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Special Features
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The change of network for the legal thriller Damages doesn't appear to have hurt its core appeal--the fireworks ignited by Glenn Close's dogged, morally ambiguous attorney Patty Hewes--in the series' fourth season, which aired on DirecTV after three years on FX. Malfeasance on the part of a private security firm working with the US military in Afghanistan is the central case in season four, with Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) once again in uneasy cahoots to bring down the company's bullish man in charge (John Goodman). In doing so, they attract the attention of an icy mercenary (Dylan Baker, fascinatingly malevolent) determined to keep them off the blood trail that links Parsons's friend (Chris Messina), a former soldier-for-hire in the grip of posttraumatic stress after his experiences with the firm, to Goodman. As in previous seasons, the main case is the nucleus for several orbiting side plots, including Patty's struggle with her son (Zachary Booth) over custody of her grandchild, as well as Baker's personal connection to the case, all of which underscore the series' recurring theme: everyone has a secret, and most likely, it will be their undoing.
As with previous seasons of Damages, the fourth season benefits greatly from its mix of regular players and guest actors, which include Judd Hirsch as a dipsomaniacal PI, Tom Noonan as a deceptively charming ex-cop, and Fisher Stevens as Patty's court-appointed therapist, and the show's trademark shifting timelines still create considerable tension as they inexorably snake together at the season's end. If there's any complaint to be had, it may be that the network shift seems to have reduced some of the show's production value: the direction occasionally feels static, while sets and locations have a stage-bound feel that undercuts the show's sense of realism. That may have little impact on die-hard fans, who come to Damages to watch Close's finely tuned blend of legal demolition derby and predatory backroom maneuvers. Extras are limited to a pair of brief featurettes, one on the making of the new seasons, the other focusing on Close as she discusses Patty's path to season four. Deleted scenes and an outtake reel round out the three-disc set. --Paul Gaita
Product Description
Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) prepares for a class action suite against a multinational pharmaceutical company, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) returns to Hewes & Associates to pursue her own lawsuit against military contractor High Star Security and its powerful CEO, Howard Erickson (guest star John Goodman).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
137 of 143 people found the following review helpful
By Reed
Format:DVD
While neutral about the season 3 (I thought it was too short and disjointed), I found season 4 to be just as smart, suspenseful, superbly plotted, and expertly acted as ever. It's the best season since its debut, and still one of the most relevant-to-the-times dramas on television.
Our heroine Ellen and anti-heroine Patty take on High Star, a private defense contractor integral in illegal interrogation and extraction activities in Afghanistan. One botched mission serves as platform for a lawsuit. The true purpose of that mission is an underlying mystery known to only one character, which is revealed bit by bit. This is not your typical wartime terrorism, and solving this mystery is essential to the plot so trust that the battlefield flashbacks are relevant and not just filler. Because the CIA is in bed with High Star, it's also not your typical corporate corruption. The stakes to protect the guilty are the highest and most dangerous they've ever been. Ellen and Patty are warned and then threatened to stay away, and of course that makes them all the more hungry to continue.
In a heartbreaking performance, Chris Messina plays Chris Sanchez, a vet and High Star combat employee suffering from acute PTSD and racked with guilt after leading said botched mission. He's an old friend of Ellen's and she convinces him to sue High Star for wrongful deaths - partly in the name of justice, but equally to feed her ambition. But her firm of record is not so ambitious -- so unable to win it without Patty, Ellen goes back to the lair, literally.
John Goodman is well cast as the CEO of High Star. As a staunch Christian, he seemingly struggles reconciling his job and his faith. But through intense prayer (and because his back is up against the wall) he ends up justifying more and more manipulative, illegal and often violent acts as "patriotism" and "God's will". This character is indeed a right-wing stereotype -- he likes to hunt and read from his giant bible -- but it's an accurate portrayal of how "for the good of national security" is misused to feed monetary greed, justify betrayal and commit any heinous act under the sun.
Stereotypes aside, season 4 delivers an accurate dramatization of what happens when private industry leads military actions -- corporate greed always trump everything. Since Patty has a reputation for stomping out corporate greed and now dares to challenge the government, tactics to protect the guilty involve murder, torture, international terrorism, kidnapping and the power of one very clever, resourceful and unscrupulous CIA agent. Because he is always one step ahead, has bottomless resources, and will resort to anything, you wonder how the two lawyers stand a chance of winning this time.
This rogue CIA agent, while as evil as they come, is also multi-dimensional enough to be a different kind of villain. A jaded, reluctant patriot, he's hiding a secret which makes him at times sympathetic. This delicate balance is a genius portrayal by underrated actor Dylan Baker, who should win many awards. At first the "reason behind it all" as revealed through the CIA agent seemed weak enough to be a bit anti-climatic. I can see people saying "all *that* for that?" But it's more important to focus on how a simple mission spiralled out of control and how desperation to cover it up ruined so many lives.
Plus this season makes full use of suspenseful foreshadowing, the show's signature technique. Each episode delivers flash-forward glimpses of a violent and bloody act that's come, revealing a little bit more each episode. You think you know how it may go down, but there are plot twists up until the last minute where all is revealed. So the payoff delivers.
A subplot involves Patty, her toddler granddaughter, and her estranged son Michael. And of course there's the usual cross-manipulative, love-hate relationship between Patty and Ellen that, by the end, reaches an ugly impasse. I had to laugh a yet another last meeting by the water to reflect -- where we know Patty will continue her relentless pursuit of success at the expense of any and all meaningful relationships, while Ellen will continue to fight against following in her footsteps despite the fact that she's cut from the same cloth.
Kudos to Direct TV for picking-up the series after FX dropped it, so it can live on DVD. Prepare to be engrossed. You won't be disappointed.
Our heroine Ellen and anti-heroine Patty take on High Star, a private defense contractor integral in illegal interrogation and extraction activities in Afghanistan. One botched mission serves as platform for a lawsuit. The true purpose of that mission is an underlying mystery known to only one character, which is revealed bit by bit. This is not your typical wartime terrorism, and solving this mystery is essential to the plot so trust that the battlefield flashbacks are relevant and not just filler. Because the CIA is in bed with High Star, it's also not your typical corporate corruption. The stakes to protect the guilty are the highest and most dangerous they've ever been. Ellen and Patty are warned and then threatened to stay away, and of course that makes them all the more hungry to continue.
In a heartbreaking performance, Chris Messina plays Chris Sanchez, a vet and High Star combat employee suffering from acute PTSD and racked with guilt after leading said botched mission. He's an old friend of Ellen's and she convinces him to sue High Star for wrongful deaths - partly in the name of justice, but equally to feed her ambition. But her firm of record is not so ambitious -- so unable to win it without Patty, Ellen goes back to the lair, literally.
John Goodman is well cast as the CEO of High Star. As a staunch Christian, he seemingly struggles reconciling his job and his faith. But through intense prayer (and because his back is up against the wall) he ends up justifying more and more manipulative, illegal and often violent acts as "patriotism" and "God's will". This character is indeed a right-wing stereotype -- he likes to hunt and read from his giant bible -- but it's an accurate portrayal of how "for the good of national security" is misused to feed monetary greed, justify betrayal and commit any heinous act under the sun.
Stereotypes aside, season 4 delivers an accurate dramatization of what happens when private industry leads military actions -- corporate greed always trump everything. Since Patty has a reputation for stomping out corporate greed and now dares to challenge the government, tactics to protect the guilty involve murder, torture, international terrorism, kidnapping and the power of one very clever, resourceful and unscrupulous CIA agent. Because he is always one step ahead, has bottomless resources, and will resort to anything, you wonder how the two lawyers stand a chance of winning this time.
This rogue CIA agent, while as evil as they come, is also multi-dimensional enough to be a different kind of villain. A jaded, reluctant patriot, he's hiding a secret which makes him at times sympathetic. This delicate balance is a genius portrayal by underrated actor Dylan Baker, who should win many awards. At first the "reason behind it all" as revealed through the CIA agent seemed weak enough to be a bit anti-climatic. I can see people saying "all *that* for that?" But it's more important to focus on how a simple mission spiralled out of control and how desperation to cover it up ruined so many lives.
Plus this season makes full use of suspenseful foreshadowing, the show's signature technique. Each episode delivers flash-forward glimpses of a violent and bloody act that's come, revealing a little bit more each episode. You think you know how it may go down, but there are plot twists up until the last minute where all is revealed. So the payoff delivers.
A subplot involves Patty, her toddler granddaughter, and her estranged son Michael. And of course there's the usual cross-manipulative, love-hate relationship between Patty and Ellen that, by the end, reaches an ugly impasse. I had to laugh a yet another last meeting by the water to reflect -- where we know Patty will continue her relentless pursuit of success at the expense of any and all meaningful relationships, while Ellen will continue to fight against following in her footsteps despite the fact that she's cut from the same cloth.
Kudos to Direct TV for picking-up the series after FX dropped it, so it can live on DVD. Prepare to be engrossed. You won't be disappointed.
45 of 53 people found the following review helpful
By sammy
Format:DVD
I concur, Damages is the best! How could it be so off the radar? With all the junk on network tv, how could this gem of a program be regulated to Direct TV- whatever that is..please this program should be on a major network...wait, they don't know whats good...but cable channels like AMC or USA..come on , this is a great series!
33 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By MIKI
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
No release date yet????? It's been like months? Need my Damages fix. lol My order was automatically cancelled because it had been so long since I had ordered it and the release date was mentioned. Had to reorder?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent series thru Amazon
Love this series as the acting is superb and every season is unique with a different supporting actor. Should buy as worth watching again.
Published 18 days ago by diane manson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I was excited to see the DVDs of Season 4 of Damages. However, it's very disappointing to listen to the vulgarity which I didn't find in the first three seasons. Read more
Published 22 days ago by jbl
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun crazy ride!
Of course this show is implausible, & absurd at times, but it is fun & addictive. Yes, anyone with
Cheney-like politics who believes in war-for-profit and "special... Read more
Cheney-like politics who believes in war-for-profit and "special... Read more
Published 26 days ago by Mactavish
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another gift...
Again this was a gift for someone and even though I like It I can't rate it because I had not seen it.
Published 1 month ago by Dorothy Pawlak
3.0 out of 5 stars
problematic
The DVD cannot be played by my dvdplayer -only by my computer because of countrycode problems - too bad
I was not aware of this problem
I was not aware of this problem
Published 1 month ago by Ole Steen Johansen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes
Any fan of Glenn and the show can simply not miss this season. The embodiment of Patty Hewes is classic Glenn Close.
Published 1 month ago by Costello
4.0 out of 5 stars
Manipulation to a grand scale
I have enjoyed parts of this series on TV, but was curious about what I had missed, so got the set. It is a great story of handling people.
Published 1 month ago by Carol King
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love Story Continues
Have seen all previous seasons and had to see what this one could offer. I was not disappointed. Excellent series hope to see many more.
Published 1 month ago by Linda C. Harbuck
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best!
I love this show and just finished watching it. I cannot wait for the 5th and final season. Thank you so much for your fast delviery and excellent product.
Published 2 months ago by Lynn M. Fortini
5.0 out of 5 stars
ok
This is just an excellent series. I am happy to have been able to collect the entire series so far.
Published 2 months ago by Pechez
