“The
gripping legal drama series Damages has seen a second
compulsive season that is every bit
as riveting as the first series, with
its hard-as-nails female lead character
— the nation’s
most revered and
reviled litigator Patricia Hewes...” THE SUCCESSFUL AND COMPELLING SERIES DAMAGES follows the turbulent
lives of the brilliant but utterly ruthless Patricia "Patty" Hewes,
played by the equally brilliant Glenn Close (television's The Shield),
and her young, bright and ambitious assistant, Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne: Marie
Antoinette).
In the first series Patty took on her new assistant and it looked as if Ellen's
life was becoming the stuff of dreams — a fabulous new job and a good looking
doctor who wanted to marry her. But when her fiancé David is murdered, Ellen
finds it difficult to come to terms with her loss and begins to believe that
Patty is somehow involved, along with the man whose downfall the law firm had
contrived.
Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson: Saving Private Ryan, television's Cheers),
was one of the country's wealthiest CEOs and he stood accused of persuading
his employees to invest in his company before selling his own stock. Five thousand
people lost everything.
Ellen is being helped by a grief counsellor (Ami Brabson) and while at a group
meeting forms an attachment with a young man whose girlfriend was apparently
murdered. He tells her she has two options: forgiveness or revenge. But is he
all he appears to be and is Ellen safe with him?
While staying at Patty's apartment, Ellen was attacked by an unknown assailant
— an event that made her even more suspicious of her boss, who told her
that she, not Ellen, was the target.
Approached by two FBI agents, Randall Harrison (Mario Van Peebles) and L J Werner
(Glenn Kessler), Ellen is persuaded to co-operate with the Bureau's investigation
of Patty and she helps to set up a fake case involving infant mortality. In
the meantime, Patty is trying to launch a Foundation to address children's hunger
with the help of her friend Sam Arsenault. Haunted by the suicide of Ray Fiske,
Patty shows a rare vulnerable side to her character.
When Frobisher is shot and seriously injured, Ellen tracks him down to a clinic.
On her own in his room, posing as his wife, will she be able to carry out the
retribution she believes is due for the death of David? And there are more murders
to come.
When Patty is approached by her friend Daniel Purcell (the great Academy Award-winner
William Hurt: The Incredible Hulk) to ask for help in exposing a large
energy company's dumping of toxic waste, she also finds herself defending him
against the murder of his wife — and the secrets of their long-time association
unravel, leaving a complex conspiracy where nothing is as it seems. Who is responsible
for the murders and is there a hidden enemy posing as a friend?
Ellen soon learns that her boss will do whatever it takes, regardless of the
cost, to win the case. As the characters work every angle to hide their own
misdeeds, they are prepared to sacrifice both enemies and friends along the
way. Ellen is drawn deeper into the intrigue where loyalty and trust cannot
be relied upon and where every twist and turn leads to further speculation.
The tightly woven plot, neat characterisation and a finger of suspicion that
points in all directions each give Damages a perplexing and enthralling
edge. Academy Award nominee Glenn Close is simply superb and the supporting
cast natural. Lovely to see the wonderful Mario Van Peebles as an FBI agent.
Damages also features: Zeljko Ivanek as Ray Fiske; Tate Donovan (television's
The OC) as Tom Shayes; Anastasia Griffith (Lipstick Jungle) as
Katie Connor; Timothy Olyphant as Wes Krulik; Marcia Gay Harden as Claire Maddox;
James Naughton; Paige Turco; Delaney Moro as Erica Purcell; Alexandra Daddario
as Lily Arsenault; Tom Aldredge as Uncle Pete; and Zachary Booth as Patty's
son Michael Hewes. The series is Created and Written by Todd A Kessler, Glenn
Kessler and Daniel Zelman; Produced by Mark A Baker and Directors include Todd
A Kessler.
Season 2 will also be available to buy in a box set with Damages:
Season 1, in which the brilliant and ruthless Patty becomes embroiled in
the class action lawsuit targeting Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson at his superb
best), one of the country's wealthiest CEOs. As Patty battles Frobisher and
his attorney, Patty's new assistant Ellen learns what it takes to win at all
costs — and that lives, not just fortunes, are at stake.
• Damages: Season 2 (all 26 episodes)
/ Damages:Season 1 & 2 box set will both be released on DVD courtesy
of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on 31 August (2009).
"The tightly woven plot, neat characterisation and a finger of suspicion that
points in all directions each give Damages a perplexing and enthralling
edge" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
“The
gripping legal drama series