“Damages” – episode 2

I just watched the second episode and was glued to my couch – I couldn’t even take a bathroom break. After last week’s shocking episode beginning with Ellen tearing through Manhattan, covered in her boyfriend’s blood and ending with Patty Hewes receiving the bloody dog collar of Saffron, Katie’s dead dog, from Tom, whom she recently fired but keeps secretly on retainer to do dirty work for her, I was prepared for anything this week. Katie is the sister of Tom who is Ellen’s boyfriend. Katie catered a lunch for Arthur Frobisher in Palm Beach a while back on the day he did the dirty deed and may know something about the case Patty has against him right now.

So this week it’s back to the present for a while, but then back to six months earlier when most of the action takes place. Patty manipulates everyone, but it’s fun watching her do it. She can be so sweet and disarming with her beautiful smile shining brightly, while at the same time she may be planning your dog’s death or possibly something worse . . . as if there were anything worse. Patty needs Katie to give her information about Frobisher which she may have, but Katie lies and Patty knows it – Patty knows everything! Katie doesn’t want to be a witness in the case against Frobisher, but Patty tells her, “I want the straight story, and until you tell me, I don’t give a shit about you.” Frobisher backed Katie in her restaurant business, and now he wants her to sign another confidentiality agreement to keep her from testifying against him which she won’t do. But after the dog incident, Katie signs the agreement because she thinks it was Frobisher who had her dog killed, when actually it was Patty. Patty’s not only beautiful, she’s also very devious and ruthless. Before Frobisher realizes Katie has signed the agreement, he talks to a man about taking Katie out of the picture. Frobisher isn’t ready for anything so drastic yet, but that evening there is a scene with him and a hooker having sex in the back seat of a car. When they’re done, he roughly shoves her off and they both snort something. He has such a horrible, evil look on his face that it made me cringe. He grabs his cell and calls the guy saying, “Do it!” I have never seen Ted Danson like that. He was very scary and ugly! Excellent acting.

So back to the present . . . Ellen won’t say anything at the police station, but they find a card on her from Hollis Nye (Philip Bosco) who was her mentor at his firm before she hired on with Patty. He identifies her picture and that’s what leads the police to her apartment where they find her dead boyfriend who was apparently killed with a Statue of Liberty bookend – you know the kind with all the spiky things sticking out of the head - given to David and Ellen as an engagement present from Katie. Katie knew they liked “kitschy” things. I think Hollis will be showing up periodically, but you never know if he’s going to be good or bad. You don’t know if anyone in this is going to be good or bad!

Back to six months earlier . . . many things occur as Patty is busy manipulating everyone and seeking information to help her case against Frobisher. Katie seems to be the main witness even though she may not know anything. The hit man makes one attempt on her life, but fails. Frobisher tries frantically to stop him but never makes the right connection with him. So will Katie eventually be killed off? Will others by killed off? It’s really hard to keep up with everything as there’s so much going on. I wish Ellen would add a little more expression and life to her character as she comes across somewhat bland. Maybe she’s in a state of shock!

I can hardly wait to see what’s in store for next week. I hope they finally get Ellen some other clothes to wear in the interrogation room that aren’t bloody, and maybe a little makeup wouldn’t hurt. And do something with her hair!