The 25th Frame
It's sounds weird to tell you to "save" a show that is as amazing as "Damages," but then again anything I do with my pants off is weird.
So after “The Hurt Locker” thoroughly wiped the floor with all of “Avatar's” money, finals descended on my brain, leaving this intrepid-in-his-own-mind writer powerless to write about anything that did not relate to the most arcane knowledge you could think of (outside of anything found in a business school).
Now THAT'S a long sentence. Take that, finals papers.
So with the quarter over, I write you now from home in Oregon; having come home to laminated posters from The Presets tours (best homecoming gift ever) and a loaded DVR (a device I sorely miss while away). Plenty of shows to catch up on, the top of my list bringing me the ever fantastic “Damages” on FX (home to such shows as “The Shield” “Nip/Tuck” and “Rescue Me”). In my sad, desperate, yet entirely loyalist attempt to give the show a fighting chance at renewal, I want to sing its praises to you, my loyal reader (right?).
Now for those of you having to ask (and seriously, shame) what is “Damages”? My advice is for you to look up the official synopsis; the folks who write them deserve their paychecks. What I like to tell people is that it is a legal drama that almost never takes place in a courtroom and sports the best ensemble on TV, headed by Glen Close at the top of her game.
Now in it's third season, “Damages” has obtained a loyal (sizable) following, but one that believes more in DVDs and DVRs rather than live viewing. As a result, the live ratings for the show have been dismal and the chances of renewal are slim as a result. We live in a world where “American Idol” will be on for years to come, but “Damages” has to fight for another season. I blame Alaska.
It begs the question as to why “Damages” lacks the ratings of some of the larger shows on cable. Writing and ensemble aside, “Damages” greatest strength is also its greatest flaw in attracting a new and larger audience: its experimental nature in storytelling. The format of “Damages” is wildly arc-heavy. By this, I mean to say that each season feels like a thirteen hour movie rather than thirteen mini movies with standalone plots.
“But Max! Arc heavy shows are nothing new on T.V.!”
“Shut up. You don't watch 'Damages'. Now I'm trying to write here”.
...what? Oh yes.
What makes “Damages” unique is its approach to the arc format. The first season open with a flash forward to a main character emerging from an elevator, half naked and covered in blood, wandering the streets of New York and then flashes backward 6 months. As the season goes on, the past and futures of the characters inch closer to each other and the viewer is left to try and figure out how in the hell the flash forwards relate to the flashbacks.
Confusing? No. What are you, a fool? Such a format and characters demand a lot from a viewer. Make no mistake, “Damages” so far has proven to be a sharp show. Problem is, most people are rather dull and smart shows suffer as a result. Just see “Arrested Development”, “Rome”, “Carnivale”, “The Riches” or “The Wire” (though, “The Wire” had a better run of things).
It's not only its format that makes “Damages” such a successful experiment in T.V., but the execution of its plot(s). The second season opens with a lead character seemingly killing somebody offscreen. In the opening of the third season, it is revealed a la flash forward that a major lead character will not survive the season. Under no circumstances is anybody safe and it makes for consistently tense episodes.
“Damages” is not a show you start in the middle of its run. You have to start with season 1, which could deter many but should not. The overall payoff is so worth it. You'll actually grow braincells from watching it!
Seriously.
Get a Netflix. Queue it up. Save the show. Make my day. Three word pun. Take a nap. Get out now. Come back soon.
Posted by Max Alborn, Max Alborn on Mar 25, 2010 @ 12:00 am
