Damages Ep 4: "Tastes Like a Ho Ho"

"Trust no one."

Damages official site

Wait, really, Patty? Trust no one? Hey, ouch. That frying pan is starting to hurt my head a little.

Damages was true to form last night with fantastic Glenn Close, fun twisty backstabbings and lies (although those were somewhat more predictable than in previous weeks), and did I mention Glenn Close and her awesomeness?

The episode is named after an exchange I wanted to use for my headline quotation on this entry, till I realized it was the name of the episode and I didn't want to repeat. Ellen has a snack in the office; Patty takes it and asks what it is; Ellen shamefacedly says, "It's a Ding Dong"; Patty answers with surprise that "It tastes like a Ho-Ho." Ellen laughs (and she has a charming laugh that we don't see much of), and so do I, and it's a clear winner for line of the week because, essentially, it's the only funny one.

That's the thing about a show like Damages, the funny bits are few and far between. I'm a girl who likes a show that doesn't take itself too seriously -- even if it aspires to greatness, as I believe this one does. Like Jack Bauer, these characters unfortunately just don't seem to have a lot of time to be funny.

I've already noted a slight dissatisfaction with Ellen's fiance as a character, and I don't want to repeat myself, but I do desperately want to talk about how bad an actor Noah Bean, who plays him, is. Because, oh my God. Especially during the supposedly climactic scene when he yells at Ellen, where his delivery of "I never wanted her involved in this" is so bad it undermines any impact the fight could have had.

Hewes as a parent is a wonder to behold. How would the Most Powerful Lawyer Ever deal with a rebellious son? She's totally Machiavellian, but totally lost too; you can see it in certain casts of her eyes, an uncertainty that she's not used to. Be glad you did not grow up under Patty Hewes.

#1 thing I was most glad about in this episode: Rose Byrne's telegenic face. She's quite beautiful, sure, but she also has an interesting mix of softness/innocence and a harder edge. As an actress she's winning me over (partly because after a scene with Bean even Mischa Barton would look pretty good).

In Summary: Damages stays golden, and also, TRUST NO ONE. Did you catch that? Seriously, did you?

Related
08/04/07: Damages Review (warning: slightly spoilery)