Damages: Season 2 Review

Damages is the spiritual successor to those John Grisham thrillers churned out in the ’90s — just like The Firm, The Pelican Brief et al, it has a chipper greenhorn (Rose Byrne) who journeys into the dark world of big-money litigation, quickly learning there’s a toll to pay. Like Season 1, there’s a high-stakes case (this time involving a Big Energy Corp suspected of chemical pollution) and a flashback-intensive ‘whowunnit’ to keep you guessing who prevails. It’s total hokum, with all the weight of a gnat’s top hat and yawny sub-plots, but it’s boosted by terrific turns from Ted Danson, William Hurt and a great Glenn Close as powersuited predator Patty Hewes.