Series Premiere. Twin brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino--one a double-shifting bartender with two kids and a wayward wife in Brooklyn, the second an insouciant gambler with piling mob debts--navigate their way through the rough-and-tumble world of 1971 Times Square. While Vincent plots ways to improve his situation and pay off his brother's debt, he crosses paths with other midtown denizens--including veteran hookers Candy and Ashley, young streetwalkers Darlene and Lori, and smooth-talking pimps C.C., Larry, and Rodney--as they ply their trades under the not-so-watchful eye of the NYPD. Meanwhile, when NYU student Abby is enlisted by friends to buy amphetamines on the street, she ends up in the Times Square precinct, an unlikely starting point for making a bold change to her privileged life.

With his marriage failing, Vincent moves into a seedy Times Square hotel and, fueled by his success drawing customers to a struggling Korean bar, contemplates a tempting offer from mob capo Rudy Pipilo. Meanwhile, Vincent and Frankie's brother-in-law Bobby, a Brooklyn construction foreman, eyes Vincent's new connections as a way to better his own lot. Reluctantly agreeing to pinch-hit for a friend in a pornographic short, Candy ends up being intrigued by the filmmaking process. C.C. shows Lori the advantages of having a pimp, while Larry is unsettled by Darlene's interest in literature--and by Sandra Washington, a reporter. Police officers Chris Alston and Danny Flanagan are joined by detectives Grossman and Haddix for a routine hooker round-up, as well as a raid of an adult porn shop whose peep shows cross the line.

Putting the finishing touches on his new bar, Vincent is blindsided by the sudden appearance of an unexpected partner, causing Frankie to blow a gasket. Rudy buys into a rival's plan to reconfigure The Deuce, hopefully with the support of an ambitious mayor. Candy eyes an entree into the filmmaking business; Abby languishes in her new job; Darlene works overtime to compensate Larry; C.C. tasks Lori to play the 'long game'; Bobby pays a price for his recent stress at work. Big Mike, a menacing drifter, proves useful to Vincent as the Hi-Hat finally opens.

Rudy dangles a lucrative offer in front of Vincent. Longo uses strong-arm tactics to restore order among Bobby's unhappy construction workers. Candy attracts unwanted attention and is intrigued by a legitimate suitor. Paul questions his place at the Hi-Hat; Frankie hits a hot streak; Darlene gets a gift from Abby; Alston sees through Sandra. 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, disappointing Abby. Roughed up by a john, Candy contemplates a change of careers. After getting busted, Paul explores the underbelly, and the exhilaration, of gay life in the city. With an assist from Alston, Sandra scores a key interview with a pimp.

An end-of-the-year crackdown by police in and around The Deuce sparks Vincent and Bobby. Candy tries to persuade Harvey, her adult-film director, that she can do more than act. Rudy witnesses a pivotal lower-court ruling on obscenity, and enlists Frankie and Big Mike to protect his interests in the peeps. Alston tries to convince Sandra that he's not just a 'source.'