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« Roush Dispatch
Damaged Goods: Damages Nears the End
Rose Byrne in Damages by Barbara Nitke/FX
This Saturday, FX is running the entire first season (up to now) of its legal thriller Damages as an all-day marathon, which means theoretically there will be viewers who will get to experience this show the way it might work best: as a rock ’em, sock ’em miniseries, compounding all of the story’s elaborate and sometimes preposterous shocks and twists into a roller-coaster ride that doesn’t require waiting a week between chapters.
The ratings have been, even by cable standards, a disappointment, and as I write this, FX had yet to confirm a second-season renewal (although as I’ve said before, any network that would keep Dirt and The Riches going and fail to renew this gritty gem has some explaining to do). I’ve wondered if the show’s elaborately serialized structure, with an entire season built around a single case and its murderous fallout, may have kept viewers away (shades of ABC’s short-lived Murder One).
The brutality and darkness of Damages’ vision could also be a factor. There was plenty of outcry early on when one of Patty Hewes’ first manipulative acts resulted in the slaughter of a character’s pet dog. For a moment, it looked like Glenn Close had been typecast in Cruella mode. But from the pilot onward, we knew things weren’t going to end well for the show’s not-as-naïve-as-she-looks hero: young lawyer Ellen (Rose Byrne), who as we met her was facing interrogation and possible incarceration over the bloody death of her doomed fiance David (Noah Bean).
As it played with time all season, teasing us with hints of what happened to Ellen and David on this violent day by walking us through the past six months of Ellen’s turbulent time in Patty’s employ, Damages has been part whodunit, part legal procedural (as Patty squares off against the corporate creep Arthur Frobisher, played magnificently by Ted Danson), with no hope for a happy ending regardless of how the various plot lines work out. FX shows are known for going to dark places, but maybe this was too much of a downer for the masses. Who can say? All I know is that it’s been a mostly terrific ride.
Which brings me to Tuesday night’s penultimate episode, which answered many, though I’m sure not all, of the questions that loomed all season long. (Do not read if you have not watched and intend to.)
So: The bad guys who killed David and attacked Ellen were . . . the bad guys. Hmm. Not exactly a shocker, but I guess it makes sense. Which wouldn’t have been the case if David had been killed by his crazy stalker Lila, the ultimate red herring (albeit a disturbing and persistent one), who mainly served the purpose of opening the door, literally, for the fatal attack on David. It all boils down ultimately to Frobisher unleashing a world of hurt upon anyone who might reveal the truth behind his financial chicanery, which now hinges on who has the videotape Gregory gave Katie for safe-keeping before he was run down by Frobisher’s single-minded goon squad. The same goons who apparently killed corrupt SEC schemer George Moore, who’s implicated along with Frobisher in Gregory’s damning videotape testimony.
The way we see it play out in the denouement: Katie delivers the tape to her brother David so she doesn’t have to run into Ellen, from whom she’s still estranged. And she’s not the only one. David has just broken up with Ellen, furious after one lie too many (in this case, the cover-up of the dossier on Ray Fisk after his suicide in Patty’s office). When David learns what’s on the tape (and it will bury Frobisher for sure), he tries to reach Ellen, but is too late to stop bad things from happening. Poor David. And from there, all the back-and-forth time-switching gets a bit confusing, as Patty posts bail for Ellen, who’s released to old-man lawyer Hollis Nye, who as the episode ends appears to be betraying Ellen as well. Are there no good people left on this show, I ask you?
The kicker is the new twist in the Patty-Ellen relationship, when Ellen blackmails Patty by using the tape (which Ellen is in custody of) to force Patty to defend her against the murder charge. “I need your power and your connections,” Ellen says.
Meanwhile, we’re left wondering whose grave Patty was visiting when she was out of town, what Patty’s creepy delinquent son was up to when he startled Ellen in Patty’s apartment (“If anyone asks, I wasn’t here?”), and what more shoes might possibly drop in next week’s finale.
Am I also left wondering if my time was well spent on Damages this summer and early fall? Not at all. Watching the story play out has been like digging into a juicy if at times overextended and over-the-top page-turner: a little Scott Turow, a little Steven Bochco. Glenn Close’s star turn has been electrifying, with great support from Danson, Zeljko Ivanek and fresh faces like Byrne and Bean.
Depending on what happens next, on the show and in FX’s corporate suite, I can’t help thinking that Damages’ second act would be better off if it were packaged in the form of a classic miniseries. The genre is almost nonexistent these days, but what better way to revive it than on a risk-taking network and with such a gripping franchise?
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Oct 17, 2007 1:39 PM
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A recurring miniseries! Are you thinking of something like the way Prime Suspect was done in England? As I remember, the first Prime Suspect was a 6 or 8 hour series with the subsequent PSs (2-6) in the 4-6 hour range and appearing (at least on Masterpiece Theater) every 1-2 years.
This might be a way for Damages to avoid the Murder One-Season 2 fate. It would keep the stories compact (there were a couple of "filler" Damages episodes this season). It would also allow Damages to be shown entirely during the summer, when the network competition would be less. Also, a more compact filming schedule might allow some really good actors to appear (not that I have any problem with the actors in season 1), whose commitments to other projects might make a longer-term appearance more difficult.
I loved Damages this season. It really kept us guessing. I'll be re-watching some of the episodes during the marathon to see if my memory of certain events is correct.
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Oct 17, 2007 2:55 PM
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DAMAGES is a brilliant show that has kept its viewers guessing since day one. I love the show but understand that ratings are almost everything. I believe that the show should be done in the summer right along with Rescue Me.
I was a huge fan of Murder One and understand that new viewers do not want to jump into a series that is this complicated without being informed. I think that a mini-series approach might be best for a show like this.
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Oct 17, 2007 4:22 PM
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I can't help but wonder if the lack of ratings has been, in part, due to the lack of a lead-in. All season, FX has aired lame movie repeats in the time period prior to Damages, so no one is watching FX before Damages airs. Which translates into no viewers for Damages. Why don't they pair it with one of their other successful series?
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Oct 17, 2007 4:29 PM
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Damages is the by far the best new series in a long time. I am very impressed by Close and Danson, and would be quite disappointed should it not be renewed.
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Oct 18, 2007 2:19 AM
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Hasn't this show been renewed? It's been reported by other TV Guide writers that it has.
The fun thing about this show is that it has had time to establish good storylines with multiple, plausible plot paths. In a miniseries less than 8-10 shows, that would be difficult. Also, the character development of Patty & Frobisher would not have been so nuanced in a shorter time frame. Maybe now that the major characters are established (though Tom & post-trauma Ellen can still be examined), we don't need quite so much time, but if turned to a miniseries, it should be no less than 10 episodes.
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Oct 18, 2007 7:40 AM
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This show has gone on waaaay too long. They should have shortened it up, and kept up a faster pace.
Also - this was summer-time guilty pleasure watching. They should not have had this show still going in October.
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Oct 18, 2007 8:56 AM
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I've posted this before and I'll post it again, Damages is the BEST drama series on television. There is nothing that needs to be changed about this serial. Superb acting, writing, directing, plot development, etc. F/X is a fool if they don't bring this show back next season. If it does come back they need to figure out how to better promote this show so more people will watch it. I've asked a number of people if they've seen it and the majority of them have never even heard of it....there in lies the problem.
I will definitely be watching (or Tivoing) this Saturday's marathon, and can't wait for Tues finale. I'm going to be in Damages withdrawal when it concludes.
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Oct 18, 2007 9:35 AM
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It's been a long time since a series has had me on the edge of my seat every week until Damages came along, and I watch a lot of TV. We can hardly wait for Tuesday's and for Wednesday's in the office to discuss it. I think its the best show on ANY network and I sure hope its going to be renewed. Is there someone we should e-mail to voice our opinion?
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Oct 18, 2007 4:25 PM
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With not one new season show giving me reason to hope for the coming months, the conclusion of my summer faves, the last of which now coming down with a resounding thud --- Mad Men and Damages --- I am already in mourning. Damages has been a roller coaster ride that has never disappointed. Can it sustain itself next season? Why not? New mysteries, new villains, and perhaps even a hero or two. I wish there were a way to keep Ted Danson going, but I agree that this case needs to be wrapped up. Starting over next season would be one way to get new viewers. Good bye summer; hello winter. I always hated winter.
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Oct 19, 2007 7:35 AM
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With not one new season show giving me reason to hope for the coming months, the conclusion of my summer faves, the last of which are now coming down with a resounding thud --- Mad Men and Damages --- I am already in mourning. Damages has been a roller coaster ride that has never disappointed. Can it sustain itself next season? Why not? New mysteries, new villains, and perhaps even a hero or two. I wish there were a way to keep Ted Danson going, but I agree that this case needs to be wrapped up. Starting over next season would be one way to get new viewers. Good bye summer; hello winter. I always hated winter.
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Oct 19, 2007 7:36 AM
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I'm looking forward to the finale of Damages just to have all the outstanding questions answered. After that, it'll be missed. I guess maybe Nip/Tuck will replace it(time slotwise)?
As much as I have really enjoyed the show, I almost lost interest during a few of the middle episodes but stuck with it and I'm glad I did. The series started out great, (who saw Patty being behind the killing of the dog?), then sagged a bit in the middle but now, WOW it's back on track with great episodes that leave you wanting more.
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Oct 19, 2007 1:54 PM
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I'm probably enjoying Damages as much, if not more than any of the new Fall shows.
However, that being said, I'm somewhat dissappointed to find out that Frobisher's men were David's killer. I mean, the twist at the end of the first episode seemed to establish that Patty was an evil character. I mean, she did a criminal and incredibly immoral act by hiring men to break into Katie's house and kill her dog. Now, it turns out that she's really not evil. So, it almost makes that twist in the first episode seem like it was done just for shock value.
I've also noticed that the fact that Patty killed Katie's dog was the one thing that Ellen never seemed to figure out. Again, it just seems like they threw the whole dog killing in to shock us in the first episode and then never deal with it again.
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Oct 19, 2007 11:15 PM
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This is just an awesome, perfectly done television show. I hope with all my heart that it is renewed; seeing Glenn Close on my television every week is wonderful.
Here in the southwest, the show doesn't air until 11:00 PM!! Give me a break. No wonder it has a dearth of viewers.
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Oct 21, 2007 12:14 AM
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The reason Damages doesn't have ratings isn't because its one case over an entire season or because its "depressing." Those are silly excuses whenever they are used and based on nothing but the same song and dance excuses you hear from people that don't have the balls to say "I don't know why."
The real reason is the pace. The show is slow. Very slow. Lost or Heroes Season 2 slow, where you can miss multiple episodes and not really miss anything at all (that's a bad thing for an only 13 episode series).
The series hung its hook on two mysteries, thinking that would be enough and forgot to make sure there was a lot of meat on the bone and apparently discovered there wasn't. Pretty much you watch the first two eps and last two eps and you have the entire story without missing a beat. Which is pathetic pacing design and inexcusable. That Roush (a "professional" reviewer)in his love of the show doesn't recognize that is equally problematic.
The show basically suffers from 24-itis. Decent central idea but bad pacing design that results in lots of episodes (about 9 here) that do nothing but spin its wheels so can hand out its few revelations judiciousily. If thats necesary then the orginial idea needs work or a new one needs to be developed.
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Oct 22, 2007 1:44 AM
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