What I’m Watching: Damages

Damages: Season 4, Episode 6 “Add That Little Hopper To Your Stew” (B+)

I noted last week just how frustrating it was to see Ellen and Patty constantly get derailed as Jerry manages to single-handedly undermine them at every turn. This episode involves a few important developments, the most significant of which is the identification of Jerry, or his face at least, by Ellen and Patty, thanks to that crossword-addicted, conscience-bearing guard. I’m impressed that Ellen set a trap for Jerry by purposely using the cell phone she knew was being tapped, and she’s also being resourceful about trying to find Chris by tasking the reporter to locate him if he wants complete access to her story. Talking about David and Ellen’s personal life is an unexpected direction for the story, which usually steers clear of that, and we also have the return of Michael, whose initial meeting with Patty feels much like a hostile business transaction. Now that Katherine is officially fine, Patty is going to have to deal with Michael’s lawsuit for custody, which he likely won’t win. Jerry’s idea to get Nasim deported on immigration violations is, unfortunately, smart, and we finally get to see Jerry sit down and actually threaten someone directly, promising to kill his entire family if he ever identifies him to anyone. Howard, it seems, isn’t above directly threatening people either, furious about Ed backing out of the deal because of the lawsuit and then freely admitting to having gotten his grandson transferred to Afghanistan. While he seemed far more innocent before, it’s clear now that Howard is a villain worthy of show, determined to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.