Damages: Season Three
Most legal thrillers are based in the courtroom. That’s perfectly understandable. The courtroom is a perfect dramatic arena where protagonists and antagonists engage in a battle of wits. However, “Damages” is a show that knows the best conflict can happen before all of that.
The show is about Patty Hewes, one of the toughest lawyers in New York. Patty is played by Glenn Close, one of the scariest people on the planet. Even though she is taking down criminals like Ted Danson’s Arthur Frobisher, her morality is skewed to where she does whatever is possible, including criminal activities.
The core relationship of the show has been about Patty and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). They are both ambitious but constantly test each other — each one pushing the other toward a new line. Depending on what happens, they could be allies or hating each other.
The third season circles around the Tobin family. The head of the household was just caught performing a major Ponzi scheme. Hewes and Associates are forming the case against them, and Patty is obsessed knowing there has to be more money hidden.
The remaining family is struggling with being shocked by the information and afraid of what is going to happen next. The son Joe (Campbell Scott, one of my favorite character actors) lost all of his money from the scheme and has become desperate. The mother (Lily Tomlin) is angry and torn. The only one who is keeping focus and hiding the most is the lawyer, played brilliantly by Martin Short. Not only can he play the drama, he can be a bit scary.
One of the things that sets “Damages” apart so well is the demented way the show flashes to the future. Every episode gives you more information, and the rest of the season makes things worse and worse to lead to those scenes.
I liked last season, but a lot of its critics were saying the story became too complicated with so many double crosses. This year, the mystery is less complex, but still very compelling. The plotting is still strong with plenty of unpredictable twists. This season is more emotional from both ends of the puzzle.
Just like always, all of the actors are top notch. Close is incredibly watchable because she is giving one of her best performances as the brilliant lawyer who is increasingly unstable. Byrne, Scott, and Tomlin remain subtly powerful, but the real shining star is Short. He’s playing nothing for humor, but just like the show did with Darrell Hammond last year, they turn the comedian into a great villain.
One of the surprisingly good parts of the season is the return of Arthur Frobisher, which provided the most satisfying ending to that story and took its sweet time revealing the reason for his return. The only structural flaws are the looks into Ellen’s past during the last few episodes. They lagged more than they needed to, and the results weren’t that great. It made up for it, though, because what Ellen does in the finale is one of the more memorable parts.
I don’t know where the story is going next, but I’m pumped for the next season. Just like “Friday Light Nights," DirectTV saved this from cancellation to provide two more seasons. This is a fantastic show that could use a bigger audience, especially who like the season-long complicated stories like from “LOST” or “Veronica Mars” or the dark paths of “Breaking Bad.”
The DVD set has plenty of good bonus features. They have a couple commentaries from the big actors and the writers. There are also episode introductions, some featurettes about production and a blooper reel. I would have liked something teasing the next season but this is still a nice set
Season: 4.5 Yaps
Extras: 4 Yaps