Show Title: Damages Audience Rating: Adults Warnings: Assaults and murders Length of Episodes: 1 hour Length of Series: 5 Seasons (59 episodes) Why you recommend it: Damages could be considered a legal thriller, with twists and turns and a recurring feeling of danger. Each season follows a formula, which is to begin with scenes from the final episode, setting up a major event. These segments get added to in each episode but they are chosen to be misleading, and very often the way things play out in the end is not what the viewer expected.
Personally I found the constant recurrence of these flash forward scenes to be annoying after a while, though for people watching the series in real time they were no doubt a major source of debate and contention as people tried to guess where the season would end up.
Each season develops a single legal case (usually involving one or more murders) although there are side stories and sometimes characters from earlier seasons return. Bit by bit we learn more about who is lying, and what really happened, as well as what feints and scams the main characters are using against one another.
The cast is pretty strong, starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrne with changing guest stars each season. Included among those were Close's "Big Chill" co-stars William Hurt and JoBeth Williams.
What I particularly liked about the series was its enormous unpredictability. The writers were masters of the red herring. This is esentially a knife fight between Close as the master attorney and Byrne as first her tool, later her mentee, and finally her opponent. Often enemies, sometimes allies, we learn bits about their back stories along the way but I find Byrne's character was less explored than Close's.
I was not particularly satisfied with the ending but I suspect that almost any ending would be unsatisfying in some respect given where both characters wound up. Well worth watching for mystery fans but not a cozy view.
Damages
Audience Rating: Adults
Warnings: Assaults and murders
Length of Episodes: 1 hour
Length of Series: 5 Seasons (59 episodes)
Why you recommend it: Damages could be considered a legal thriller, with twists and turns and a recurring feeling of danger. Each season follows a formula, which is to begin with scenes from the final episode, setting up a major event. These segments get added to in each episode but they are chosen to be misleading, and very often the way things play out in the end is not what the viewer expected.
Personally I found the constant recurrence of these flash forward scenes to be annoying after a while, though for people watching the series in real time they were no doubt a major source of debate and contention as people tried to guess where the season would end up.
Each season develops a single legal case (usually involving one or more murders) although there are side stories and sometimes characters from earlier seasons return. Bit by bit we learn more about who is lying, and what really happened, as well as what feints and scams the main characters are using against one another.
The cast is pretty strong, starring Glenn Close and Rose Byrne with changing guest stars each season. Included among those were Close's "Big Chill" co-stars William Hurt and JoBeth Williams.
What I particularly liked about the series was its enormous unpredictability. The writers were masters of the red herring. This is esentially a knife fight between Close as the master attorney and Byrne as first her tool, later her mentee, and finally her opponent. Often enemies, sometimes allies, we learn bits about their back stories along the way but I find Byrne's character was less explored than Close's.
I was not particularly satisfied with the ending but I suspect that almost any ending would be unsatisfying in some respect given where both characters wound up. Well worth watching for mystery fans but not a cozy view.