Damages - Season 1 [2007] - DVD (Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Ted Danson, Zeljko Ivanek, Tate Donovan - Dir: Mario Van Peebles)

Glenn Close continues the exodus of terrific movie actors and actresses who are finding the more fulfilling and meaty roles on the smaller screen. And with Damages, she's struck gold in an engrossing legal thriller.

Close plays Patty Hewes, an experienced and high profile litigator. She's then joined by the eager, and considerably more wet-behind-the-ears Ellen Parsons (played by Rose Byrne), who fits into the role of her protégé. Damages then sees the pair fighting a bitter and prolonged case against Ted Danson's high-profile and very rich businessman.

Where Damages differs from many in the genre is that its first season effectively covers one single case (albeit with many, many strands), much as Murder One did all those years ago. And this makes for an increasingly layered and intriguing drama, with a healthy number of twists to keep you on your toes.

The entire first season is presented in this Damages set, and very gripping it is too. Superbly acted by its cast of high and lower profile actors, it brings with it a real compulsion to find out what happened next. It's where the DVD set comes in handy, as there's no longer a week between episodes to get to the next part of the story!

Damages may not have been the highest profile export from the States of late, but it is one of the very best. And this set is an ideal opportunity to find out what all the fuss is about… --Jon Foster

Customer Reviews of Damages - Season 1 [2007]

BrommerD
London, England
6th January 2009

Mrs Doubtfire reveals her evil side
First heard about this on the Newsnight cultural review of 2008 where they were saying it was the highlight of the year for American drama so I checked it on Amazon and for only £8 I put it in my partner's stocking for Xmas - bargain.

I was expecting it to be sub-HBO standard but it isn't. Instead it is a gripping thriller with a cast of monsterous, yet believable, characters. I've only watched the first 5 episodes so far but if it maintains the standard it will be a most excellent series. I've given it 4 stars in case it tails off like some series do.

The only downside is that my canny partner pointed out that Glenn Close looks eerily like Robin Williams in the fat suit from Mrs Doubtfire which only makes her more sinister.

Anticipating series 2 to be even better as the actors grow into their characters even more. Be afraid, be very afraid.

L. Bailey

31st December 2008

must see
i read through reviews and they are soo right i bought season 1 and watched disc 1/3 in the same day kept the viewer constantly guessing what had happened and why..............

Tonkfan

24th November 2008

I loved it
This is a great series, from first frame to final credits.

I admit that I was completely taken into the glossy, glamorous, ultimately shallow world of the US legal system as depicted here - and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

While I fully accept the comment that the show sometimes felt like an ongoing marketing campaign, on a perverse level, I actually felt that element added to its enjoyment. Moreover, neither the show nor the actors involved, ever appeared to take any of it too seriously.

As for the Rainbow comparisons, I actually thought Rose Byrne was pretty good as the clever but extremely naive, rather pompous young lawyer, who makes the mistake of believing in her abilities just a little too much. And Glen Close makes a hugely enjoyable 'villain'.

To any potential viewer, don't over-analyse, just sit back and enjoy!

I've given it 5 stars because it was so entertaining, and on watching the series a second time, I loved it even more. Good television is a rare commodity in this reality/celebrity TV obsessed age, and I salute any series steers away from this sorry state of affairs.

D. Morris
London, United Kingdom
22nd November 2008

Could have been great
The series starts off great. It kicks off with the protagonist wandering the streets covered in blood, then flashes back to events 6 months earlier and gradually comes up to date to fill us in on the story - an intriguing framing premise that only starts to wear out its welcome by episode 4 or so. The characters are fascinating - especially the very human monsters brilliantly played by Glenn Close and Ted Danson. So what went wrong? As we near the end of the season, it's revealed that the most improbable characters are embroiled in an ever-widening conspiracy. Plot hoops and cliffhangers take over from the earlier subtle characterization. There's the sense that, like with Prison Break, the writers are starting to steer the story with a view to getting a second season. If it had been just the one season, this could have been a masterpiece. At the point you realize it's just going to go on and on till it runs out of steam, you may question whether you really want to commit your time to watching another 13 episodes that will just contrive ways to spin the story out. The writers should have taken a lesson from The Shield, where there is always forward momentum that carries you on insatiably to another season, but that forward momentum comes honestly from the characters' interactions - it's not a question of moving the characters to suit the plot and (worse) to provide "salesman" storytelling tricks such as shock reveals and portentous dialogue.

DW HOPE
Warwickshire England
14th November 2008

Damages Season 1
One of the best drama's i've seen for a while, I have currently been hooked on "THE WIRE" which is probably the best show ever made. Damages starts slowly and the character "Ellen" played by Rose Byrne seems an unlikely heroin. But as time passes she becomes all you want from a hero in a series. Glen Close definitly steels the show with a outstanding on screen display, you can't decide wheather you love or hate her.
I can't wait for Season 2 which is currently being filmed. Ted "cheers" Danson also plays a blinder as a Big Bussiness Fat Cat who although shows us how far he will go to cement his legacy he still has a concience.
If you watch it you will love it,If you choose not to watch it you will miss out on what Modern T.V shows can bring us. FANTASTIC VIEWING!!!!