Customer Reviews

Damages

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had just about given up on Glenn Close till her work last year on THE SHIELD, and now on this new, superlative series refocussed her energies. I'd spent too many entertainment dollars and wasted too much of my short life watching Close in endless duds from MEETING VENUS to LE DIVORCE. Even pictures you didn't know she was in would be suddenly spoiled by her late, fifth reel entrance! It seemed like after playing Cruella De Vil and Norma Desmond Ms. Close only remembered one way of acting--over the top. But now, with a tightly drawn script and some crackerjack direction, she has been born again and we remember why we used to love her in her NATURAL, FATAL ATTRACTION, DANGEROUS LIAISONS heyday. She brings incredible shadings to the part of Patty Hewes, the high powered New York defense attorney currently waging an epic battle to defeat Art Frobisher, a shady billionaire played by Ted Danson in full silver fox wig mose.

I've only downloaded a few episodes so far, but the storyline is compelling and strange, as we see half-naked and blood drenched Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) stumbling through the streets of New York. In these sequences we see the color turned down and dampened to a palette of musty browns, red and blues, and then in flashback we pick up on the story in regular, vivid color, as Ellen graduates from law school and interviews for a job with Patty Hewes' legendary law firm, where apparently you really have to be on your toes and enjoy no private life. Ellen comes from a lower middle class Queens family but she is fiercely ambitious with big dreams. Otherwise her motivation for joining Hewes & Associates is a bit unclear, because it's so horrid why would anyone want to work for such a monster?

On the other hand, Glenn Close eats the scenery and everything else in sight as Patty, giving weight to some throwaway scenes. She makes the ordinary scenes of life with her husband (Michael Nouri) more interesting, because she stops being a maneating shrew and just acts like an everyday woman with desires, needs, regrets and problems. Yes, Michael Nouri from FLASHDANCE! Between him and Glenn Close, DAMAGES seems to be all about the 80s and the long distance we've come since then.

The script has more twists and turns than a cart full of New York style pretzels and we are constantly unsure if she's actually evil or just has checked the whole ends and means thing at the door in her passion to defeat Frobisher and to award the men and women whose pensions he stole with millions of dollars apiece. In solid support, a surprisingly restrained Tate Donovan, Marissa's father no more! In fact everyone is pretty good, and if there was any justice in the world DAMAGES should make Noah Bean a star. The only grating thing is the terrible, terrible Southern accent delivered by Zeljko Ivanek, if I'm pronouncing that right. He has always been a trying actor, but here he's intolerable.

I found myself looking forward to each new installment of this riveting series. Great writing, great acting and interesting enough to make me watch encore airings of some of the episodes just to make sure I didn't miss any clues.
I envy the people that haven't seen this yet, and can watch each episode from the DVD set without the weeklong wait.

I just hope there will be a Season 2.

This is the first time I've ever done one of these reviews but I just have to say that I LOVED THIS SHOW!! mollydtt, you said it. I couldn't agree more. I found myself looking forward to downloading each episode. I refuse to watch shows with commercials all through the show.(don't get me started about the commercial subject.) so I just waited for the download to come out every week. Amazon Unbox is pretty fast about making shows available as soon as they are aired. I also just want to add that I was so impressed with the review given by Kevin Killian. You sound like a professional. I couldn't have given a better description of the show and it's characters. I especially liked and totally agree with the part about Zeljko Ivanek and his terrible,terrible southern accent! And I also noticed that his wife (don't know her name) was attemting to do the same accent. they were both terrible. I have to disagree strongly with the "Miss Dickins" review. from the sound of it I would have to wonder if this person likes anything. It's just entertainment! Anyway, as most of us seem to agree, this is a must see show. I don't think I've seen a show this good on TV in a long time. The season finale could not have been better. This show really surprised me. Most TV shows are average some better than other of course but this time I WAS HOOKED FROM THE VERY FIRST EPISODE. This I was not expecting. Glen Close and Ted Danson were great together. I was also really impressed with Rose Byrne. Hope to see more of her. I highly recommened watching this show and can't wait till next season. An enthusiastic "two thumbs up!!"

This is the best show on television -- smart, well-written, well-acted, well-filmed and an addictive plot.

I can't help but to dismiss the negative reviews written before the season finale -- you really need to watch the entire season in order for the characters and plot-line to fully develop. I can't wait for Season 2! Bravo, FX!

I've been getting episodes of this show from the iTunes Store, but they are pathetically slow at posting new episodes. So, I'd love to try getting the show from Unbox--but alas Unbox supports neither the Mac nor the iPod/iPhone.

Why????

As for the show itself, it is pretty good, but is starting to drag in the middle. Also, it requires a LOT of willing suspension of disbelief--not unlike The Firm by John Grisham.

I am hooked on Damages! Within the first 5 minutes I was in awe of the story line and the acting! I'm saddened that there isn't a season 2 at this point. PLEASE bring back Damages! This show is addicting - in the most wonderful way.

This is one of those series that you'll watch again. It opens with the final result and jumps back and forth in time, but not too joltingly. You're never sure who-done-it until the final episode. This is one of only two full seasons that I have also purchased for my iPod (the other is "Star Trek" the original series remastered). Give it a shot, you'll probably enjoy it at least as much the second time around.

This is the best show I have ever seen.
I'm not exaggerating!.
My wife downloaded the pilot and told me: you might like it....
I love it!
Danson and Close are superbly great!
The script is perfectly written and the suspense is constantly there!
I hope that Glen will never leave this show!!!!

When I first heard about the new show "Damages" starring Glenn Close, I thought, fantastic! When I heard about Ted Dansen as the bad guy, I immediately thought "mis-cast". I was seriously wrong on both counts. Ted Dansen and Zeljko Ivanek hands down stole the series from Glenn Close. Dansen and Ivanek gave outstanding performances, both riveting to watch and totally believable. Close has always been someone to watch in film with great performances in "Fatal Attraction", "Dangerous Liason's", and my favorite, "Jagged Edge", with Jeff Bridges. In "Damages" Close fails miserably. To me, of all the characters in the series, Patty Hewes is the least believable. Never once did I "feel" Hewes as a real character, but as a caricature of a character. Although the focus of many intense scenes, Close never comes across with enough skill and depth (unlike Dansen and Ivanek) to make the viewer feel they were watching a "real person". I found her performances wooden, awkward, unintegrated, with an overall lack "seamlessness".

Both Dansen and Ivanek gave their audience absolutely mesmerizing performances as Forbisher and Fiske, and the rest of the cast gave strong, solid performances. This is the best television I've seen since "The Soprano's". As for next season, if all the great characters are killed off in this season, what's left without the strong emotional performances by Danson and Ivanek? Not very promising.
If anyone deserves Emmy's next year, its Dansen and Ivanek, but unfortunately with the unrelenting politics of the Emmy's they will most likely favor Close because of her star power. (Shameful).

DO NOT listen to those stupid comments about the show ,this is a hit with great Performances all around,just watch the first episode you will become addictive.