Not since Murder One have I gotten this excited over a TV legal drama series. From the day I first saw the trailer of Damages on AXN, I memorized the date of the premiere. At 10.00 p.m. of January 8th, I tucked a very sick Sam in bed and set out to watch the pilot episode of the show. The opening scene was mesmerizing but by the time the episode ended, I started wondering if it would be a string of overkill episodes all throughout the season.
Most TV series I’ve followed traversed a common path. They started out strong then became impossibly preposterous after a season or two. Ratings, I suppose. The producers wanted to retain the ratings so the writers were instructed to create sensational twists and turns just to keep the audience glued. If you’ve seen Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork & Mindy, you’ll understand what I mean. Damages started out as though it was on its second season and fighting to keep the ratings. It’s just too… OA. The plot just seems too contrived — too unnatural.
Damages stars Glenn Close as a successful attorney who does not like to lose. She is more concerned over winning than doing what’s best for her clients. In that sense, the character is real enough. That’s how most lawyers are in real life. It’s all about winning. It’s all about building a reputation of never losing a case which makes a lawyer more attractive to potential clients and which is often used as a leverage to justify horrendous legal fees. But Patty Hewes, Glenn Close’s character, brings the obsession over winning to another level. She breaks the law without batting an eyelash and she’ll do it again if it will help her win the case. Still realistic at that point, I suppose. No, let me rephrase that. Still realistic, period.
There’s this very famous anecdote floating around when I was still in active law practice. A female associate knew the Labor Arbiter handling one of the firm’s cases and the senior partner of the firm instructed the young associate to communicate with the Labor Arbiter and make sure they won the case — by hook or by crook. The following night, the young female associate was seen having a very intimate dinner with the Labor Arbiter. I rest my case.
Anyway, back to Damages. The overkill is in the plot. A law graduate (played by Rose Byrne) had to miss her interview in Hewes’ firm to attend her sister’s wedding. Hewes shows up at the wedding and hires on her the spot. Really now… Even honor graduates will not get that kind of treatment. Snub a law firm and you’re dead especially when the senior/managing partner is as much of a control freak as Patty Hewes who thinks and acts as though she is entitled to have the world dance to her every tune. Okay, I’ve only seen the first episode and I purposely refrained from reading the Wikipedia article in its entirely so as not to ruin the suspense. Perhaps, subsequent episodes will prove better. A legal drama is still more stimulating than the likes of Desperate Housewives which I never bothered with. Not then, not now. Not ever, I suppose. Perhaps because I will never be able to identify with a ‘desperate housewife’.
It’s not like I never had my fill of overly dramatic TV series on law practice. L.A. Law and The Practice, both of which I watched for years, started out fine until, probably fighting to win in the ratings game, plots in subsequent seasons proved to be just as improbable as those of Dynasty and Falcon Crest. Sometimes, it’s so much better to watch these legal dramas when the approach is more comic. That way, you’re really sure there is no attempt at realism. Like Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, for instance. Of course, I have a bias for Boston Legal because of James Spader. 
James Spader? Amen!! I loved him too on the practice. Actually, I’ve been a fan since Pretty In Pink….hehehe
The way you describe Glenn Close seem like she’s a cross between Meryll Streep on The Devil Wears Prada and Lara Flynn Boyle on The Practice.
Thanks for the tip. I love legal dramas too. Nakakapick up ako ng mga one-liners na tinatapat ko sa aking mabuting asawang abugado
Kongkong, no one can ever beat Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, I think. But even that character was human (crying over a divorce, etc.).
Re James Spader. I hope you’ve seen Tuff Turf?
I used to watch The OC but it got too complicated. I still watch Nip Tuck from time to time. I like Christian kasi but the plot just keeps getting more ridiculous.
I like Law & Order SVU. That’s the nearest thing I watched when it comes to “court drama”. But I loved NCIS and CSI anytime, even re-runs. The only hitch though is the way they process DNA testing. I know for a fact that it takes at least 2 weeks to dissect and analyze a DNA strand, but they seem to do it only in a day. But like your love ones, you always give allowances for their faults.
I’m a die hard fan of the Law and Order franchise (especially L&O: Criminal Intent) but I think I’m going to check Damages out, as well.
Em, I only saw one episode of Nip/Tuck and, yeah, the plot was ridiculous. Never again.
BlogusVox, even CSI is losing its edge. When they cast Lieb Strieber, parang WTF…?!? In CSI Miami naman, Superman/Einstein/Nostradamus/mind reader na si Horatio. Anak ng pating.
Karen, how many versions of Law & Order are there anyway? Kaya wala akong masundan, ang dami dami.
I also watched the pilot of Damages. So..so, we’ll see. It’s been extended a 2nd season. Sobrang daming series eh, sadly a lot after a while lose their appeal. I like NCIS, House MD, Without A Trace. Sobrang sapul mo Connie with Horatio! Haha….Ultra pa-cool! I still picture him as the scared deputy in First Blood!
Mga James Spader fans pala kayo ha…Tuff Turf…nice movie……hmmm…Kim Richards….hehe
Ms. Sassy, we’re behind in watching US TV programs. My satellite receiver is tuned to MBC and I think their programs are 2 years old na! I was at a lost, I never saw Numbers, Dead Zone and 4400 combined and packaged as CSI Miami.
peterb is right, yung pa-cool effect ni Horatio nakakatawa. I saw Jim Carrey lampooned his CSI character in Jay Leno’s program. It was hilarious.
LA LAw and The Practice were my favorites. Too bad, I mi\ssed Damages.
There are three:
Law and Order, the original one has been on air since 1990 and is currently on its 18th season. L&O: Special Victims unit is on its 9th season, features sexually based crimes. While L&O Criminal Intent (on its 7th season) is more focused on the criminals and their motives for the crimes that they committed. Among the three, CI almost always never show the trial part, where in the other two divides each episodes between the investigation and trial.
There was a short-lived spin-off (1 season), L&O: Trial by Jury. The main focus of this one is to show how both the prosecutor and the defence prepare for the trial (preparations for giving statement, jury selection, etc.).
I’m so addicted to these shows and I think I watched most episodes to date (sometimes I could tell the whole story just by watching the first 10 seconds of that episode). Ayan lumabas na ang aking geeky-ness
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peterb, Sometimes, I don’t understand anymore if Horatio is a CSI, a psychic or a judge-cum-jury. Sobra talaga! And you remember Kim Richards ha. A pretty girl is always memorable, ano? LOL
BlogusVox, re “I saw Jim Carrey lampooned his CSI character in Jay Leno’s program.” Too bad I don’t watch Jay Leno. I can just imagine… HAHAHAHAHA
Tito Rolly, they rerun previous episodes. Usually, after showing all the episodes of the entire season, they rerun all.
Karen, wow, so many! And I’m super behind. I’ll look for complete season packages at Astrovision.
Not all L&O SVU episodes are sexually based crimes. It’s safer to say “crimes involving women and minors”.
“sometimes I could tell the whole story just by watching the first 10 seconds of that episode.”
karen, wow your good. I can’t do that until at least I’ve seen haft of the show. It’s just that the plot always have a twist. You think you know who the culprit is but after investigation there is a much bigger crime behind it. I fair better with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries.
Ms. Sassy, I just remember, Jim Carrey’s impression of David Caruso’s character was shown in David Letterman not in Jay Leno. I always mixed up these two programs. Sorry.
BlogusVox, I stand corrected. You know, sometimes I even weird my self out when I do that. I blame the cable channels that offer marathons every now and then.
I’m a fan of Miss Marple mysteries, too.
Miss Sassy, If you plan to watch the original one, I highly recommend season 1. I wonder if you ever watched Monk?
Oh, by the way, I don’t watch CSI: Miami for one reason — Horatio (parang pangalan ng kabayong pangkarera).
ah..ally mcbeal. I have fond memories of taking a rest from hitting the books on thursday nights to watch that show on a teeny weeny 2 inch high screen tv. and there were four of us making do with that tv. i used to love that show until it got too too flighty.
BlogusVox, ahhh, I don’t watch David Letterman either. Sana, meron sa YouTube yung impersonation ni Jim Carrey.
Karen, I haven’t heard of Monk. Re “Oh, by the way, I don’t watch CSI: Miami for one reason — Horatio (parang pangalan ng kabayong pangkarera).” HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
honey, from memory, only the first two seasons of Ally McBeal were good.
Ms. Sassy, there is, I’ve searched. Just type-in “csi jim carrey” in YouTube. While you’re at it, check-out his tribute to Meryl Streep.
BTW, Monk is a detective story, the personal opposite of Colombo. While Colombo is a slob, Monk hates germs, heights and wants everything in symmetry, methodical in an eccentric kind of way. A good watch.
TY. Will go look now.
I don’t think Monk is aired in the Philippines.
Hi Connie, I’ve not seen Damages yet but I’ll check it out. I’m a fan of TV court dramas, and one of my old favourites is Matlock (with Andy Griffiths). You maybe too young to remember that show, though. I find Law & Order very interesting because it covers both the police and the prosecutor’s side. I still watch reruns of the original series (with Jerry Orbach). Of the new Law & Order shows, I like Special Victims Unit the best. When I get home from work, I am usually glued to A&E because they have real cases on American Justice and Cold Case Files. I am a sucker for detective shows, you know, which all started in the 60′s with Manix, Hawaii Five-O in the 70′s, also Dan August, then Jake & The Fatman in the 80′s. (Olden days, eh?) I watched CSI when it first started but some of the scenes grossed me out so I switched to other shows. And I also find Horatio OA. I find Criminal Minds to be good, too, same as Without a Trace.
Manix and Hawaii Five-O were, well, I was too young hehehe. But I know Jake and the Fatman. In the 80s, I watched Quincy, Medical Examiner. But my favorites were Mike Hammer and then there was the rerun of Night Stalker with Darren McGavin.