Product Details

• Actors: Glenn Close
• Format: NTSC
• Studio: Sony
• DVD Release Date: May 18, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B003IPCRWS
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,632 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Damages: The Complete Seasons 1-2" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Damages: The Complete First Season
Smart, sleek, and more than a little wicked, the Golden Globe-winning series Damages proves that legal programs don't have to follow a well-worn formula in order to prove completely addictive. In fact, the show (from Todd and Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman, whose credits include The Sopranos) steers clear from nearly all courtroom drama clichés over the course of its 13 episodes, and hews closer to classic film noir with the slowly-spun web of deceit that is woven around fresh-scrubbed lawyer Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). After joining the legal firm headed by uber-powerful litigator Patty Hewes (Glenn Close, who won a Golden Globe for her performance), Parsons lands a career-making case--a class-action lawsuit against millionaire Arthur Frobisher (Golden Globe nominee Ted Danson)--but discovers that digging deeply into the case not only reveals layers of corruption, cover-up, and potential scandal, but places her own life in jeopardy as well. Smart, mature writing, and note-perfect performances, most notably by Danson as the perverse and complex Frobisher, but also by Tate Donovan, Zeliko Ivanek, Peter Facinelli, Philip Bosco and Peter Reigert, make Damages a genuine pleasure for law and mystery show fans, but also those craving a challenging series that delivers water cooler chat material in every episode. The three-disc set includes all 13 episodes as well as deleted scenes; among the featured extras are two choice commentaries, one with Close, the Kesslers and Zelman, and the other with Ivanek and the creators, both of which are chock-full of production and technical insights. A 30-minute making-of featurette, discussions about the characters by the creators, and a guide to class-action lawsuits rounds out the fine supplemental features. --Paul Gaita

Damages: The Complete Second Season
With the second season of the legal thriller Damages, the creators, writers, cast, and crew have accomplished a minor miracle by producing 13 episodes that match--and, at times, surpass--the level of nail-biting drama and suspense that made the show's freshman season one of the best in 21st-century television. The core cast is back for this round--which is something of a surprise, given that novice lawyer Rose Byrne is convinced that her legal-eagle boss (Glenn Close) is responsible for the murder of her fiancé. The story neatly weaves together a murder mystery involving an old flame (William Hurt) of Close's, Byrne's collaboration with federal agents (led by Mario Van Peebles, who also directs the season's fourth episode, "Hey! Mr. Pibb!"), and Hurt's involvement in an environmental scandal that implicates a major corporation. The threads come together in impressive fashion, and the quality of the writing and direction is matched at every turn by the cast, which also includes Marcia Gay Harden as Close's opposing council; Tate Donovan as Byrne's saintly confidante; Ted Danson, who reprises his winning turn as disgraced billionaire Arthur Frobisher; Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond as an unnerving killer; and a trio of HBO vets--Deadwood's Timothy Olyphant and The Wire's John Dornan and Clarke Peters--as a shady love interest for Byrne and a pair of malevolent corporate apparatchiks. If the third season of Damages achieves the level of quality of season 2 and its predecessor, it will be the neatest hat trick on TV since The Sopranos.

The three-disc set of Damages' second season features a healthy selection of extras for series devotees to enjoy. Writers and creators Glenn Dessler, Daniel Zelman, and Todd Kessler are featured on commentary tracks for four episodes, and they're joined by members of the cast on each: Byrne (who may surprise some with her Australian accent) and a wry Olyphant on season opener "I Lied, Too"; Danson on "They Had to Tweeze That Out of My Kidney"; Donovan on "Look What He Dug Up This Time"; and Close on "Trust Me." The creative team is also front and center for Season Two: Post Mortem, which is informative for those wondering how the producers and writers work with the show's nonlinear format; the cast is the focal point for Character Profiles, which features short bios and chats with the main players. A battery of deleted scenes round out the set's supplemental features. --Paul Gaita

Product Description

Damages: The Complete First Season
Hot new legal thriller on FX! Set in New York's world of high stakes litigation, Damages follows the lives of Patty Hewes, the nation's most revered and most reviled litigator, and her bright, ambitious protégée Ellen Parsons as they become embroiled in a class action lawsuit targeting Arthur Frobisher, one of the country's wealthiest CEOs. As Patty battles Frobisher and his attorney, Ellen learns what it takes to win at all costs, and that lives, not just fortunes, are at stake.

Damages: The Complete Second Season
Seven Emmy nominations for this season of the award-winning show! After her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) has the legal world at her feet. Just as she's pondering her next move, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a man from Patty's mysterious past, storms back into her life, catapulting Patty into a new legal challenge. What starts as a domestic murder case, escalates into the highest reaches of government as Patty unearths a vast conspiracy. At the same time, Ellen (Rose Byrne) is on a mission to take down Patty. She's agreed to act as an informant for the FBI, assisting them in their criminal investigation of Patty and the firm. As Patty unravels the mystery surrounding Daniel Purcell, she must also negotiate the perilous minefield both inside and outside her office.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best TV show not on TV anymore!, December 23, 2010

By 

Kennard Yamada (Chattanooga, TN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Damages: The Complete Seasons 1-2 (DVD)

I stumbled across Damages in season 1 while looking through the FX web site. Out of boredom I watched Season 1, episode 1 (in teh good 'ol days when all episodes were online). I WAS BLOWN AWAY! My wife was out of town on a business trip and when she got back, I "forced" her to watch S1,E1. She rolled her eyes and agreed. SHE WAS BLOWN AWAY! It instantly became our favorite TV show, edging out Dexter! We plowed through 8 or so episodes online, catching up to real time, then anxiously awaited the next episode. It was smart, well-acted, quick paced TV. The way the story is told from the inside out only increases your anxiousness to see more. In every episode you get glimpses into the future that keep you on the edge of your seat.

I'm not a huge fan of Glenn Close, but this is her Citizen Kane! She is AWESOME as the evil Patty Hewes. She is completely believable and completely evil! BUT, her legal battles are against some really bad guys so you find yourself wanting her to win, evil as she is! It's brilliant.

I have told several friends, "buy the DVD set, if you aren't instantly sucked in, if the first episode doesn't capture your attention, I'll buy the DVD set from you so you aren't out any money." I have yet to shell out a single penny! Not a penny!

The sad news is that after season 3, FX cancelled this awesome show. It's now the property of DirecTV and they have plans to keep it alive. But for now, the only way to see it, is on DVD. As far as TV goes, it's a breath of fresh air.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Damages" seasons 1 & 2 combo pack review-excellent series, June 21, 2011

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Damages: The Complete Seasons 1-2 (DVD)

Following the bright recent law school graduate Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) as she works for litigation attorney Patricia Hewes (Glenn Close in her Emmy Award performance), "Damages" focuses on a case that seems to unravel by the hour as she goes after Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson)who may or may not have defrauded his employees at his company. With as many twist and turns as "Hamlet", "Damages" is tremendously entertaining and demanding as much of the story is told in flashback and there are a lot of moving pieces. We see much of the show in flashback as the first scenes show Ellen with police in bloody clothes suggesting she may have killed or witnessed the killing of someone. This is probably why it received positive critical reaction, great ratings for its first year but petered out by year two with some viewers.

The second season continues as Ellen continues to work for Patti undercover to try destroy her in partnership with the FBI.

The image quality for both shows is quite good although keep in mind the grainy, washed out look of the flashback sequences are intended to distinguish from what we are seeing that led up to Ellen being held for murder.

The first season features a two commentary tracks by producer/writer/creator Todd and Glenn Kessler & Daniel Zelman. We also get deleted scenes and two featurettes that provide some insight into the show, the characters and the creators of the show.

The second season features four audio commentary tracks including the creators as well as the actors from the show (including some interesting observations by actors such as Ted Danson on his character, his motivations and WHY he seems to see himself as the victim of the world). We also get deleted scenes as well as character profiles featuring the various actors playing them and "Post Mortem" with the producers/writers/creators discussing their goal with season two and musing on its relationship to season one.

There is also a brief recap of the first season that will provide a nice reminder of what went down if, for some reason, you take a long break between watching the first season and/or bought this set but had previously seeen the first season and jumped right into season two.

Recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Stop Watching, January 21, 2011

By 

sarahCA - See all my reviews

This review is from: Damages: The Complete Seasons 1-2 (DVD)

I cannot believe I didn't hear about Damages sooner. This show is amazing. Once I started watching I couldn't stop myself. I finished BOTH seasons in about a week. Its a very smart show, and at times seriously messes with your mind. Once you get to the end though, you start putting things together and I ended up screaming at the television at 2am. If you get a chance to start watching, make sure you have enough time to get sucked in and forget everything else you have to do in your life.