What I’m Watching: Damages

Damages: Season 5, Episode 7 “The Storm’s Moving In” (B+)

It’s truly fascinating to see two people who hate each other so much stuck in the same small place with no one else around them. I can sympathize somewhat with their situation since I too was stranded in a Maine airport for several hours earlier this week, though my delays weren’t weather-related. I was wondering how things were going to go sour, since Patty seemed to be extremely conversational and genuine with Ellen, even revealing her technological shortcomings, who was putting up quite the brick wall. Rather than Patty coming in with some biting remark, Ellen was the one who sabotaged the conversation by reminding Patty of the fact that she tried to have her killed, something which Patty flatly denied. The proof we viewers saw several seasons ago seemed conclusive enough to assign Patty guilt, but what this interaction will do is egg Ellen on even more to take down her one-time mentor. Chris seemed truly disturbed by what he learned about PTSD-affected soldiers being sent back to active duty, and Ellen being so focused on this case is sure to affect their relationship when he asks for her help and she isn’t willing to give him the time or attention. Channing’s reaction to the news about Samurai was not a positive one, and, as tends to be the case on this show, the supporting characters turn out to be the most compelling. Watching Rutger melt down and embarrass himself with Gita was mesmerizing, and finding out that his top financier was the one who sold Davies the secrets is going to drive him to a very bad place.