Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Rose Byrne, Zeljko Ivanek,
Tate Donovan, Philip Bosco, Peter Riegert, Michael Nouri
Written by Glenn Kessler, Todd A Kessler,
Daniel Zelman & Mark Fish
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £34.99
DVD Region 2 | Runtime 559 minutes
Directed by Mario Van Peebles
“Get me a lawyer.” Funny how fashions change. A few years ago, the last thing TV needed was another lawyer. Then the legal dramas slowly drifted away, to be replaced by forensics shows, gritty cop things and hundreds of good-looking doctors.
The arrival of Damages suggested that there may be untapped life in the legal world after all. You could, slightly cynically, write it off as Dallas meets Murder One, given the glossy soapiness, the shady business dealings and the multiple strands. But, actually, is a Dallas / Murder One hybrid such a bad thing? Because it certainly works for this addictive series.
Close is Patty Hewes, an early contender for 2008's most calculating TV character. A high-profile litigator, she's bringing a detailed class action case against Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), a wealthy businessman, an utter bastard and Hewes' only other rival for that calculating title. Ellen Parsons (Byrne) is an idealistic young lawyer, and Hewes' protege, who wouldn't necessarily stand out if it wasn't for the opening episode's “flash forward” structure. Interspersed with the legal wranglings are several scenes featuring Ellen, in underwear and a trenchcoat, covered in blood and sitting in a police interview room. The episode closes with that "Get me a lawyer" request. It's all a glimpse of things to come, as the rest of the series explains just how this scenario comes to be. It's also an indication to the viewer that they should unplug the phone and just write off the next 10 hours.
As the series progresses, things become increasingly layered and enjoyably twisty, which in the circumstances is almost a bonus: even without such tricks, the quality of the acting (we knew Close had it in her, but Danson is a revelation) and the snappy dialogue set Damages apart from the pack. Compelling, smart and very good indeed.
EXTRAS *** Deleted scenes, some episode commentaries, a making of featurette, an explanation of class action... Nothing earth-shattering, to be sure, but a pretty good selection. All in all, a well thought out and put together collection.