What I’m Watching: Damages (Season Finale)

Damages: Season 4, Episode 10 “Failure is Lonely” (B+)

Well, this finale was just about as intense as I would have expected, if not more. I’m most impressed by the way that the teases of the future that we’ve seen all season have become more intelligent as time has gone on, particularly with the boy and the blood, which proved not to be Sanchez’s, though Ellen sure seemed convinced. Patty moving forward with her case thanks to some help from Owen contrasted nicely with Ellen’s efforts to give in to save Chris, made much more difficult both by Patty and by Jerry’s decision to come along to sneak into the compound. The revelation that Jerry killed the three men in Chris’ unit isn’t much of a surprise, but the way it played out here, coupled with Jerry’s pledge that he would do it again, nicely wrapped up Jerry’s arc with a direct shot to the head from an extremely furious Chris. I like that AC gets a bit of vindication because he decides to believe and then help Chris, while Howard is hardly as innocent, forcing Chris to watch his Christmas sermon before his planned execution. That look in Howard’s eyes when he gets told it’s time by the FBI says it all. Ellen managed to get angrier than she ever has at Patty (partially due to the language allowed now), and it makes sense that she would be the one to testify against Patty’s character for Michael. Their meeting at the water is a season-ending tradition, yet somehow this one feels much worse than before, with plenty of insults hurled by both women. The biggest mystery is what’s in store for season five, which was commissioned last year when DirecTV acquired the show. Could it possibly be that they’re on opposite sides of a case? I’m definitely intrigued, since this was by far the best season this show has produced yet.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: John Goodman & Dylan Baker