TV's Best Duos

When fellow TV blogger and friend Scooter McGavin from Scooter McGavin's 9th Green asked me to take part in his quest to find the best duos on TV, I excitedly and carefully poured over my list. He collected mine and the lists of several other bloggers and came up with a final collection of the top 25. Here is the final list:

The 25 Best Duos on Television

(My Picks are in bold)

1. Coach Eric and Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

2. Liz Lemon and Jack Donagy (30 Rock)
3. Sheldon Cooper Ph.D. and Penny (The Big Bang Theory)
4. Jim Halpert and Dwight Shrute (The Office)
5. Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Damages)
6. Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)
7. Emerson Cod and Olive Snook (Pushing Daisies)
8. Blair Waldolf and Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)
9. Shawn Spencer and Burton “Gus” Guster (Psych)
10. Chuck Bartowski and Special Agent Sarah Walker (Chuck)
11. Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
12. Marc St. James and Amanda Tannen (Ugly Betty)
13. Barney Stinson and Ted Mosbey (How I Met Your Mother)
14. Bill Adama and Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
15. Landry Clark and Tyra Colette (Friday Night Lights)
16. Ben Linus and John Locke (Lost)
17. John “J.D.” Dorian M.D. and Dr. Christopher Turk (Scrubs)
18. Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton (True Blood)
19. Jeff Patel and Lester Barnes aka Jeffster (Chuck)
20. James “Sawyer” Ford and Juliet Burke (Lost)
21. Homer and Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)
22. Bill Adama and Saul Tigh (Battlestar Galactica)
23. Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell (Legend of the Seeker)
24. Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name Is Earl)
25. Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne (Burn Notice)

Voters: Dan, Ducky, Kath, Matt, Sandie, Scooter McGavin, TVFan, Vance

For the record, I also included Olivia Benson & Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: SVU), Allison & Joe DuBois (Medium), and Brenda Leigh Johnson and Agent Fritz Howard (The Closer)

Special thanks to Scooter for putting together the list. So, what do you think? Who makes your list? Leave us a comment with your picks.

'Damages' Tidies Things Up

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Well, that was tidy.

A whole lot tidier than last season's finale.

And whilst some might be disappointed/let down/not nearly as gripped to their seat as they were, say, at the jaw dropper season one ending, last night's finale of Damages worked for me.

Why?

I still don't know of any other show on television that consistently keeps so many irons burning in the fire - irons of which you need to keep track, not random B-storylines that comes in mid-season then disappear ne'er to be seen or heard from again - yet also see them smolder so beautifully until the very end of the season.

Less episodes on cable, sure. More time to make more of an impact with each ep and NOT have a lull, perhaps.

But as far as Damages is concerned, it is just really clever writing.

And storytelling.

And continually evolving characters that get more complex as the layers slowly and methodically get revealed to us with each passing episode of each passing season.

All of which are brilliantly woven together in one flowing tapestry - from the most minor of threads to the most obvious frays.

There is a reason Glenn Close won the Emmy.

And we should just give it to her again this year.

Her showdown with Rose Byrne ... I'm one for NOT being over the top; I am a firm believer in less is more. I think I could actually feel Patty's gut churning via that ONE expression only Glenn Close seems to have. Not to mention we saw Patty torn down a bit this season in a way that was perhaps only hinted at in the first season.

Sure, she flipped out on Ray's suicide, ordered Ellen killed, couldn't quite cope with what she had done. But this season, we saw what happens when people actually get to her, and it allowed us to start sourcing deeper into what makes her tick.

Rose Byrne is just so perfectly balanced against the intensity of Glenn Close that it's a cryptic match made in heaven. I still love how they've left Ellen so open-ended, and that she still seems to potentially have the upper-hand on Patty - or, at the very least, she is STILL the one Patty can't quite contain.

Ellen's closure was so necessary. I personally didn't want to see vengeful Ellen for too much longer. That said, I DO like seeing the outsmart-outwit Ellen. Like, Patty's one true rival. And we are left wondering where she will stand next season. There is no see-you-at-work-Monday this go around.

And how about EVERYBODY getting busted?

Now THAT I dig.

And I attribute that to the way the show slowed down it's storytelling approach this season so that if you missed an ep (or two), you weren't SOL in trying to catch back up. This, as we recall, was one of its main criticisms in the first season - it was, like, "too hard" to watch if you weren't there from episode one. Well, they gave you plenty of chances to get refreshed this season, and they reminded you of the key points of the various threads in the tapestry without completely sacrificing the flashforward/flashback storytelling format.

I, for one, liked seeing the bad guys get their due. And that Patty figured it all out just in the nick of time - even having to reach back out to newly-fired Tom when she realized she might have been one upp'd. This kind of tidying worked for me as it leaves me focused on what makes this show tick.

Patty v. Ellen.

Round three.

And it won't require a whole thesis to pick back up next season, either.

That said, there is a lot of personal baggage that may prove perfect for exploration NEXT season - Patty's divorce; her throwing out of son Michael after learning he never applied to college; her pretending she's not bothered by the uncertainty of what will be of Ellen.

I'm not sorry to see Kendrick go, and given Arthur Frobisher is still around ... well, we may also have round three of Patty v. Frobie.

Finn Garrity is still on the loose - and a self-proclaimed whack job. Since he was the one who stabbed Patty in the elevator in a last ditch effort to try and save himself as Patty was on her way to the now infamous showdown with Ellen, it won't surprise me if he returns. After all, that IS the twist on the whole Patty-staggers-out-of-Ellen's-apartment sequence.

Creepy detective Rick is DEAD - yay!

And what will become of Daniel Purcell in prison?

I think I'll affectionately start referring to the third season as that which contain the ghosts of Patty.

There are plenty of skeletons in her closet.

And less people to keep them there.

Which will have me right back front and center for the third season premiere.

To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Still Has Damage to Be Done

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

So, I have this problem.

I actually don't want to write about this week's ep of Damages until I see how it ends NEXT week.

It's a strange dilemma because I once again found myself completely in awe of the creative genius that IS this show. I have said it for two straight seasons: I just don't know how they do it.

How they manage to take all these threads and weave them so brilliantly into one complete tapestry in half the time it takes for a network show to even start to get interesting just amazes me.

Still.

Thank the TV gods FX renewed the show for seasons two AND three last year, otherwise I'd already be begging that it should come back for a third season.

Thankfully, we already know it will.

And you can bet that however this ends next week - Ellen shooting Patty; Tom having been fired/now in cahoots with Ellen to take out Patty; Walt Kendrick meeting his match in Patty with her proof he's manipulating the energy market AND poisoning the state of West Virgina; Daniel Purcell finally doing the right thing and having to live with his decision in the nine circles of hell; Phil and Patty starting the divorce of all divorces that is going to get even uglier than the UNR case - you KNOW we are going to be set-up for the third season.

And we will be kept waiting in grand anticipation.

Just like I am - right now - for the finale next week.

Which will be a special 90 minute whopper.

Ding!

We've reached the penthouse floor of our second season elevator ride of suspense.

Step off. Stand in. Hang on. Watch out.

The special 90-minute second season finale of Damages airs next Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Juicy Bits

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Wait. Time out. Flag on the play.

So, Ellen DOES shoot Patty?!?!?!??!?! There isn't someone else in the room and/or Patty doesn't stumble into the elevator in shock from being a witness to Ellen's vengeful side?!?!?!??!

Egads, folks.

How the frick did I miss THAT?

I thought she was just ... that there wasn't ... that she had only ... oh, ne'er mind.

Wowza.

This would again be why I love this show: just when I think I've got something sorted out, it turns me around and throws me for a loop.

We only have TWO episodes left.

And they're being set-up to be another pair of humdingers given: a) Claire Maddox is now ousted as head legal counsel UNR after trying to pull off her own coup to take over the corporation given her recent discovery that Walter Kendrick is an arse; and, b) Phil's affair is headline news, thanks to Ellen's PI photos of Phil smooching his Londong Love ending up on Patty's desk.

Yes, this week was juicy.

But I fear we might be done with Marcia Gay Harden.

Total speculation on my part, but her going to Patty to tell her to nail Kendrick seemed to suggest her time was done - sort of a graceful exit stage left.

And that's a bummer.

If she does pop up again, that will be fine by me. MGH was a pleasure to watch, and I confess I liked they brought her around to be one of the good guys in the end (give or take one's definition of "good").

And the tension between Patty and Ellen almost boiled over this week, eh? We obviously know it will, but the final pieces of Ellen's rage seem to be falling into place.

Quietly.

Under the surface.

Hardly containable.

And now quite obvious to Patty.

Glenn Close and Rose Byrne have manifested their tit-for-tat this season even better than they did the first season. The two confrontations this week - in the office, after Patty pulls the investigator off the Frobisher investigation much to Ellen's ire; and, Patty at home, in a subdued drunken stupor, having torn her closet apart after the blowup with Phil's affair, having called Ellen to tell her she knows she's the one who sent the affair photos to her in the first place - were so perfectly done. There is - as always - a certain controlled stillness to their scenes together that makes one's skin crawl; the tension just burns through the screen. This really is the consummate lesson in the less-is-more approach.

And that's just what we have left: less.

Only two episodes to wrap up this second season.

It's going to get ugly.

And that is always a good thing on Damages

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Begins the Countdown

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Three.Episodes.Left.

How can that be? Have we zoomed through this second season of Damages THAT quickly?

We must have.

But you know that ol' saying: time flies when you're having fun.

Since I keep saying I want to get to the end, I should be happy that we're on the home stretch - especially after seeing Patty walk out of the now infamous flash-forward Showdown at the OK Hotel Room sequence this week ... splattered in blood, speechless and practically feinting into the elevator.

OMFG.

Who the in the heck does Ellen shoot NOW that we know it's NOT Patty?!?!?!?

I know: I'll just have to wait and see.

But aside from that humdinger of a reveal, we had a whole bunch of delicious goodies this week - not all of which were related to the ongoing war between Patty Hewes and UNR. Props to Tate Donovan for directing another fantastic episode.

Good News: Looks as though Claire Maddox is finally seeing the light that her UNR boss, Walter Kendrick, is ... uh, let's just call him an evil destroyer of mankind, shall we? He might as well be. Poisoning people. Causing energy shortages for profit. Having people killed. Seriously, does he work for Skynet?

Bad News: Claire realizes this thanks to hooking back up with Daniel Purcell, who I believe we can't trust further than we can throw.

Good News: Ellen finally has a breakdown, which releases so much of that pent up emotion that has been eating her alive since: a) going back to work undercover for the FBI to nail Patty; and, b) the death of fiancé doc David.

Bad News: She has this breakdown with Wes. He then tells creepy detective dude (who I finally learned is named Rick) that he should back off of Ellen and quit thinking she knows he's involved in the death of David (among other things). Naturally, Rick isn't buying it and now appears to hold Wes ransom with some sort of something or other from his own cop past, and thus, will not let the kill-Ellen-now thing go. I'm thinking, "Hey Wes, why don't you just do us all a favor and off Rick, eh?"

More Bad News: Wes was already spying on Ellen from the time of her first "meet" with the FBI guys in the limo at the end of the first season.

But perhaps what was most interesting this week was the storyline about Patty's son, Michael, having an older woman as his girlfriend.

As in, he's 18 and she's ... let's call it 40.

That dinner scene was priceless. I think you could actually see some steam coming out of Patty's ears. Or how about Patty's confrontation of Ms. 40-Year-Old in the art gallery: "You will break his heart. And when you do, I'll tear your face off."

Only Patty Hewes could get away with saying that - or perhaps I should say even think she COULD say something like that.

We recall last season Michael was a bit of a problem child. Lots of rebellion. And we know Patty took some drastic actions to try and get him under control (remember the intentional kidapping?). However, the fact he's been such a goody-two-shoes this season has made me a bit suspicious. Like, there's a whole lot that's not being said, and for some reason, I get the sense he's hiding something from her.

A 40-year-old girlfriend is a start.

And did we mention that one of the FBI agents is on the take by the SAME guy who is trying to put Patty's husband Phil on the energy commission - that is, one of Kendrick's slithering minions? And said Kendrick minion is in cahoots with the Deputy Director on the whole investigation?!?!?!?

Yes, I think we do need to get to the end of season two.

I'm not sure I can take the waiting anymore.

Love.This.Show.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Newly Unturned Stone

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Damages is known for leaving us wondering.

Guessing.

Waiting.

Amazed.

Curious.

One of the things that was left only loosely explored last year (er, perhaps I should say vaguely) was the relationship between Patty Hewes and her husband, Phil (played by Michael Nouri).

He passed through a handful of episodes as the rock that seemed to hold her together - a good guy, smart, focused, not an overbearing step-father, not intimidated by Patty's aura.

This season, we're getting a much more in depth look at his character - as was the case in this week's episode.

And I'm beginning to have my suspicions.

He's having an affair whenever he flies off to London (where he seems to spend quite a bit of time - both this season and last). If it's not London, he's in some other jet set city somewhere else in the world (perhaps with an array of women, though that is pure speculation on my part).

And now this whole buy stock in UNR/buddy-buddy with the bad guy consultant to Kendrick/is going to be put on a government commission to tow the UNR line ...?

Hmmmm.

And all of this is occurring RIGHT under Patty's nose.

Now, they do say love is blind. And although she doesn't have too many people that can pull one over on her, perhaps given Phil appears as her most trusted confidant, he may be primed to do just that. If anything, all this playing on - or near - the exact team Patty is set to take down is one huge conflict of interest, yet he does it anyway.

Hmmmm.

But then again, Patty is never one to take on small challenges (heck, she's planning on going after the FBI over Pete's murder).

Wonder if that means with her marriage, too.

I am still wanting to cut to the end with Gun Wielding Ellen V. Terrified Chair Bound Patty.

Stay tuned.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

The Wonderful World of 'Damages'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Let's just start at the end, shall we?

It's Patty Hewes sitting prisoner in the chair, with Ellen perched to blow her brains out.

OMFG.

Somewhere in the back of my trying-to-figure-it-ahead-of-time mind, I thought this might - MIGHT - be the case. And even though I was actually leaning more towards Frobie, I nonetheless gave Patty an equal shot (no pun intended) at being sequestered by the vengeful Ellen. HOWEVER ... seeing it for the first time last night was a whole different ball of wax given we don't generally get Glenn Close completely terrified. Usually, she's the one doing the terrifying.

Argh!!! I now want to fast forward to the end JUST to see that confrontation.

And yet, this is the wonderful world of Damages: they leave you so tantalized with their slow-burn reveals that you can hardly stand to sit through the season. And even with their more deliberate pacing this year, they have still managed to brilliantly build a momentum toward what we know will be a can't-miss-it finale.

Each week just gets better.

But can I just say I was kind of bummed (though not all that surprised) Frobie decided to turn back to his dark side. Yes, I know ... wishful thinking on my part to think that he'd ... uh, remain all yogi and at peace with himself. Still, he was starting to be kinda charming in that way.

Oh well.

I really now want creepy detective dude to just.go.away.

Ugh.

When he went to visit Frobie's spiritual advisor, and he took the bunny to pet ... sheesh, I thought he was going to break its neck or something.

And now we know Wes is officially on HIS payroll.

Double ugh.

I guess the only comfort I can take from this is Ellen seems to be have a lot of power and control in the "ending" flashforwards, so maybe she will get the better of him?!?!

Fiancé doc David made an appearance this week - albeit as a figment of Ellen's imagination. It was so goodly and cute to see him again. Why oh why did Noah Bean have to be offed in the first season?!?!?!?

Oh, that's right - because it made for a compelling storyline.

Fine, okay.

And now we have the secret red folder "ELLEN PARSONS" in Pete's mystery file cabinet, which serves as the motivating factor to have Ellen opposite Patty in that "showdown."

Do we get to see what's in that folder now?

Of course not.

It's too early in the season for that.

But we won't be seeing Pete anymore - except perhaps in flashbacks. Can you believe one of his own guys offed him? Wow.

The closing gotcha phone call sequence whereby Patty learns of Pete's death completely reminded me of Silence of the Lambs. Remember when the FBI agents are ringing the doorbell of the house that you, the viewer, SWEAR is Buffalo Bill's? It cuts to him being downstairs in the basement, trying to get dressed to come up and answer the door, only to then have it be revealed the FBI was at the WRONG house, and the Jodster (yes, my short hand for the awesome Jodie Foster - who was Special Agent One of Kind Clarice Starling) was actually at the RIGHT house.

Genius.

But then again, this is the wonderful world of Damages, isn't it?

Next floor, please.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Podcast With Glenn Close and Rose Byrne

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's a known fact we can't get enough of Damages here at PTR.

And thanks to our friends over at Hot Cherry in the UK (where they are just beginning the second season), they've given us a look at their recent podcast interview with Glenn Close and Rose Byrne discussing all-things second season.

How cool is that?

Very.

Glenn tells us what’s next for Patty in the light of the Arthur Frobisher case (which we partly now already know) and explains how the events in the first season changed her character in the second.

Rose Byrne explains how Ellen is coping with the death of fiancé doc David, how she prepared for the role and what lessons her character has learned.

The podcast is available for iTunes users here.

For non-iTunes users, the podcast is available here.

For US viewers, Damages airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. For UK viewers, Damages airs Sundays at 10:20 p.m. on BBC One. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Flips a Good One

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Last week, I was all about Patty Hewes v. Arthur Frobisher - the rematch.

This week, not so much.

Or, perhaps I should say that for some strange reason, I'm kinda feeling Frobie's whole spiritual counseling/meditation/wanna-set-things right vibe, which obviously puts him in a significantly different light than last season.

And yet, I still don't buy it (though giving creepy, thug-for-hire detective dude the blow off WAS cool - go Frobie!) If Daniel Purcell waited over a decade to get his revenge, I'm having a hard time thinking Frobie is just going to play nice with the woman who destroyed him.

Make that crushed. Annihilated. Humiliated. Squashed. Scorched off the face of the earth.

BUT ... if he does - if he ends up being even more of a confidant that ol' Uncle Pete - bonus! ('cause we really can't get enough of Ted Danson, can we?)

Speaking of Uncle Pete ... wow.

He'd rather take his own life than flip on Patty, eh?

In my new way of watching this show (and given that Patty and Co. are always 18,000 steps ahead of everyone else), I thought for sure Pete had some sort of rehearsed protocol should he ever get busted for all of his "side" jobs. I don't know if the attempted suicide WAS said protocol, but if he is afraid to turn against Patty, I swear this woman has more power than God.

Or, as Ellen so poignantly says in the preview for NEXT week's ep, "I had one thing on her, and she tried to kill me. Can you imagine what Pete knows?"

'nuff said.

And speaking of Ellen ... when she walked into the meeting with Frobie and Patty, I thought they were going to cut to her revenge dream sequence where she blows him away with a shotgun.

But she prevails. Irritated, confused, but prevails.

And there is perhaps no one better than Patty at doing the whole X-Files keep your friends close/enemies closer thing, which does eventually give them a lead on the murder Ellen's fiancé doc David.

Score another one for Patty.

Even if it made Ellen's skin crawl.

Wouldn't be the first time.

Or the last.

And can I just say I'm a little worried about Wes going after Katie Connor and/or what is up with him being in cahoots with thug-for-hire? Or the coked out energy trader?

So much to watch, so little time.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site. You can also download full episodes of the show over at iTunes.

'Damages' Rematch ... Sort Of

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Patty v. Frobie.

The rematch.

Front row seats now available.

Can I just say I nearly fell out of my chair watching Damages last night when it was revealed Arthur Frobisher (yes, that would be Frobie - the man Patty buried into oblivion in the first season) was going to be the Plantiff in the mother-of-all class action suits she intends to level against Walter Kendrick and UNR?!?!?!

God, I love this show.

Seriously ... how good is this twist?

Or the fact that Patty seems to be conveniently withholding that little bit of information from out-to-get-Frobie-at-all-costs Ellen?!?!?

Did I say I love this show?

Speaking of dearly beloved Ellen ... my heart ached for her this week. We've been seeing the more vengeful, sinister side to her character in the first episodes. But, we were treated to that softer, more emotional side when she returned back to her and now deceasedfiancé Doc David's boxed up apartment - the memory of finding him murdered in the bath tub still haunting her every move.

And motivation.

How about the present that he ordered BEFORE his death that was taken in by the neighbor and finally given to Ellen last night?

Poor Ellen.

Under that insanely calm interior, there is such pain.

And quiet rage.

A dangerous combo.

It was also nice to see Katie Connor back in the mix - even if it only ended up rubbing salt in Ellen's wound. Not a surprise the guy following her all of last season ends up being ANOTHER evil NYPD cop on the Frobie payroll and/or in cahoots with creepy detective dude from the first season who killed David.

We also got our first extended look at Marcia Gay Harden's Claire Maddox character. All I can say is ... tramp? pimped out hot stuff attorney on the UNR payroll? sleeps with everyone?

I did not see that one coming. It was one thing to know she's having the affair with Daniel Purcell, but this sleeps around thing is curious. And MGH is just so quietly powerful. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's as if every action is this methodical, deliberate, poised motion on her part. We have yet to see her flustered.

Or what's really beneath the surface.

Hmmm, that sounds like the other high powered attorney on the show ... someone named Patty Hewes, I think.

And yet MGH and Glenn Close are completely different in their portrayals of these two very strong women.

This show has the best cast on television at the moment.

Comic relief: Patty, Tom, Claire and Walter negotiating their settlement of Walter's defamation suit against Patty after she rips him a new one all over the airwaves.

"I defer to my attorney."

I laughed through BOTH those scenes.

Book your seats now, folks. It's getting awfully good.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' is all the Rage

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Last week, payback was a b*tch.

This week, getting made is all the rage.

And Damages threw out so many morsels suggesting we haven't really-truly-deeply seen anything yet that I'm not even sure where to begin.

Ding.

That would be (as I said over and over again during the first season) our arrival at the next floor in this masterful elevator ride of suspense.

But let me start with a "Yay!" for Tate Donovan on directing last night's ep. When we talked to Tate towards the end of the first season, he had mentioned in passing that should the show be picked up for a second season, he was going to be able to direct an ep (or two). Given the fact this ep referenced a couple of the humdingers from the first season, Tate was the man for the job.

Namely, Ellen's "attacker" SURVIVED.

Second, Uncle Pete despises Ellen much more than I think I ever suspected. True, his whole job in life is to protect Patty from friends, enemies, frenemies and everything in between. But, he got serious about planting the seed in Patty's mind that she should be paying much closer attention to Ellen.

And it took Patty all of five seconds to agree.

The whole keep your friends close and your enemies closer thing.

Now, how Ellen remains so calm and cool under pressure is a marvel, and I appreciate Rose Byrne's consistency in the portrayal. Character consistency is a HUGE issue with me. When shows botch it (Cold Case), I get irritated. When shows master it (The Closer), I applaud it. Thus, Ellen's progression from wide-eyed-Bambi to the only one who can seemingly be a true nemesis to Patty has been wonderfully layered. And, the seed of rage that has been planted in her to take down Patty rivals Patty's own inner-rage at ... well, whatever is her rage flavor of the month. It's wonderfully ironic how similar the two of them actually are at this point in the series.

And now that we have it confirmed Wes is NOT Ellen's friend, and creepy evil detective killer guy from season one is back in the picture, I'm wondering if this is something Uncle Pete is coordinating.

I know, I know. STOP trying to figure it out.

Now, I didn't think it was possible to hate another CEO more than I despised Arthur Frobisher, but Walter Kendrick is getting under my skin. I'm wondering if we could just send Cameron over to terminate him? She's not busy right now, is she?

And what is up with Patty's husband's two-timing? I was beginning to think Michael Nouri was only going to show up for dinner in the kitchen and to help Patty's son Michael with his college applications. Clearly, that's not going to be the case.

And Daniel Purcell is on the UNR payroll (duh, okay we knew that). And his WIFE was ready to pull a Norma Rae and go after big energy herself.

But Darrell Hammond as the killer?

I'm still waiting on the Bill Clinton impression.

KID-ding.

Next floor, please.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

Payback is a ... on 'Damages'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Payback is a b*tch.

Patty Hewes know this.

She's normally giving it, not receiving it.

But not this week.

Welcome once again to Damages, folks - the show that keeps you deliciously guessing at every turn while consistently giving you that OMFG moment.

The latest turn of events had me speaking OUT LOUD to the television screen (and the cat - who, naturally, could care less), "How do these guys do it?"

Daniel Purcell.

On the stand.

Totally fraking up Patty's attempt at filing a motion against UNR (read: evil energy company killing everyone with their polluted water in West Virginia) to start a class-action lawsuit AFTER he told her a) he'd run the test on the water that was snuck out of town by his on-the-down-low reporter, compliments of the Ellen and Tom Traveling Road Show; and, b) go on the record UNR doctored his original toxicity reports.

Psych.

Not.

Doh!

Did Patty's seething, silent rage just come blazing through the screen at the moment Purcell screwed her? There is nothing like Glenn Close and THAT look. You know the old saying: If looks could kill, we'd all have been dead a long time ago (at about the time Fatal Attraction came out).

Seriously, how rare is it to one up Patty Hewes?

I thought Ellen was the only one capable of this, but Daniel is fast becoming one slippery mo'fo'. Yet, the way William Hurt is playing Purcell ... I swear, I'm duped. He is just so good. Kind of sweet, then conniving, then silent raging, then pitiable.

Oh, and did we mention Purcell flipped on Patty AFTER she agreed to let her son Michael know Purcell is his father?

So much for kissing and making up.

Or playing nice.

Yet, his screwing over of Patty's case wasn't the only OMFG moment.

It was followed shortly thereafter (er, kinda simultaneously) by the reveal that he was IN on the murder of his wife. Perhaps not as much of a shocker, but I didn't expect that confirm to come so quickly. (Side note: how weird was it to see Saturday Night Live's Darrell Hammond as UNR thugbeat coordinating the whole murder-for-hire thing? I half expected him to break into his Bill Clinton impersonation.)

We still don't know (and won't know for a LONG time) who Ellen is killing in the flash forward sequence.

I'm now starting to think it might be Purcell.

Then again, I know better than to try and figure out the brilliantly tangled web that is Damages.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' Changes Its Pace (for the better)

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's hard to think that Damages could improve upon its humdinger of a first season.

After all, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

But tinkering can be OK.

We recall the first season was one giant jigsaw puzzle, with both past and present needing to be decoded and put back into place by the viewer in order to to figure out who was what, where, when and why. Die hards like yours truly loved this and couldn't get enough. But if you were a casual viewer and missed an episode (or two), you were in a world of hurt trying to catch up.

This season, the Damages folks have made the show much easier for all of us to follow WITHOUT sacrificing the intricacy of its ingenious storytelling.

How?

By placing more emphasis on the present day whilst having the flashbacks be shorter snapshots that tie directly into the middle of the present day scene. Soooo, the "past" flashback plays more like a supplement - you don't actually need it, but it's really super helpful that it's there.

Case in point: this week's reveal that Patty had a son with Daniel Purcell, who also happened to have been a key witness in her first gi-normous case when she stepped out on her own.

Whaaaat????

Yes, that's right: Patty and Daniel = Michael.

And yet, had this been the first season, the reveal might have been more cryptic, involve more guess-work and head-scratching. I'm not sure the flashback sequences would've been placed so nicely in the middle of Ellen's confrontation of Patty (where she fesses up as to why she's just a little obsessed defending Purcell; after all, criminal law is not her thing).

Suffice it to say the slight modification in the way the show reveals its story is giving this season a very cohesive feel whilst maintaining the show's penchant for dealing us surprises and left curves.

And Daniel Purcell is just one surprise after another: he's the father of Patty's child; former key witness of Patty's first major case; out to possibly nail the energy company for whom he supposedly worked on contract running toxicity tests; might have murdered his wife (yes, no, maybe so, I don't know); having an affair with head counsel of aforementioned energy company ... did we forget anything?

And we thought we only needed to watch out for Ellen this season.

Love.This.Show.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' Lays the Groundwork

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Apologies, again, on being late with this post. I would never intentionally slight my beloved Damages unless I had a really good reason ... like surgery recovery. Ugh. Vicodin, anyone?

PTR's editor-in-chief, TVFan, is right: it does no good to try and guess what is going to happen on Damages.

Too many rabbits get pulled out of the hat so that even when you start to think you might have two cents of half a millimeter of a clue as to what might possibly come next, you're thrown a left curve.

A loop.

Usually a big one.

Case in point this week: Daniel Purcell is NOT going to be Patty's cause célèbre sans strings attached.

And I like this.

I didn't want this character to become ... how should I say ... that clichéd "guy from Patty's past" type of character who, inevitably, has some sort of secret thing for her and/or some sort of secret to hold over her head to get who knows what out of her. Thus far, the genius scribes have thankfully not gone down that path (as if they even COULD - there is nothing clichéd about this show).

That said, Purcell looks as though he's going to play both ends to the middle - whatever that middle may be. And it's just.so.cryptic. I find myself wanting to like the guy even if I sense he's got more up his sleeve than Richard Nixon. Not to mention the guy has some gall to think he can actually NOT tell Patty Hewes the truth.

But the BIG kicker: he's having an affair with Marcia Gay Harden's Claire Maddox - the legal eagle of the energy company that wants to mess with Purcell's toxicity findings so as to make it seem as if they really aren't the big, bad evil energy company making all of their employees sick.

And did we notice how that last little tidbit was left until the last shot of the episode?

Got to love this show.

Speaking of MGH, could she be any more perfect to play the new legal nemesis of Patty Hewes?

Just. Plain. Genius.

I'm counting the minutes until we have our first Patty v. Claire showdown (which MGH has called the "battle of the Manolos" - that would Manolo Blahniks shoes for those just tuning in and NOT necessarily obsessed with Sex and the City).

On the Ellen front this week ... let's just say Frobie has a big bullseye on his back for which Ellen is aiming. However, being in cahoots with the FBI to take down Patty goes somewhat array seeing as Patty decides to start meddling handling Purcell's case, and thus, drops the infant mortality FBI set-up case in Tom's lap. But even with the Feds re-focusing on Tom, they can't quite get him to take the bait, be on the take and break the law by paying the "pretend" Plantiff up front. Thus, it's back to square one for the FBI.

Bummer for Ellen.

But hey, there's still her new grief group buddy Wes (played nicely by the always good Timothy Olyphant), who seems to have an arsenal of weapons secretly stashed in an armoire whilst simultaneously having some sort of Frobie voodoo shrine.

Soooo, is he Ellen's soul mate on the let's-kill-Frobie tip? Or a plant to get close to Ellen for some other sinister reason?

As if I could guess.

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' Delivers Again

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

This is television, folks.

At its best.

Having been thoroughly disappointed with this season's offerings on Dexter, lost interest in Cold Case, been on again/off again with Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles and still on the fence about the rest of this season's Saving Grace (which returns in the Spring), I was wondering if I was getting my hopes up too high with the return of Damages.

Like, did the success or failure of my entire television viewing season hang in the balance on this one show?!

We recall it just WOWED with its first season - so much so that neither I nor PTR's Editor-in-Chief TVFan could stop talking about it. And, I do vaguely recall saying I was going to have to take a contract out on the heads at FX had they NOT renewed it for a second season.

Problem is, when you like a show THIS much, your expectations can get the better of you. And, should the show not deliver, well ... let's just not go there.

Thankfully, Patty and Co. did not let me down.

As if she could.

So, how good was the second season premiere?

Let's just say it didn't feel as if it had been over a year since the last time we checked in; they brilliantly recapped key points of the first season for everyone WITHOUT running the flashback-this-is-what-we-did routine into the ground; and, they set the table once again for an even more complex web of manipulation, betrayal and Lord knows what, with Ellen set to take down Patty once and for all if she can get past her own revenge issues.

And that was all laid out for us in just ONE hour, folks.

Seriously.

Vengeful Ellen working for the Feds is just a brilliant storyline. She is SO different from the wide-eyed, fresh-out-of-law-school Bambi that was presented to us last year. Hardened by Patty's betrayal (uh, you know ... the whole tried to kill her thing), grieving over the murder of fiancé doc David that has her simultaneously wanting to disembowel Frobie (can we blame her?), and having this veil of icy calm whilst seething on the inside as she agrees to play nice with Patty only to eventually be able to destroy her in the end ... GENIUS.

LOVE. IT.

Rose Byrne has got the simmering with rage thing down pat. Her therapy sessions with her revenge dreams on Frobie are telling, eh? And the flash forward has her killing "someone" point blank. I'm taking bets right now on whether it's going to end up being Patty or Frobie.

Speaking of Frobie (that's Arthur Frobisher to those just tuning in), you just can't keep a corrupt corporate executive down. I will confess there is something satisfying in seeing him reduced to an invalid state as he recovers from being left for dead by one of his former workers. I'm definitely glad to have Ted Danson back in the fold given he was just SO good at being the man everyone loves to hate.

Patty is still Patty. She seems a little more mellow, but haunted by her sins of the first season. She's preoccupied trying to set up a charity foundation, which really serves as an outlet to try and clear her conscience. How good is that? Glenn Close is still fabulous. This role is hers and hers alone. I swear, it's like an honor to get to watch her week in, week out.

And I just loved - loved, loved, loved - the introduction of William Hurt's character, Daniel Purcell. Even if the storyline did seem a little tobacco industry-esque given he supposedly has smoking gun data to bring down an entire "industry," he's mysterious in a sympathetic way. There is a history between he and Patty that is alluded to just enough to make you want to know more. And that, my friends, is great writing.

Don't give the story away all at once; give us enough to want to come back for more.

Which is exactly what Damages does best.

(And to think we haven't even SEEN Marcia Gay Harden, yet!)

New episodes of Damages air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on FX. To catch up on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' Returns for Season 2

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

It's here.

Finally.

And it's the best part about emerging from my holiday hangover this week.

Damages returns for its second season this Wednesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

Yahoooooooooooo!

If you recall, it's been about three lifetimes or so since we last left the trials and tribulations (and backstabbing and manipulation and murder attempts) of Patty, Ellen, Tom, Frobie and the rest of the gang. Thankfully, all good things must come to an end - which in this case, is the year-long hiatus between seasons that allowed this show to avoid last year's dreaded writer's strike.

All I can say is if the previews hold up, watch out for Ellen. And did we mention that William Hurt AND Marcia Gay Harden have joined the cast this season?

Welcome back, Damages.

Be sure to tune into the second season premiere Wednesday at 10 p.m. on FX. If you missed any of the first season, or just want a refresher on the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of the show, head on over to the official Damages Web site.

'Damages' Returns in January

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Mark the date: January 7th.

Mark the time: 10 p.m.

Mark the Network: FX.

And let the second round of Patty v. Ellen begin.

Or should we say Ellen v. Patty?

I finally saw the first promo for the new season of Damages this week, and can I just say: Can't. Wait. It seems like FOR-EV-ER since season one came to a humdinger of a close, and from the looks of the latest FX promo touting the return of our dynamic out to get one another lawyering duo ... hold on to your hats, folks.

And watch out for Ellen.

2008 Emmy Noms: 'Damages' Makes History

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Last year, we swore off the Emmys.

This year, we might have to reconsider.

The best of television is now on cable - basic cable, that is - and the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Nominations concur.

PTR Fave Damages made history this morning as one of the first basic cable programs to garner a nomination for best drama series. Additionally, our faves of Glenn Close (Damages), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) and Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) all earned nods in the best actress category.

True, there are still snubs. PTR Fave Annabeth Gish of Brotherhood still has not been recognized for her brilliant performance as Eileen Caffee nor has Kathryn Morris of Cold Case. Then again, this is the Emmys, so we can't completely avoid the snubbage.

But can I honestly say I'm sorry Desperate Housewives isn't included for the 9 zillionth time, or that HBO isn't dominating every single category? No. Better still, am I sorry that the best actress category doesn't actually just look like the cast of DH, or is stacked with every actor on HBO? Again, no. And, much as I wish Kathryn Morris would get her due, do I think the procedurals are churning out their best work these days? No ... except, perhaps, for Law Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay, who is once again nominated this year.

Give credit to Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) for having the chutzpah to speak up and actually take herself out of contention this year because she didn't feel the material she was given to work with was anywhere near a nomination-worthy performance.

With this year's noms, consider the networks put on notice that their overkill on lame-arse reality series and beat-until-dead procedural formulas are not nearly as interesting as they once were.

Says Close: "I think [cable's] changed the landscape of television ... [and while] I don't believe in comparison among artists, given the amazing number of talented people in this profession, to be included with a distinguished group of people is a huge honor."

Amen Glenn.

Cable is where it's at.

And finally, this year is a set of Emmy nominations I can get behind.

The Emmy Awards ceremony will be held Sept. 21 and broadcast on ABC. Other Emmy honors, including those for technical achievement and guest actors and actresses in series, will be given at the creative arts ceremony on Sept. 13.


Nominees (bold indicates a PTR Fave):

Outstanding Drama Series:
Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
James Spader, Boston Legal
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Ted Danson, Damages
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
John Slattery, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Steve Carell, The Office
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Kevin Dillion, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Rainn Wilson, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Tiny Fey, 30 Rock
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jean Smart, Samantha Who?
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Holland Taylor, Two And A Half Men
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty


Sources: AP; Emmys.tv

Marcia Gay Harden Heading to 'Damages'

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

The awesome cast additions just keep coming.

Academy Award® winner Marcia Gay Harden has signed on to Damages to portray a high-powered attorney who will oppose Glenn Close's Patty Hewes on a case, FX President John Landgraf announced at the TCA press tour Tuesday.

Harden was nominated for an Emmy last year for a guest turn on Law & Order: SVU, and she won an Academy Award® in 2000 for Pollock.

Like we said: awesome.

Source: Zap2It

'Damages' in a World of Hurt

By LillyKat
PTR Senior Staff Writer

Who said reunions were a bad thing?

William Hurt, who co-starred with Glenn Close in The Big Chill, is set to star alongside her once again when he joins the cast of FX's Damages for the upcoming second season. Hurt will feature as a new client of Patty Hewes in which he also shares a previous professional - and personal (ooh! juicy!) - relationship.

Damages is scheduled to resume production on June 24 and return to the airwaves at the beginning of 2009.

File under: another awesome cast addition to a PTR Fave.

Source: Hollywood Reporter