[DMG] You Got Your Prom Date Pregnant

TV Programme: Damages
Season: 2
Episode: 9
Date I watched this episode: 07/03/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: 8 days.

It's hard to believe that there's only 4 episodes left this season. Especially with 24 only just past the half-way point, this season doesn't seem to be progressing fast enough to be able to finish in just a very short space of time. The only thing that could redeem this season is if the creators can really pull something out of the bag to connect everything together in a supremely clever way.

Of course, it may well be that this entire season is just a setup season for the next one, which is already confirmed. This is a dangerous strategy from a business point of view though - as they may well lose their entire fanbase before they get a chance to get to the good stuff.

Meanwhile, they get some channel-hoppers engaged with their episode-long storylines. For example, here we have the return of Sam Arsenault. What is the point of this? Arsenault (who is now sporting a full beard) seemed like a great prospect at the start of the season. But now he comes in to fulfil a fairly minor story role, sings a few songs and gets rejected as energy secretary. Even the charity venture (which has been all but forgotten now) only got an in-passing mention here. This venture was Patty's redemption, and she seems to have forgotten all about it.

Patty's redemption now seems to be in the case against Ultima National Resources. Patty is saying to Phil at one point in this episode that she can't let UNR get away with it. Her quirky morals add depth to her character...she tried to kill Ellen and now she is something of a freedom fighter!

I still don't know who killed Uncle Pete. Like I said last time, Patty did receive a call as the murderer was leaving the hospital, but there is also a lot of evidence to suggest that the guy who killed him was working alone (he had a lot to lose if Pete talked) or had been instructed by Pete himself.

Wes's strategy to get Ellen was pretty well thought-out. I could learn something from this guy!! Only kidding... Well anyway I think he is really starting to fall for her, and I think it's very unlikely he'll even get close to killing her on Rick Messer's orders. It's interesting the recurring themes - the scene at the firing range is pretty repetitive and I've only just noticed that this week. The firing range itself is probably a pretty cheap set to shoot on...

Interesting to put Lani/Suzy and Patty in a room together. The female touch can really make a difference!! Interesting that Patty actually went through with helping her; sometimes she promises protection and the like but doesn't deliver. Well this might be the last we see of Lani, but she is a good character.

Tom's sister on the other hand is a fairly bad character. I think she was a bit of a bad actor in this episode; she just read her lines without giving any real weight to the character. With so many great actors this season, this kinda stuck out like a sore thumb. (Though I regularly fault the scriptwriting, I can't fault the directing or the acting this season).

The fact that the FBI file doesn't exist - what on earth is that all about? Mr McGraff is reporting into someone different - or so we think from the phone call he made. The obvious person is Hollis Nye. Perhaps Mr Nye has a different agenda. We know he is involved with the investigation somehow already, from his presence in season 1. I think there is some real scope here for a dramatic transformation in what we believe to be true.

The Shayes involvement got more interesting in this episode. Tom is clearly going to get fired for some reason, but this is no reason to get involved with killing his old boss. I think we're going to see more of this to come before we get the real answers. Also to come - Phil Hewes as the energy secretary? Doesn't quite work for me; Phil himself said that he has no knowledge of the energy market, nor any political experience. Surely he must know that he'll be a mere pawn, and that is no position for someone of his stature to be in for 2 years. So I'm not sure what's going on with his character or in his head here.

The title of this episode was spoken by Tom's sister to Tom himself. It was taken a bit out of context; Tom only though that he had got his prom date pregnant. I was wrong again...next week's is called "Uh oh. Out come the skeletons." Let's see... sounds like an Ellen thing to say, perhaps about Patty but not to her. I think she is more likely to be talking to the FBI agents.

I don't have much more to say except that the pace is still totally wrong, and I am not sure how they are going to wrap this up in only 4 episodes.