The main character, Ray Donovan, is a professional "fixer" who arranges bribes, payoffs, threats, crime-scene clean-up, and other illegal activities to protect his (usually) celebrity clients.

[13][14] A week later, Liev Schreiber wrote on his Instagram account that due to fans' support and activity in media, there was a possibility for Ray Donovan to return.

[16] On February 24, 2021, Showtime announced a feature-length film to conclude the storyline, to premiere in 2022, with David Hollander directing it and co-writing with Schreiber.

[18][19][20][21] On November 22, the official trailer and poster for the film, titled Ray Donovan: The Movie were released, with a premiere date of January 14, 2022 and tagline "You can't outrun your legacy".

Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season a rating of 77% based on reviews from 43 critics, with the site's consensus stating: "Ray Donovan moves quickly between genres and tones, with Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight's performances making the whiplash worth it".

[28] Tim Goodman, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, said that "Showtime has another gem on their hands" and the casting of Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight was "gold".