Damages: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

Damages is nothing short of completely addictive. Glenn Close is incredible - you respect, admire, and hate her character all at once. Damages is about a very ambitious young lawyer, Ellen Parsons, who just finished her first year, who lands a job with the top high powered lawyer in the city, Patty Hewes. Patty is notoriously difficult because of her exacting standards and complete ruthlessness in winning her case - which she always does. Ellen becomes embroiled in a mystery as she tries to uncover the truth about Patty's latest case, and we learn bit by bit what happens both to her and with the case. it's incredibly entertaining, and as a recent law school graduate, I can tell you, it's also good on the law side of things.

If you buy this, be warned: you will stay up all night watching it!

We found the series to be ver 'disjointed'. jumping from past to present, without any closure to an episode. Will not be ordering any other seasons and have stopped watching it after about 4 or 5 episodes.

Believe the hype. With superb writing and even better acting, Damages somehow breathes new life into legal drama, the most clichéd and over-exposed genre on television. That's no small task but the show succeeds by keeping the action out of the courtroom and focusing on the characters. Patty Hewes, the brilliant, merciless head of Hewes and Associates, is among the most compelling characters on television and Glenn Close's' performance deserves all its praise, but what's truly astonishing is how well the rest of the cast keeps pace with her.

There are a few rough patches as the season's mystery unfolds, and the best episodes are to be found and at the beginning and end of the arc. This show really pushes the envelope with its narrative structure, being as bold as anything we've seen on Lost. Reaching so high sees it come up short a number of times, but when it succeeds (and it often does) your jaw will drop.

Extras
The two commentaries with the cast and creators do an excellent job exploring how their respective episodes came together. This series is driven by the great actors working with great material and hearing about the collaborative process was a treat. The making of featurette is alright, but the guide to class action lawsuits is purely superfluous.

Presentation
The transfer is top drawer, but this show is by no means a feast for the eyes. The visuals are merely there to present the writing and acting, so you'll need to look elsewhere for a showcase for your HD set. The menus are function and unobtrusive.

Bottom Line
Don't mistake this series for a 'gritty Law and Order,' it steps well off the beaten path of legal drama, delivering fascinating characters and an inventive narrative. Damages' reach does exceed its grasp on occasion, but its best episodes are brilliant while its worst are merely 'ok.' Well-worth the price.