The show isn't hard-hitting a-la HBO's best efforts, but it boasts a cast of quality actors (Glenn Close and the Slovenian marvel, Zeljko Ivanek, unloading some fine chops) and relays several ongoing story lines effortlessly.
And the big seller? No William Shatner with his pants down, waxing homoerotic about James Spader and sounding--most likely--the death knell for an already saturated legal-drama television market.
Damages avoids the "hey, let's make lawyers affable by giving them pompous courtroom speeches, behavioral ticks, and ineffectual judges for fodder" writing. It revels in minute revelations of detail and positively menacing characters. Not to mention a serial story that is executed damn near flawlessly.
What makes the characters work? Motivation. Multi-faceted and morally flexible motivation. In this case, most of it is ambition--but the wealth of character arcs that can come from ambition are endless. And Damages capitalizes on it, using the legal system--and timely court scenarios--as a backdrop for how characters function under unique stresses.
A great find.
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