Damages Season 3

I’ve been a fan of Damages since it’s inaugural season so it pains me to give Season 5 just 3-stars. The story just wasn’t as clever as what’s precededed it and given this was known to be the final season of the show it failed to give longtime fans the closure that would have satisfied them. The primary plot featuring a sleep walking Ryan Phillippe as an Assange/Snowden-like internet hacker/leaker who’s linked to a source who appears to have committed suicide after personal e-mails of hers are leaked. The leaker is played by Jenna Elfman who looks terrific and does a nice job in a non-comedic, albeit small role. A wrongful death lawsuit ensues pitting Patty (a fatigued looking Glenn Close) who represents the woman’s daughter and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) defending Phillipe’s character. We’re teased with the appearance that this legal drama may finally wind up in an actual court room after five seasons but this never happens. Sub plots involving the ongoing custody battle between Patty and her loathsome son and Ellen’s potentially damning testimony also never fulfills it’s promise and is clumsily concluded. Also another sub plot regarding Patty and her estranged father and a half-sister lead nowhere. Typical red herrings that suggest Ellen gets killed abound but if you’ve been watching Damages from the beginning you know better than to believe what you see until the end. We also get Ellen revisiting her near murder from Season 1 and Patty’s apparent confession to contracting her killing and this story line really winds up more of a distraction then generating any real answers. At it’s conclusion we’re left with Ellen abandoning her law practice to raise a daughter and presumable married to her boyfriend Chris from season 4 and Patty who at one point’s being considered for a SCOTUS appointment getting away with everything and continuing her “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” existence. From reading other reviews I’m not alone in having hoped for more after four highly engaging prior seasons.

– Colonel D

I thought the final season was a let down compared to the first three. Fourth was better than the fifth season. Seemed to be just something written in the script to take up time in a lot of areas. Too much going back and forth to a scene that had already been shown a few times. Seemed like no real depth in what they were writing just wanted to end the series..

Be aware that you probably did not get full episodes. The final episode had 10 minutes cut out of it. What I ordered advertises Damages: The Complete Fifth Season but when I received mine it said Damages: The Final Season. I contacted Amazon about the last episode especially being cut 10 minutes and they issued me a replacement for what I ordered. (Damages: The complete Fifth Season) The replacement I received today was exactly what I received before. I did not open it and I am returning it also and asking for refund. I did some research and found on another site where people contacted Sony about the final episode not being complete and Sony finally responded to one of them. I removed any personal info and am listing what Sony’s response was.

– J E

There are the usual “you just THINK you saw” moments and loved the resolution of so many questions from past seasons. The only “left hanging” moments are about the Supreme Court (nominated, but will she get it? Can you imagine vetting Patty Hewes?) and her son’s daughter (assume she got her after what happened to Michael in the finale, but nothing shown on screen).

Having watched “Four Weddings and a Funeral” multiple times, I was delighted to see John David Hannah featured in this series finale. Great storytelling as usual, and I will so miss the Battle Royal between Rose Byrne and Glenn Close since 2007. So many twists in the final episode you need to REALLY pay attention!

Another review said “boring” which is ludicrous – the only ‘slow’ episode was the airport lounge scene in Maine, but it set up just about everything that followed. Dramas like this make you pay attention and assume you’re keeping up…and what a great alternative to these silly CGI comic book summer movies!

So if you liked the DAMAGES series before this final season, you will LOVE these episodes. They also do enough background/flashbacks to bring you up-to-speed should you have not seen previous seasons. Loved the flashback reminders (in the text as well as visuals) of the very first season (Ted Danson’s Frobisher). There were dozens of “guest stars” in past seasons that today have a name for themselves or renewed their visibility (just check out […] for an amazing list).

– David W. Flack