Damages

The direction is capable. And there are moments of shining in the script, though there aren't yet enough fine scenes.

An impressively constructed thriller and an intriguing, timely exploration of what people at the apex of society will do to hold on to their power.

Damages is dynamite. And the fuse is lit.

Patty's suppose to be a manipulative liar, but that's too much to believe. Like pretty much everything about this show. [03 Aug 2007, p.61]

Close’s burnished enigma characterization works beautifully because Damages, which will spend its 13-episode season detailing the six months that led to the opening shots of a blood-covered Ellen escaping a murder scene, is more a well-oiled genre exercise than the stuff of rigorous personality study.

Close's performance illuminates rather than outshines with its high wattage.

It's the lack of moral clarity that makes Damages so spellbinding. Every character wears multiple masks; every action is cloaked in ambiguity and, often, outright duplicity.

The law-firm arena is one of TV's oldest and most familiar genres, but Damages enlivens it by defying expectations.

Problem is that Episode 1 is so out there and over-wrought that you might not make the trip back for Episode 2. That would be a mistake. Week two is when it gets riveting.

Damages offers two superb performances by old pros Glenn Close and Ted Danson.... One thing it doesn't have: a compelling main character. It's a doughnut show: lots of sweet, satisfying goodness around the edges, nothing in the middle.

Richness of detail permeates this modern tube-noir. The more damage done, the more juicy fun for us to savor.

A legal thriller with the depth and structure of an engrossing novel.

As taut and twisted a mystery as anything you'll find on television this summer.

A challenging and satisfying legal thriller.

Interactions are rendered in smart, layered compositions, with elements that crowd and obscure, colors that distract and focus your attention. Such plot intricacies might appear contrived, but twisting even in the first episode suggests otherwise.

Even as we're prompted to be horrified by Hewes, her unrepentant nastiness, when paired with her immense power, leaves us very little to hope for here.

It's Close who makes "Damages" a series to contend with.

It's a mesmerizing tale of legal maneuvering with the distinctive FX moral ambiguity and splendid performances by Close, Rose Byrne ("28 Weeks Later") as her protege and TV veteran Ted Danson as her latest courtroom adversary.

It demands commitment and a willingness to pay attention to the smallest bits of information, but it's also riveting. Once you decide to go take this case, you won't want to turn back.

By far the dumber and hammier of the two shows ["Saving Grace" is the other].

The plot is difficult to follow - shot sequences, at least in the first two episodes, often pair sex and death (an FX trademark, practically; it’s the network that looks our animal selves in the eye), whether or not their pairing helps the story--but you’re strung along deftly enough so that you do want to know how it’s all going to play out.

Who's a villain and who's a hero here? Can you tell the pawns from the players? All excellent questions as we become absorbed in FX's latest thrill ride.

Damages is an enjoyably complex thriller.

The producers have assembled a solid cast and deftly employ flashbacks to ratchet up suspense.

Despite its fantastic nature, the story is an onion with a thousand layers, each one a satisfying mystery of its own.