The Deuce features a large ensemble cast including James Franco playing twins and Maggie Gyllenhaal as an ambitious sex worker who becomes a film director. It tells the story of the Golden Age of Porn, the legalization and rise of the porn industry in New York City that began in the 1970s. Themes explored include government and police corruption, the violence of the drug epidemic, and the real-estate booms and busts that coincided with the change. The show's title is derived from the nickname for 42nd Street between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue.