Season three of FX’s Damages opens with a bang! Ruthless, high-profile attorney Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) is driving through Manhattan, savoring Curtis Sliwa’s talk radio rant about her favorite topic, herself when POW someone crashes into her car! The driver then disappears. And oddly enough there are no witnesses. On a crowded NYC street. In broad daylight.
The first episode, filled with the show’s signature time shifts and smart character explorations, foreshadows an exciting season.
As usual there’s also a lot of guest star power in the season that will take on the powerful Tobin family whose patriarch has been nabbed in the biggest Ponzi scheme. Sound familiar? Lily Tomlin already shows glimpses of brilliance as a desperate and fidgety Ruth Madoffesque matriarch. Martin Short is the fallen family’s sleazy lawyer. And Campbell Scott, looking gaunt and worn, is the son Joe Tobin, who–hellbent on proclaiming his innocence– beats up a guy in the street who wants his money back, or at least a bag of groceries from the so-called straight arrow son.
Oh, Ellen Parsons( Rose Byrne)– Patty’s former favorite associate and nemesis– is still in the picture,though she’s ditched Hewes & Associates(which by episode’s end is officially renamed Hewes-Shayes and Associates, as long suffering associate Tom–the resilient Tate Donovan–finally gets his due)for a desk prosecuting drug dealers at the D.A.’s office. Patty– who can’t leave well enough alone– sends Ellen a $3000 Chanel bag that winds up–in the 6 month fast forward– in the cart of a homeless man who is somehow connected to Patty’s car crash. Oh, yeah, and among his other belongings, there’s a dead body. The identity may or may not be revealed, but I’m not giving up the potential spoiler for those who’ve yet to indulge in this guilty pleasure.
Damages has always shrouded provocative human drama and mystery in a timely skin, bristling with the raw emotion of the day. The first acclaimed season–which garnered Close her first of two Emmys–took on an Enron-like scandal. As Patty Hewes, Close– who has been piercing through sociopathology for decades, most notably in Fatal Attraction– adds a colorful palette of character traits. Patty can be unscrupulous, diabolical even, but she’s a fearless advocate and usually works for the greater good ( as well as her own deep, designer pockets). Over the first two seasons, we’ve been exposed to her shaded inner life as well as splashes of her damaged childhood and last season, her marriage to a too-good-to-be true international businessman ( the sexy and smarmy Michael Nouri) came to a very public end, splayed colorfully across the tabloids.
What a smart TV series can do that even a stellar feature film cannot is develop characters over time, allowing the audience to become invested their lives, their stories. Patty Hewes ( like Mad Men’s Don Draper) is a risky protagonist as she can hardly be considered likable. But with Close embodying her, we are instantly, and consistently intrigued. We may not want to be Patty’s friend, but we certainly don’t want to get on her bad side. And we want to know more.
I know some people find the show’s time transitions too jarring, the story lines too confusing. But if you stick with Damages, the pay-off is a deliciously thrilling psychological ride. And yes,, even if you haven’t tuned in for the first two seasons, you can fall into the story without feeling lost (the first two seasons are, by the way, now available on DVD for those who want to catch up).One of the smartest dramas on television these days, Damages, unfortunately, goes head-to-head against another surprisingly good show, TNT’s Men of a Certain Age. Thankfully there are cable re-broadcasts. And DVRs. Both Damages and Men of a Certain Age originally air Mondays at 10pm; check your cable guide or station websites for additional airings.
Stay tuned.
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Another gifted article! Damages is off to a great beginning in its third season. Glen Close is as always terrific and the first episode leaves you looking forward to what happens next! Great Cast – hope the writing keeps up with the actors.