Pre-credit sequences are always chock-full of interesting information. That’s usually where the hook is set for the newest episode, or a good joke is set up, or in the case of DAMAGES, a useful tip is given to the audience. This week’s gem: Don’t miss with Lady Liberty. Even at bookend size, she packs a hell of a wallop, as David Connor (Noah Bean), fiancé to erstwhile protagonist Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), discovers as his last lesson in this life. Also, put screens on the windows of your Manhattan apartment, ‘cause those damn pigeons get everywhere.
The noose is nowhere near tight, but there is a sense of fate slowly circling these characters. Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), the corporate mogul who is facing a massive stock fraud suit, is feeling the strands curling around him; his wife is pressuring him to settle the case, and the strain on his family is starting to eat at him. Katie Connor (Anastasia Griffith), Ellen’s future sister-in-law, is being haunted both by a business agreement with Frobisher and past indiscretions that are coming to light as part of the case. Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the lead litigator pursuing Frobisher, is pulling on more strings than an orchestra, but even the puppet master has weaknesses; troubles with her son are sneaking past her armor and bleeding her mojo slowly away. Of course, Hewes has more mojo than any three bloodthirsty litigators, so she’s likely got the sauce to finish the case.
A good serial drama usually has more than one plot and set of pieces happening at any one time, because hey, life is pretty damn complicated and rarely do events happen in a nice linear stretch. DAMAGES is on track to have enough pieces for a couple of mere mortal dramas. Hell, just keeping track of all the balls Patty is juggling would be enough for a regular show, and that doesn’t count the other major characters and their assorted baggage-strewn subplots. Of course, this only works if the acting and writing are up to snuff, because nobody would give a rat’s ass if the writers and actors couldn’t carry it off. They all can, although Ms. Byrne seems to retreat into shrinking violet territory for an episode. For a character hired for her ambition and forthrightness, those qualities seem to be mostly missing this week.
Fortunately, the other two primary actors are still on the ball. Close is playing up her human side in this episode, showing that she can fake it … I mean, display a kinder, gentler side. Once again, it’s Danson who surprises; Frobisher seems to have a few more scruples that you’d expect for a high-powered corporate juggernaut, but get a few hookers and crack vials in his car, and he’s just as likely to make bad decisions as the rest of us. Like, say, calling in a hit. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Anyway, last week I suggested that it would take a few more episodes before it was time to become a regular watcher. Turns out I was wrong; it took exactly one more to make the transition. Looks like FX has another home-run king on deck, even if it is yet another show about those damn lawyers. Machiavelli is probably chortling somewhere.