(S02E01) "Actually, I take that back. You should be scared. You should be terrified." - Ellen
Payback's a bitch, ain't it? Not if you're Ellen Parsons - then it's a slow, methodical, patience-testing process where it apparently takes six months before you get to shoot a gun. And thus begins the second chapter in the twisted law legacy of Ellen Parsons. After one episode, David Connor's killer is no longer the issue at the top of everyone's mind.
Instead, we're all left wondering just who (or what?) did Ellen shoot at the end of the episode? Unfortunately for us, that action took place in a flash-forward ... so don't expect answers any time soon. I can deal with that, though, as the action is set up quite similarly to the events of season one. Instead of the majority of each episode taking place in the past, events are unfolding in the present this season. And the "unknown" events? They're in the future, rather than the present. Simple twist, but it's just enough to keep it fresh.
As I mentioned in my Early Look review a few weeks ago, Ellen is no longer the multidimensional, fresh, young face from season one. Gone is her naïvete; she's a different woman now with one goal in mind - to destroy Patty Hewes. In some regards, her impatience is a little annoying (Ellen should understand that a giant FBI case takes more than a week to put together), but you can understand where she's coming from. We still don't know why precisely the FBI is targeting Patty, and I imagine when Ellen finds out, things will change drastically. What exactly did Patty do to piss off Uncle Sam?
Beyond Ellen, the world has moved on. Except Patty. She's trying, but her guilt is getting in the way. Visions of Ray Fiske are keeping her on her toes. Great to see that Zeljko Ivanek is still going to play a small role this season. His short scene telling Patty to disclose the truth to Ellen was eerily similar to the scene in season one where Patty told Ray to repent after digging up the truth on Gregory Malina.
Fortunately for Patty, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt) has re-entered her life. If you can get beyond the fact that a case with the potential to be bigger than Frobisher has pretty much just fallen in Patty's lap a mere month after she destroyed Art, then buckle up, because Purcell has some serious dirt on an unknown entity in the energy industry. His foggy past with Patty poses an interesting twist, and I bet most folks have a pretty solid idea as to what that past is. Episode three will shed some light on that, though, so sit tight.
More thoughts on "I lied, too":
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Frobisher's current situation is a bit interesting. On the surface, it's easy to say he's a changed man who's sorry for his sins, but look closer. After his nurse gave him that ice cube, he cried like a baby. The second the nurse left, Art's eyes went steely cold and he went from sucking on the cube to chewing on it like a rabid animal. The man is angry. Manipulative too - the "leave the beard and stick some tubes in me" line was plenty indicative of that.
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Patty may be losing it, but she can still turn on the bitch-switch when she needs it. The vagina line she said to Sam was priceless, and the second Sam's daughter was busted with cocaine, you knew Patty had a hand in it.
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I loved when Patty got the box from Daniel and Uncle Pete brought it in. "Uh, you open it." Remember the last time she got a box like that in the mail?
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What does everyone make of Wes taking such an interest in Ellen? Trying to sleep with her? Truly concerned because he's been in the same state of mind? Or something more sinister? However, it seems like Ellen chose forgiveness over revenge (for now anyway), so she's at least listening to Wes. It was awfully easy for Ellen to pose as Art's ex-wife at such a "secure" hospital, wasn't it?
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I had forgotten how good the theme song for this show is ("When I Am Through With You" by The VLA).
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Not enough Tom Shayes in the premiere. Tate Donovan is too good in that role to not involve him more. That being said, Tom gets a lot more play over the next two weeks. One of my biggest complaints about Tom last season was how hard he pushed to become a partner, but when he achieved it, his character didn't feel any bigger. To some extent, that gets remedied this season.
As the end of the episode unfolded, an obvious lie finally came out of Patty's mouth when she equated Ellen to Julia, the (stillborn) daughter she never had. However, if we've learned one thing about Patty, death rattles her (remember her dream with all the "doubles" from season one?), and between her feelings about Julia and Ray compounded with Daniel's wife's death, Patty has a lot on her plate. But it's looking like there won't be any room for Ellen and her FBI handlers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-08-2009 @ 7:43AM
shadowracer said...
That was such a boring premier. Any way I had a big problem with it.
I like Glenn Close but all the work she's had done is distracting. In the flashbacks she looks older than she does in the current episode. WTF?
That and I'm not a fan of the Danse sporting a beard.
And Olyphant looks like an idiot in that shirt. It only works with cargo pants and gloves, and even then it really only works on one person.
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1-08-2009 @ 10:34AM
Mike said...
I am a little confused by something. If Ellen thinks that Patty tried to kill her, why is she hell bent on going after Frobischer? Does she think Patty tried to kill her, and Frobischer killed David? I would think if Ellen and Frobischer worked together, they would bring down Patty Hewes much quicker than the FBI would.
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1-08-2009 @ 10:35AM
Jimmy said...
I have to agree with shasowracer: this was one boring episode. To me, that's always the problem with commercial free episodes. Editing down an episode to fit the 45 minute requirement forces producers to concentrate on what's important to the story. This episode was filled with scenes that did nothing but stretch the episode out to boring length. Moreover, if they're going to show scenes from season one the producers need employ some good CGI artists to dewrinkle Glenn Close so she doesn't look older in the flashbacks.
That being said, this season looks interesting enough to keep me coming back. Close is, as usual, great in a role that seems tailor-made for her.
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1-08-2009 @ 10:55AM
it-s said...
I try really hard to like this series, but I find Julia to be the most annoying character on the show. The only reason I watch it is to root against her. I don't blame the actress, I just think the character is completely unbelievable. Last season, she was supposedly smart enough to land the much sought after job of associate to Patty Ewes, but was so completely naive as to make any first year law student ashamed. This year, she is supposedly more open eyed about the world, and yet she trusts some low level FBI handlers, whose supervisors have who knows what agenda, to keep her involvement with their case from Patty, who has eyes and ears everywhere.
Its pretty bad when you have more sympathy for Glen Close's character than the supposed "heroine" of the series.
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1-08-2009 @ 5:58PM
Sue said...
I agree with a lot of things that have been posted. Ellen Parsons IS annoying. She went from being a cloyingly naive law school grad to a whiskey swilling, revenge obsessed shell. Her 'grief group buddy' is either just an annoying distraction or is a spy for Patty. I believe William Hurt is the father of the stillborn Julia and that Patty is a woman scorned by Hurt's character Purcell as well. In addition, I believe strongly that Purcell is so scared of getting killed himself that he killed his wife to make a strong point to Patty that he needs her help. It's a way of getting rid of his wife without anyone suspecting him of wrongdoing. Why would he get away with just a gash on his forehead? I think the guy destroying his office was a plant. Instead of running away quickly, he stood and looked at Purcell through the window as Purcell yelled unconvincingly to get away from him and his family. And as far as Ellen shooting anyone while downing her whiskey, no one replied to her while she was talking. I think that might have been a dream sequence. We shall see...
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1-09-2009 @ 10:21AM
Will said...
I'm glad I'm not alone, I thought maybe it was just me would didn't like the premier. After reading all the hype, that this show was suppose to top it's self in the sophmore season, I have to say I thought this 1st episode was not very good, at all. I am intrigued enough to see where they are going with the story, but jeez, what a weak ep to start with. Nothing like the first season premier, after that I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Maybe if I didn't have such high expectations, it would have been ok. But TVS & EW both gave it rave reviews, so I went with that. Here's hoping things get better, because I really enjoyed the 1st season.
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1-09-2009 @ 10:21AM
Adam said...
Yeesh, tough crowd lol. I agree the premiere wasnt as immediately intriguing or fast-paced as the first season premiere but lets not forget we've been waiting for nearly a year and a half for season 2 so i'm sure everyone's expectations were unrealistically high (myself included). Plus they've already done 1 season so they know how to make the show work over a period of time instead of having to cram everything into the season's first episode. It was still a great hour of television, better than most of what else is on. I'm sure we'll allll be watching throughout the season to see how and WHEN, not if, Damages tops itself.
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1-14-2009 @ 10:20AM
Jimmy said...
I watched the premiere a week late and was mildly disappointed. I thought some of the writing seemed amateurish, and some of the acting (I'm talking to you, Sam) was downright bad.
If nothing else, it reminded me of how freakin' good the first season was.
I heard Glenn Close say in an interview that she signed on for six seasons. I don't see how they can sustain the quality (or the story) for that long.
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1-16-2009 @ 10:30AM
Erin said...
I liked it ok. I love Timothy Olyphant and Tate Donovan, so that's enough to keep me coming back in general.
And I love Ted Danson. I think he is fantastic and has never really gotten credit for how great of an actor he is (other than Cheers).
And I'm with you on the theme song. Ever since Season 1, it's been my favorite theme song on television. It's one of my favorite parts of the show! :)
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1-24-2009 @ 7:39AM
csttar63 said...
cue the band!!!!!!!!!!!! the FBI guys are not really FBI. i think they are con men or they work for the HMO's, and this is there way of getting to work a class action suit from the inside. any bets, cause you goin' downnn........
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