Damages (Cancelled) [FX]

[Groo The Perverted]

MAIN CAST:

Glenn Close
Rose Byrne
Ryan Phillippe

RECURRING GUEST CAST

Jenna Elfman
Chris Messina
Judd Hirsch
John Hannah
Janet McTeer
Gbenga Akinnagbe
Casey Siemaszko​

Glenn Close and Rose Byrne returned as regulars for the fifth and final season. Ryan Phillippe joined the main cast. Chris Messina, Jenna Elfman, Janet McTeer and John Hannah guest starred.

The season centers on the timely and controversial subject of government and corporate transparency, focusing on how the ever-changing digital landscape shapes the way in which information is obtained and shared.

The future timeline shows Ellen Parsons' body in an alley, having seemingly fallen off a building.

After four seasons of professional and personal manipulation and deceit, season five sets the stage for the final showdown between Patty and Ellen. Channing McClaren (Ryan Phillippe) is a computer expert and the iconoclastic founder of a website, McClarenTruth.org, devoted to government and corporate transparency. When he is approached by Naomi Walling (Jenna Elfman), an investment bank employee troubled by her company’s conduct with insider information, it lays the foundation for the case that will finally pit Patty and Ellen against one another. In an attempt to triumph over her former mentor, Ellen hires Kate Franklin (Janet McTeer), a one time colleague of Patty’s who is all too familiar with how she operates, but whose loyalty could be called into question. Adding to the turmoil surrounding the case is Rutger Simon (John Hannah), the chief lieutenant and gatekeeper for McClaren. As the series builds to its conclusion, far more than the verdict is at stake for everyone involved.

 

[Groo The Perverted]

Another solid episode tonight! Can't believe this is the final season.

 

[Groo The Perverted]

Come on people, I know I'm not the only person in this damn forum that is watching these shows that have threads! We need more participation!

 

[Groo The Perverted]

I'm extremely conflicted about the ending. I've loved this show from the beginning, and feel this finale was in many ways a cop out.

Spoiler

1. No big showdown between Patty and Ellen.
2. Ellen gets played YET AGAIN by Patty (Re: Simon),
3. Patty gets off by not only not going to prison for her role in the attack on Ellen and the death of David, but also she gets full custody of her granddaughter with the sad death of Michael.
4. The whole thing with the cops this season turned out to be nothing at all, in the end. They bring Patty in and say "she's missing, she was going to testify against you", Patty says some things, and that's it? They've repeated the same dialogue all year leading up to this finale and nothing came of it.

The acting was excellent as usual, I kept saying "oh no. OH NO. OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOO!" when the Michael scene was happening. I really liked that character and was so glad that he came back last season, and had a big role in this season and last after being a bit player early on.

I just felt let down by a good deal. I thought the show could have benefitted by being perhaps two episodes, or a full 90 minutes (after commercials are removed). As it is it was 1hr and 10 minutes, give or take, and several moments I felt like they were rushing. No moment of Chris discovering Ellen's betrayal, none of that, it was basically "oh yeah, you moved your stuff out sometime in the past."

I didn't HATE the finale, despite it probably seeming like it, I was just really disappointed. I'll watch it again and might like it better, but...right now I'm disappointed.

 

[Sixteenvolt420]

Never seen the show. What channel and night is it on?

 

[Groo The Perverted]

It's over with now. It was on FX for the first three seasons and then DirecTV for the final two. Excellent show, one of my favorites of all time.

Thinking back on the finale, a lot of things make a bit more sense to me now that I've had time to digest everything. I get the ending, I just don't care for the "pay the ultimate price by being alone" type thing. I despised the ending to The Shield for much of the same reason.

I thought Vic Mackey should have paid a HELLUVA bigger price than he did, and felt he got off extremely easy.