“Damages” — Blame the Victim
This is what happens, Larry…
I really love the way Damages is able to tell a fairly complicated legal mystery while keeping the individual episodes focused with laserlike precision. Last night’s, for example, had a lot happening but basically dealt solely with one character, Larry, the long-time Frobisher employee on the take (now from both sides). His thoroughly depressing manipulation by both sides of the case was then paired against a perhaps too preachy plotline involving Ellen’s parents and their own legal troubles. The overall story was pushed forward significantly (including another look at that ambiguous scene last week involving the maybe-death of Greggory Molina) but also managed to keep Larry front and center. It doesn’t hurt that everything here seems to be connected — or at least it won’t hurt if they can bring this all together by season’s end. More after the jump…
This might have been the first week where Ellen’s character didn’t completely annoy me. Perhaps this is because she’s starting to harden a little (OK, a lot). The whole “nice girl in the cut-throat firm” wore pretty thin and ultimately smacked of “The Devil Wears Depositions.” Now that she’s more or less one of them her actions are far less precious and finally marred with a little guilt.
Ted Danson continued to impress. Ted Danson always impresses. Always. I hope to one day open a business called “Ted Danson’s Impressive Impressions.” It would sell items that are impressive as well as discount furniture. This, of course, is neither here nor there.
In the episode Frobisher continued his coy “I’m the good guy!” dance (which for all I know could be 100% true) despite surrounding himself with a cast of nefarious characters unseen since Big Boy Caprice. That’s really the charm of it, though. Here we have a guy who is completely oblivious to the fact that he shares far more in common with Lex Luthor than Daddy Warbucks.
Has anyone else noticed the really great sound design in this show? Last week we had that great scene with the lawyers waiting and all the minutiae in the room being amplified — like Roy’s knuckle-cracking. This week it was the breakfast scene at the Hewes household. It kind of reminded me of the opening to Dexter. Damages can be a very straight forward television drama, but every few scenes the sound and editing start feeling more and more like “Requiem for a Dream.” I don’t know if it has a purpose, but it certainly gets one to pay attention.
This show feels like it’s been running since time began and yet we’re only eight episodes into the presumed run of thirteen. I don’t know if this is a good thing or not. I do know that it took a good five or six weeks for me to fully warm to the series. Perhaps that will be reflected in the speed at which this last arc of the season feels in the coming weeks. I do know this: I’ve never watching Nip/Tuck but the teasers that air during nearly every Damages break makes me feel October 30th won’t get here soon enough.
