[DMG] New York Sucks

TV Programme: Damages
Season: 2
Episode: 7
Date I watched this episode: 20/02/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 5 days.

This was quite a good episode and the story is still picking up. The conspiracy around Walter Kendrick's merger is reassuringly complex and is slowly revealing itself. This week introduced the element of the "trader" who is presumably placing a trade for an exact amount at an exact time - but why? He is also apparently in a "unique position" which is intriguing. From his computer screen he appeared to be trading futures and spreads in a company called "Brent Oil".

Frobisher's discovery of spirituality is an interesting - and believable - turn for the character. In classic Arvin Sloane/John Abruzzi style though, he is likely to be pulled back into the fold. Like Rick Messer said, you can't go back. This should make for a good storyline. All the while, he is trying to regain his image (or "reputation" as he likes to put it). He seems like a desperate man, even has the bags under his eyes... The speech given by Patty just wasn't convincing and everyone watching must have known that.

The central storyline this episode was around Pete McKee. That ending was so, so grim. Almost reminds me of the ending to the film "House of Sand and Fog". Grim endings leave you feeling almost a bit shaken up (e.g. [CNV] "Babylon"). From a storyline point of view, again it kept the episodic feel by "trapping" the Pete McKee storyline within this one episode. Last season had a few of these single storylines too (e.g. "Blame The Victim") but this season generally feels disjointed because it has overdone it somewhat. It's a shame really because Pete's character was really fleshed out in this episode and then just killed off. I also thought the FBI guys worked really well here, and didn't seem just superfluous.

This episode was sprinkled with teaser storylines...what really happened with Tom and Gabriella? How jealous can Ellen get about Katie and Wes...jealous enough to kill someone? In general I think that Damages is regaining its subtlety.

Wrong again about the title, it was actually spoken by Kendrick's daughter. Next week's is "They Had To Tweeze That Out Of My Kidney." Perhaps Frobisher talking about his operation to Patty...or Larry Poplar? Who knows.

Yes, I enjoyed this episode and want to see some more like this. In general a slow pace is not a bad thing if you are slowly revealing a very complex plot, with continuity across episodes, and keep up that subtlety which I have come to love about this show.