. 1
Tanya (Jane Adams) lands Ray (Thomas Jane) the “white whale” of clients, but an emergency involving Damon (Charlie Saxton), which began with his debut at a poetry slam, threatens to derail the date. With Mike (Gregg Henry) at the end of his teaching rope, Ray decides to promote him to co-manager of the baseball team. Jessica (Anne Heche) is peeved with Ronnie (Eddie Jemison) for being overly suspicious. Written by Eileen Myers; directed by Adam Davidson.
Episode #16:
“Beaverland”
AUG. 8
Jessica turns to Ray for help with a rodent problem that may be imaginary. Rebuffed by Ray in her attempts to add Mike to her stable, Tanya gets guilt-management advice from Charlie (Lennie James), then goes to extremes to prove her success. Ray has difficulty thawing a client who is cold as ice. Written by Angela Robinson; directed by Lisa Cholodenko.
Episode #17:
“The Middle East Is Complicated”
AUG. 15
A container of hummus puts Ray in the unenviable position of choosing cultural sides between Yael (Alanna Ubach) and new client Samara (Mozhan Marno). Already upset after squandering her recent windfall, Tanya catches Ray in a cover-up – and turns to Charlie for stress relief. Lenore (Rebecca Creskoff) seethes after learning of Tanya’s duplicity. Liz (Merrin Dungey) surprises Ray with a revelation about her personal life. Written by Brett C. Leonard & Kyle Peck; directed by Gloria Muzio.
Episode #18:
“Third Base” or “The Rash”
AUG. 22
With his team’s future wracked by vandals, Ray agrees to participate in a student-alumni baseball game, but an unexpected warm-up session with Claire (Kathryn Hahn) threatens to put him on the disabled list. Fed up with Tanya’s greed and confused by Mike’s request for a donation, Frances (Roxanne Hart) doubts their affair. Jessica’s old itch resurfaces, prompting Ronnie to deliver a sideline ultimatum to her ex. Written by Julia Brownell & Eileen Myers; directed by Bronwen Hughes.
Episode #19:
“Fat Off My Love” or “I’m the Allergen”
AUG. 29
A bad day at school gets worse when Mike accuses Ray of betrayal. Ronnie vents his frustrations with Jessica at a dermatology banquet, sending his wife running for the exit. Empowered by confession, Tanya lashes out at Ray, Lenore and Horny Patty (Lauren Weedman). Written by Angela Robinson; directed by Colette Burson.
On “Entourage,” Lizzie goes to war with Ari, Billy Walsh reteams with Drama, Turtle gets into the tequila business, and Vincent gets mixed up with porn star Sasha Grey. Ahead:
Episode #81:
“Dramedy”
JULY 18
Envisioning the possibilities in a partial script written by an old-school scribe, Eric and Phil (William Fichtner) try to convince Drama that he has talent on the sitcom front. In part not to anger his wife, Ari resists when Babs (Beverly D’Angelo) urges that Lizzie be promoted. With his car-service business in shambles, Turtle is intrigued by a business proposal from a suddenly sympathetic Alex. Scott Lavin (Scott Caan) continues to ingratiate himself with Vince following a wine-auction road trip, in the process rankling Eric. Written by Doug Ellin; directed by Ken Whittingham.
Episode #82:
“Tequila Sunrise”
JULY 25
Turtle gets a south-of-the-border business pitch from Alex, but has a hard time believing he isn’t being used. Drama enlists Bob Saget to help him smooth out a rough first impression with John Stamos, a potential sitcom co-star. Ari’s euphoria after making an NFL pitch to a group of Hollywood high rollers is tempered when he learns that Lizzie may be siphoning off some of his prized clients. Eric and Scott patch up their differences with an eye on Vince’s future – and the shared success of their company. Written by Doug Ellin; directed by Adam Davidson.
Episode #83:
“Bottoms Up”
AUG. 1
Vince (Adrian Grenier) is impressed by porn star Sasha Grey and her literary knowledge, and ends up bringing her along to a meeting with Stan Lee. Suspecting that Lizzie (Autumn Reeser) is trying to steal his clients, Ari (Jeremy Piven) woos Jessica Simpson, Aaron Sorkin and Mike Tyson, but not before taking out his ire on Mrs. Ari (Perrey Reeves). Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) pitches Eric (Kevin Connolly) about Vince becoming the face of his new venture. Drama (Kevin Dillon) is anxious about his new series with John Stamos, especially after learning Bob Saget is eyeing his role. Written by Ally Musika; directed by Dan Attias.
Episode #84:
“Hair”
AUG. 8
Facing a possible lawsuit, Ari readies himself to do battle with Lizzie and her new boss, old foe Amanda Daniels (Carla Gugino). Vince puts his next big-budget movie in jeopardy with his antics, including a risqué online video. Turtle’s romancing of Alex (Dania Ramirez) does not go as well as he’d envisioned. A cleaned-up Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro) returns to ask Eric about directing jobs – and comes up with new show idea for Drama, who’s been wallowing in self-pity. Written by Doug Ellin; directed by Doug Ellin.
Episode #85:
“Tequila and Coke”
AUG. 15
Seeking assurance that Vince’s life is under control, director Randall Wallace calls a meeting, but Vince parties a bit too hard the night before. Ari agrees to help Lizzie find a new job in exchange for some potentially damaging audiotapes. Turtle winds up in damage control after promising an L.A. retailer more product than he can deliver. Billy Walsh’s latest pitch leaves Drama indignant and Eric intrigued. Written by Doug Ellin & Ally Musika; directed by David Nutter.
Episode #86:
“Sniff Sniff Gang Bang”
AUG. 22
Eric is informed by Phil Yagoda (William Fichtner) that the network is interested in Drama’s show, though the star is not enthused about its content. In the wake of recent bad press, Ari attempts to fashion a kinder, gentler persona at work and home. When demand for Turtle’s tequila line outpaces production, he sets out to find new sources of funding. Vince tries to convince Sasha to turn down a high-paying offer to do another porn movie. Written by Doug Ellin & Ally Musika; directed by David Nutter.
Episode #87:
“Porn Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”
AUG. 29
To keep her out of a porn film, Vince tries to land Sasha a part on his new movie. During a chance run-in with Queen Latifah, Ari finds out that Amanda Daniels may have landed a deal he’d coveted. Eric tries to get Drama on board for Billy Walsh’s series, and Eric’s assistant Jennie (Janet Montgomery) pitches in to help persuade him. Turtle’s efforts to find financial backing from Mark Cuban gets him in hot water with his Mexican boss. Written by Ally Musika; directed by Kevin Connolly.
On “True Blood,” things grow rocky between Sookie and Bill, and Sam embraces the dark side. Ahead:
Episode #29:
“Trouble”
JULY 18
Alcide and Sookie turn to an alpha-wolf “packmaster” for advice on dealing with Russell’s minions; Tara considers a proposal from Franklin, who’s completed his mission for Russell; Joe Lee breaks his promise to Sam and Tommy; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) learns the meaning of patience from Jesus (Kevin Alejandro), his mother’s (Alfre Woodard) orderly; Jason meets his match in the mysterious girl Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher); an heirloom reminds Eric of his past and his ongoing thirst for vengeance. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by Scott Winant.
Episode #30:
“I Got a Right to Sing the Blues”
JULY 25
Spurned by Eric, Sookie fears the worst for Bill, whose fate now lies in Lorena’s hands; fueled by a night of bloody passion, Tara executes a desperate plan to stave off Franklin’s advances; in Bon Temps, Tommy finds it difficult to leave the family nest; Jessica puts Pam’s teachings into practice; Jason’s romance with Crystal hits a snag, as does Lafayette’s with Jesus; after revealing his master plan to Eric, Russell visits Louisiana to put it into action. Written by Alan Ball; directed by Michael Lehmann.
Episode #31:
“Hitting the Ground”
AUG. 1
Imperiled by Lorena (Mariana Klaveno), Sookie (Anna Paquin) goes to extremes in her attempt to save Bill (Stephen Moyer) – with unforeseen consequences. Sam (Sam Trammell) infiltrates a dogfighting ring to extricate Tommy (Marshall Allman) from his parents’ (J. Smith Cameron, Cooper Huckabee) greedy influence. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) heads to jail to uncover the truth about Crystal (Lindsay Pulsipher); Summer (Melissa Rauch) makes a home-cooked play for Hoyt’s (Jim Parrack) affections; Debbie (Brit Morgan) vows revenge on Alcide (Joe Manganiello); Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) uses Hadley (Lindsey Haun) as bait to get information from Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood); Russell (Denis O’Hare) turns his back on the Authority, and on the Magister (Zeljko Ivanek). Written by Brian Buckner; directed by John Dahl.
Episode #32:
“Night on the Sun”
AUG. 8
Shaken and disillusioned, Sookie rethinks her relationship with Bill. Sophie-Anne takes up a new residence as Russell plots his next move. Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Bill reconcile; Jason throws down the gauntlet in hopes of saving Crystal; Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) gets a surprise visit from his mom, Ruby Jean (Alfre Woodard); Sam tries to keep Tommy in check; Merlotte’s gets a new waitress; Eric proves the depth of his allegiance to Russell. Sookie finds herself in a vulnerable position when Alcide needs to deal with a family emergency. Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
Episode #33:
“Everything Is Broken”
AUG. 15
With the ratification of the Vampire Rights Amendment at hand, Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) detours to Fangtasia to confront Eric about the Magister’s disappearance. A grief-stricken Russell vows revenge against his foes, vampire and human. Awaking from a slumber, Bill uncovers the truth about Sookie’s true identity. Jason gets unexpected help as he goes up against Felton (James Harvey Ward) and Calvin (Gregory Sporleder). Sam is distressed by Tommy’s attitude; Tara (Rutina Wesley) encounters a new ally and an old tormentor; Hadley introduces Sookie to a new family member; Arlene (Carrie Preston) despairs about her future; Hoyt confronts his true feelings. Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Scott Winant.
Episode #34:
“I Smell a Rat”
AUG. 22
A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face. Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V. Sam’s recent fit of rage triggers dark memories. Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly (Lauren Bowles) for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt. After communing with Talbot (Theo Alexander), Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies. Written by Kate Barnow & Elisabeth R. Finch; directed by Michael Lehmann.
Episode #35:
“Fresh Blood”
AUG. 29
Bill tries to earn back Sookie’s trust, but ends up bringing her face-to-face with fresh dangers. Knowing he’s no physical match for the King, Eric tempts Russell with the “ultimate vampire dream.” Jason tries to wrap his head around Crystal’s revelation. Sam embraces his dark side, alienating everyone except Tara. Hoyt and Jessica take their romance to the next level; with Holly’s help, Arlene puts her future in the hands of a goddess; post V-trip, Lafayette struggles with new demons. Written by Nancy Oliver; directed by Daniel Minahan.
"True Blood": 9 p.m. Sunday. HBO
"Hung": 10 p.m. Sunday. HBO
"Entourage": 10:30 p.m. Sunday. HBO
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