DAMAGES - Brace Yourself for an Explosive 4th Season

"THIS IS THE BEST DRAMA SERIES ON TELEVISION." - People Magazine

Are you excited yet? Because you certainly should be. Damages will premiere its fourth season on July 13th on Directv's Audience channel. It's been a long time coming, since it's been over 16 months since season 3 premiered last January on its previous channel, and man, have things changed since then! (But I am getting ahead of myself!)

"YOU SHOULD BE SCARED. YOU SHOULD BE TERRIFIED."

First, I would like to point out the elephant in the room. This show has a very small and dedicated fanbase due to its twisty and mind-bending nature. Directv calls this show "television's greatest kept secret" and I am inclined to agree, because while I tend to rant and rave about this show after a weekly dose of Patty Hewes & Assoc., people tend to give me the "wtf are you talking about?" face. So, for all the people who have yet to watch Damages, please pay close attention! This post is not only for those who are primed and ready for the certain-to-be explosive fourth season, but it is also a gateway to your prospective new-found television obsession.

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For those of you who have never seen Damages, or for those of you who have forgotten all the twists and turns and murders and backstabbings and truly awful things these people do to each other over the years, there's a few ways to catch up. But there is a truly quick and (moderately) easy way to catch up on everything in less than 3 minutes. That's right... 3 seasons' or 39 episodes' worth of drama is simply, and swiftly recapped in this video just for you. But, much like watching an episode of Damages, you have to pay major attention or you'll miss...well, everything. (And likewise you'll have to play it again and again...at least I had to)



So, I found that pretty informative...all seven words I could make out at least. If that didn't tickle your fancy, there are a few other ways to catch up! First and foremost, if you are a Directv subscriber, you can go to this link and watch Damages (in high definition!) whenever you feel like it! Have your very own online marathon!
Alternatively, you can piece together the cases and the events of the first 3 seasons through the Damages official page on the Directv website, and then visit the Damages Directv youtube channel to watch exciting trailers for each season, a "Damages in 60 Seconds" recap, videos on important characters, and some good ol' behind the scenes footage that give us a look into the minds of the greats that have brought us Damages!

"THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO TRY A CASE. WHATEVER WAY ALLOWS YOU TO WIN IT."

Now that we've caught ourselves up with seasons 1-3...here we are folks, at season 4! After the consequences of the Tobin case took their (sometimes fatal) toll on each of the characters, we were left with an episode that felt frighteningly final (it could've served as a series finale, and almost did serve as the series finale when it was cancelled, before Directv picked it back up!) and so it only makes sense that the story in season 4 starts 3 years after the Tobin case.
So, where does that leave us? Season 4 brings us the outstanding cast with new additions: Chris Messina as Chris Sanchez, Dylan Baker as Jerry Boorman, and the sure-to-be brilliant John Goodman as Howard T. Erickson. I'll break it down character by character (via character profiles from the Damages page) to set up the current situation.

FOLLOW @pattyhewes AND @ellenparsons ON TWITTER!

PATTY HEWES Glenn Close
3 years ago, Patty was fresh from winning the Tobin case when she was hit by a car. It was not an accident. Out of all the enemies she had made through the years, it turned out to be her own son, Michael, who attempted to kill her after she put his pregnant girlfriend in jail for statutory rape charges. She survived, but has not seen Michael since. However, she does have Catherine, her granddaughter, and is managing both being a parent to Catherine and her career, as another huge case erupts onto the scene regarding a heinous crime overseas that will spark a multi-front legal battle with a C.E.O. of an American private security firm.

ELLEN PARSONS Rose Byrne
After her work at the District Attorney's office came to an abrupt end (as she was found leaking evidence to none other than Patty Hewes) she goes to work for Nye, Everett, & Polk: the very same law firm she turned down in lieu of an opportunity at Hewes & Assoc. in the first episode of the series. She is currently working to build her career, under her former mentor Hollis Nye, and still seeks advice from Patty Hewes on occasion. She comes head-to-head with the defendant Howard T. Erickson in court, and must rely on her cunning and everything she's learned thus far in her traumatic career to take this man down, as it will either make her career, or end it.

CHRIS SANCHEZ Chris Messina
An old friend of Ellen's who is a decorated soldier and a current employee of High Star Security corporation. He is disturbed by recent events that he has gone through in his last tour of Afghanistan, so when he bumps into Ellen one day, years after seeing her, they fall into each other's lives. Meanwhile her case against his employer's company "pulls him into a web of intrigue..."

HOWARD T. ERICKSON John Goodman
A dedicated patriot, founder and C.E.O. of High Star Security Corporation, he is brought to court for a heinous crime committed in the Middle East. His character is described as a textbook bully, which automatically puts him in the crosshairs of Patty Hewes. He has connections that delve deep into the web of the Washington, D.C. network, as well, and makes for a "formidable opponent."

JERRY BOORMAN Dylan Baker
"Jerry Boorman is a shadowy opportunist, with ties to both Erickson and the Middle East. He is intimately involved in the season-long conspiracy at the heart of the lawsuit against High Star Security Corporation. "

"I HATE THESE PEOPLE."

So, to put it all together: Patty comes to Ellen with a case. A case shrouded in mystery, that ends up leading all the way back to Langley, VA (The Central Intelligence Agency) and a private security firm, or most notably, the C.E.O. of that firm. Ellen will reunite with an old friend in a way that will shake things up for her case and her personal life as well. Patty must deal with her job and the burden of a new grandchild (and we all know how much she loves children...). I'm certain this will make for an outstanding season.

The format of the show has fundamentally changed since it has moved to its new channel, because it will no longer be marred by commercial interruption. The episodes are around 10 minutes longer than usual because of this. You can expect more graphic situations, both violent, and otherwise (more nudity) because of their new channel as well. So expect more F-bombs and less clothing (at least here and there...I'm sure it won't be something they exploit more than they'd need to for the storyline). One final change is that it will be 10 episodes long, instead of 13. This means there is no room (not like there ever was in the first place) for filler, so expect mind-breaking television every week with this next season! I am personally excited for this premiere and I hope you all take the chance to partake in it as well!

-Wilson Crawford

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