Damages: Season 1
User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 125 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 109 out of 125
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 125
  3. Negative: 8 out of 125

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  1. BrandonS.
    Aug 11, 2007
    4
    I dropped this show when they revealed at the end of the pilot that Glenn Close's character was responsible for killing a dog. With absolutely no likeable characters, I saw no point in continuing. Overall, it was just another "trust no one" affair. Bla bla bla.
  2. CraigG..
    Aug 21, 2007
    3
    This show is draggggging on so sloooowwwwlllly that I am ready to kill one of the characters just so I'll know who did it. This a five night mini-series that should be OVER by now.
  3. [Anonymous]
    Sep 6, 2007
    2
    Worthless. I am very picky about the shows I watch, and after the first two I thought I'd continue watching this one. However, about the first 4 or 5 shows, I realized that they were dragging it out far too long. Every other scene seemed pointless and annoying. Close's character kept switching between evil and so stupidly quirky that you began to think she was schizophrenic. The "present-tense" drama that they kept teasing you with never got any clearer. It was a carrot on a stick that never got any closer, and in order to fill the empty space you got to see Danson's character standing next to his pool for the umpteenth time. Drivel.… Expand
  4. AlC.
    Oct 4, 2007
    4
    I would score this show lower than the 4 I gave it, but then I'd have to ask myself, "Why do I keep watching it?". It is way too slow. The story could play out in 3-5 episodes if it did not have so much repetition of plot elements. And Close, who is an excellent actor, is stuck with a role that is so far over the top that it is almost cartoonish. Hopefully, I will see it to the end and then say, "Well, it wasn't too bad", but at this point I don't see that happening.… Expand
  5. MichaelH
    Oct 21, 2007
    4
    The Glenn Close character is not believable and neither is the plot. It's like the writers decided to "play" with your sympathies by injecting "good" and "eviL' aspects to her in a kind of random way to keep you on edge. They are not in control of their material ...they don't understand enough about psychology. The time-shifting is not handled well. You can't really believe the motivation behind trying to get the Ted Danson character either. I just don't understand the critical accolades. I just have turned it on to try to figure out what I'm missing and I never find it.… Expand
  6. OliJ.
    Apr 8, 2008
    3
    Overblown.
  7. BarbaraM.
    Jun 12, 2008
    3
    Except for Ted Danson having the time of his life, and Glenn Close chewing up the scenery, all the other actors are clumsy, hammy and poorly cast, and in way over their heads.
  8. MisterTelevision
    Sep 21, 2008
    2
    As Aeschylus would have said, "this blows." Bad writing, terrible casting, occasionally competent acting, really really really bad Southern accents. How this many good people can make something this bad is a mystery.
  9. Mykl
    Mar 20, 2011
    1
    Except for a couple of the tertiary characters, most of the performances are contrived. Many of the plot elements seem pointlessly oblique. I grew tired of being teased after 2 episodes when nothing seemed to be moving forward.

    Glenn Close's character seems bi-polar and not particularly believable. Ted Danson was ok. Many of the other main characters are just too cute.

    The graphic viole    nce and drug use don't do anything to drive the story forward and in my opinion are a cop-out for the writers. I get that Patty (the main character) is slimy-- you don't have to murder a dog to make me believe that.… Expand
  10. babaracas38
    Jun 28, 2011
    4
    Wow this show is overrated by dorks who don't get HBO or SHO. This is horribly derivative of The Devil's Advocate (entire scenes, small ones, but entire scenes are ripped off) and The Firm (the book more than the TomThetan abortion). It's still engrossing, but telegraphs deceit, etc way too far in advance. There have been dozens of movies and even a few tv shows that did the "playing from ahead" conceit much better. Also, Glen Close's character is so far out there, it becomes less "love to hate" and more "how the ... is this remotely realistic?" Another crappy wanna be premium channel show from FX. Great job fox!… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Nancy Franklin
    70
    The plot is difficult to follow - shot sequences, at least in the first two episodes, often pair sex and death (an FX trademark, practically; it’s the network that looks our animal selves in the eye), whether or not their pairing helps the story--but you’re strung along deftly enough so that you do want to know how it’s all going to play out.
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  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    80
    Who's a villain and who's a hero here? Can you tell the pawns from the players? All excellent questions as we become absorbed in FX's latest thrill ride.
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  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Nancy DeWolf Smith
    80
    Despite its fantastic nature, the story is an onion with a thousand layers, each one a satisfying mystery of its own.
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