The Racket

"The Racket" is the fourth episode of the American period drama television series Vinyl. The episode was written by Debora Cahn and directed by S. J. Clarkson. It originally aired on HBO on March 6, 2016. The series is set in New York City in the 1970s. It focuses on Richie Finestra, American Century Records founder and president, whose passion for music and discovering talent has gone by the wayside. With his American Century Records on the verge of being sold, a life-altering event rekindles Finestra's professional fire, but it may leave his personal life in ruins. In the episode, Richie tries to secure a funk superstar, while Devon questions her marriage. According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.577 million household viewers and gained a 0.21 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise aimed at the episode's humor and character development. Plot While his associates attend Buck Rogers' funeral, Richie (Bobby Cannavale) attends a marriage-counseling session with Devon (Olivia Wilde), in which he takes his anger out by hitting a sofa with a tennis racket. He also informs Zak (Ray Romano) that they need to secure funk star Hannibal (Daniel J. Watts) for the company and warns him in leaving him alone.