Close’s performance in Season 1 as high-stakes litigator Patty Hewes was quite simply amazing, and she was awarded both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Ivanek also won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, but the actor that truly blew me away was Ted Danson. Danson’s Arthur Frobisher was the “villain” in Season 1 and after just a few minutes of screen time Danson made you completely forget that he was once one of the most likable, bankable comedic actors of the 1980’s.
While Damages Season 2 centers on a new case of Patty Hewes’, the most intriguing storyline is that of Byrne’s Ellen Parsons who is now working with the FBI to bring down Hewes. One exciting tidbit is that even though Danson’s storyline has come to an end (and a possible death in last year’s season finale), both Danson and Ivanek’s southern lawyer Ray Fiske will be back in some form or fashion this season. Why this is such interesting news is that Ivanek's character committed suicide at the end of Season 1.
While I’m glad the show is bringing back these incredibly talented actors, I am worried about how they end up working these characters back into the show since both of the character’s storylines were tied up so neatly by Season 1’s end. I really hope Damages isn’t “jumping the shark” by bringing back characters unnecessarily and hindering the growth of Season 2’s new characters and stories.
One aspect of the show I really enjoyed was how Damages plays with the show’s timeline, having both flash backs and flash forwards intertwined with real time. But don’t let that scare you off, the show is very easy to follow and immensely entertaining. Plus, you really don’t even need to have watched Season 1 to enjoy Season 2, but you’d really be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t go buy/rent Damages Season 1 today! You can also look forward to some great new big name talent joining the cast of Damages this season including William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden and Timothy Olyphant.
Damages Season 2 airs every Wednesday at 10/9c on FX.
