[Televisionary]

Wow. If there was one thing I didn't expect it was that ending. I've wondered about shady Uncle Pete since the pilot and last night's episode of Damages ("New York Sucks") filled in the backstory on Uncle Pete (Tom Aldredge ) and fleshed out his criminal past, his personal life, and his relationship to Patty. For such a minor character, Pete McKee has maintained a pivotal role in the Damages mythos : never questioning Patty's judgment, carrying out her dirty work, operating behind the scenes to keep her interests safe and secure. For all of her armor, Pete is the only person to truly be connected with Patty as he literally knows where all of the bodies are buried. And yet, despite their shared history and the many secrets they shared, I never, ever saw THAT coming. Pete. If only Pete hadn't been caught by Ellen snooping around on her computer after hours, he would likely still be carrying out Patty's more underhanded dealings. But in that moment, E

And then there was Frobisher. I absolutely loved this week's episode of Damages ("A Pretty Girl in a Leotard"), which picked up some of the dangling storylines left over from Season One and connected them in a meaningful and sensational way with Season Two's ongoing Ultima storyline. The initial scene at the ballet that had Frobisher talking to Walter Kendrick seemed a little odd and out of place (would he really go up to him and talk to him like that?) but it payed off magnificently at the end of the episode... and went a long way to proving that Patty doesn't care about Ellen (hell, she tried to have her killed once) and her main ambition is winning at any cost. Even if it means getting in bed with an old enemy. Frobisher. The episode's biggest surprise was that it was Frobisher who was Patty's ace in the hole and that he would be filing a lawsuit against Ultima, following Patty's defamation case. (Loved, BTW, that she managed to get off with a $5 m

Once again, Damages managed to pull another brilliant bait-and-switch and keep us guessing about Daniel Purcell's full involvement in the murder of his wife Christine. This week's episode of Damages ("I Agree, It Wasn't Funny"), pulled out all of the stops to give us a dazzling installment that made us once again question everything we've seen so far this season. It also offered further insights into what happened the night of Ellen's attempted murder at Patty's apartment, fleshed out the character of Phil Grey (Michael Nouri), added some additional shading to the truly shady Uncle Pete, and introduced a new player in the mix: power broker Dave Pell ( The Wire 's Clarke Peters). All this and a shocking reveal about just what Ellen's new boyfriend Wes is really up to... Wes. Wow, I did not predict that Wes could be working for Frobisher. Clearly assigned by Detective Messer (who, unbelievably is played by Flight of the Conchords ' Doug, Da

Once again, FX's Damages managed to surprise the hell out of me. No mean feat, that. This week's episode ("Hey, Mr. Pibb!"), written by Aaron Zelman, found Ellen and Tom traveling down to West Virginia (and listening to some bluegrass) in order to locate journalist Josh Reston (Matthew Davis) as Patty attempted to use her resources to track down Christine's ruby ring in order to free Daniel Purcell from prison. Straightforward, no? The truth is that the episode was anything but, offering several reveals that made me question my knowledge of characters' motivations and histories as well as shattering one alliance that seemed to underpin the entire season. You've already read my advance review of "Hey, Mr. Pibb!" but now that the episode has aired, we can discuss everything together. The Visitor. I'm now referring to Ellen's mystery guest in the chair as The Visitor until we're more fully aware of this person's true identity. This

I received an unexpected treat yesterday afternoon in the form of tonight's outstanding episode of FX's Damages ("Hey! Mr Pibb"), a fantastic hour of serpentine plot twists paints a convincing picture of a larger conspiracy at work as it pushes the characters to some dark places so far unseen this season. Plus, don't be surprised if one of the episode's many reveals leaves you wondering just what you truly believe after all. Want a few hints about what to expect for tonight's episode? Let's dive in. For those of us who are spoiler-averse, I won't divulge full-on spoilers here but will merely hint at some developments in this week's episode. So what can you expect? That water sample that journalist Josh Reston (Matthew Davis) managed to steal from one of Ultima National Resources' coal plants in West Virginia? It becomes increasingly valuable to everyone involved in the case... and proves the lengths that some interested parties will go to

While everyone is bound to being freaking out over the two-hour fifth season premiere of Lost , I'm hoping that fans of FX's Damages haven't forsaken the legal thriller this week as the series once again delivered a fantastic installment that filled in some of the blanks in the backstory between Patty Hewes and Daniel Purcell. On this week's episode of Damages ("I Knew Your Pig"), the case against Daniel Purcell mounts as the police--embodied by dogged cop Detective Huntley (Tom Noonan)--clearly thinks he is their prime suspect while Daniel makes a discovery about Christine's murder and Patty learns that Daniel is lying to her about a number of things... and possibly everything. All this and Ellen digging around into Patty's past vis-a-vis a seventeen-year-old case that involved Patty AND Daniel Purcell. Hmmm... Let's discuss. Michael. I just *knew* that Michael was Daniel Purcell's son, after that totally awkward and charged encounter betwee

Bet you didn't see that coming, huh? I'm talking of course about this week's episode of FX's Damages ("Burn It, Shred It, I Don't Care"), in which the mystery surrounding the murder of Daniel Purcell's wife Christine deepened, new alliances reared their heads, Tom was nearly tempted into making a life-altering decision, and Wes did some cutting and pasting. You've all had a chance to read my advance review of the first two episodes of Damages ' second season but I'm excited to get my hands dirty talking specific plot points about the second episode of the current season and see what you all thought of this week's installment. So, take off your tie, pour yourself a tall one, and let's discuss. Once again, the ground rules: I've already seen next week's episode of Damages , but I promise not to reveal anything below that occurs in that episode. Deal? This week, the mystery surrounding Christine's murder definitely deepe

"I lied too." No truer words have better summed up the devious nature of FX's serpentine legal thriller Damages , which returned to the airwaves last night with its sophomore season debut ("I Lied Too"), which introduced new mysteries, new conspiracies, and new meaning to the words captive audience. You've all had a chance to read my advance review of the first two episodes of Damages ' second season but I'm excited to get my hands dirty talking specific plot points about the first episode and see what you all thought of the season premiere. Let's discuss. Ground rules: I've already seen Episodes Two and Three of this season, but I promise not to reveal anything below that occurs in those episodes. Deal? First of all, I'm absolutely chuffed that the executive producers wisely decided to (A) set the events of Season Two only a month or so after the end of Season One and (B) continue to use non-linear storytelling in the sophomore season w

Damages is set to return tonight on FX and viewers' curiosity about the serpentine legal thriller seem to be at an all-time high. (For a sneak peek at the first two episodes, click here to read my advance review .) Perhaps that's to do with the fact that Damages took a longer-than-expected hiatus between its freshman and sophomore seasons due to last winter's writers strike... and to the fact that on Damages , which tantalizingly fuses courtroom legal drama with a taut thriller plot, truly anything and everything is possible. I had the opportunity to listen to series lead Glenn Close and creators/writers/executive producers Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman speak about Season Two of Damages . So what did this group of uber-talented people have to say about the challenges in creating Damages , playing Patty Hewes, the non-linear format, and, oh, the life and times of Arthur Frobisher? Let's dive in. What's the one thing that the audience should know

“Vengeance taken will often tear the heart and torment the conscience.” - Schopenhauer There are few series that I've found myself as invested in, emotionally and mentally, than FX's dynamic serpentine legal thriller Damages , created with crackling wit by Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, and Daniel Zelman. Damages offers a chance to go down the rabbit hole, to enter a world of high-stakes courtroom intrigue that is a dark mirror to our own, in which millionaire litigators plot murders with the efficiency and ease one might reserve for making a car payment and in which first year law associates can turn the tables on their masters. It's a series filled with betrayals, double-crosses, and neck-snapping plot twists... and one that I simply cannot get my fill of. So it was with a certain relish that I sat down last week to watch the brilliant first two episodes of Damages ' sophomore season, which kicks off on January 7th on FX. Season One, of course, memorably ended with

Another day, another set of fantastic promos for FX's Damages . With only a little over a month to go until the launch of the serpentine legal thriller's sophomore season, my anticipation for this slick, sophisticated series is kicking into overdrive. While the first promo provided some atmospheric shots of Ellen (Rose Byrne) stepping on Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) in the gutter, the two new promos showcase new footage from Season Two, including Ellen literally holding a smoking gun and uttering the memorable phrase, "Revenge is the ultimate motivator." Take a look for yourself, after the jump: First up, the 30-second "Whatever It Takes" spot: I can't wait! With "Whatever It Takes," we're treated to a glimpse inside Ellen's head as she tells us just what she's willing to do to get her revenge on Patty, after the events of Season One: become her protege, her confidante, be the daughter she never had. What's the deal with the cash,

I've been on pins and needles awaiting some word from FX about when we'd next get to see Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons tangle. The wait, Damages viewers, is finally over. Cabler FX has announced today that Season Two of the Emmy Award-winning legal drama/thriller Damages will kick off on Wednesday, January 7th at 10 pm ET/PT. (Cue me jumping up and down with glee.) FX has lined up thirteen new episodes for Season Two and the cast for the sophomore season includes Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, and Timothy Olyphant. Take a look at Damages ' Season Two promo, set to the music of Duffy's "Stepping Stone," below: I absolutely cannot wait for this sleek and serpentine series to return to the airwaves, even if I'll have quite the TiVo conundrum as it conflicts with both Bravo's Top Chef and ABC's Dirty Sexy Money (if the latter is still on at that point). In other news, FX has also announced that Nip/Tuck will return to th