Season 3 of Damages begins with a little time shift release after the multiple timelines of season 2. Not that there aren’t still jumps in time, it’s just that as the season begins we’re treated to just one. The final moments of the season premiere show what’s to come for a major character, and the reveal is earth shaking for long time fans. I didn’t see it coming, and while it was upsetting now I can’t wait to see how the events unfold to lead to such a dark place.
Ellen (Rose Byrne) no longer works for Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), instead working in the DA’s office, and having not spoken to her former mentor in a year. Ellen’s part in the story is miniscule at the beginning, but there’s a lot of lead up to have her come crashing back into Patty’s world. And it appears Ellen is still feeling the effects of her time at Hewes and Associates as she’s clearly looking to dispense real justice in the DA’s office. Ellen as a person is also a lot happier and cheerful than we remember from season 2.
The case this season centers on the Tobin family. Ellen’s boss, played by Ben Shenkman, is working on building a case against former Wallstreet CEO, Louis Tobin (Len Cariou), who ran some shady deals and lost billions of dollars for investors. Patty is investigating Tobin’s dealings to try and discover what he’s hiding so she can recoup some of the investor’s money. She’s working in tandem with the DA’s office on the case, and while they remain apart mostly you get the distinct feeling that Ellen and Patty are going to be together very soon on this case.
Then of course there is the Tobin family itself. This third season hinges on the family dynamic of the fallen Tobins. Joe Tobin (Campbell Scott) plays Louis’ son who has to decide whether he’ll support the family and round up the troops, or cooperate in every way possible to clear the family name. As the season begins Joe is just trying to keep a low profile, clearly ashamed at what his father has done. Lily Tomlin portrays Marilyn, the mother of the Tobin family. She’s a secretive woman, and while we don’t yet know exactly where she stands it’s clear there’s more to what she knows than she lets on. Finally there is an incredibly shocking performance by Martin Short as Tobin family attorney, Leonard Winstone. Gone are the goofy faces and comedic hijinx we may remember from Short, all to be replaced by a dark and devious character that is more than a little scary.
The season three premiere of Damages promises to tone done the crazy time shifts of season two, and give one of my favorite characters a promotion as Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan) becomes a full partner at the firm. As for that flash forward? There’s a car crash with Patty Hewes, a homeless man who knows some things, and a dead body. There’s a lot of promise as the next season of Damages starts up.
Damages: Season 3 Premiere
Starring: Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan, Campbell Scott, Martin Short, Lily Tomlin, Len Cariou, Ted Danson, Keith Carradine, Tom Noonan, Ben Shenkman
Premieres: Monday, January 25 at 10:00 PM ET/PT on FX.
