Damages

I certainly have been getting my money's worth from our NetFlix account in the past week.

Most of the time, our (my) taste in television shows runs toward reality shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor and American Idol as well as the occasional sitcom.  It has to be a good sitcom, like Last Man Standing or Whitney.  There really aren't too many sitcoms that are enjoyed at our house.  Most of them are too predicable, too dumb or too off-color.  Or a combination of all three.

Shows like Big Brother or Bachelor aren't watched, either.  And you certainly will not see anything like Jersey Shore, Mob Wives or those teenage mom / pregnancy shows on our TV.  If I can get away with it, some of the 'Real Housewives' shows are pretty entertaining.  I only like to watch them because I am in head-shaking awe of the behavior of some of the 'ladies'.

Most everything on The History Channel is acceptable, mostly because I try to find something that suits both Randy and me.  We enjoy Top Chef, however, the one thing that I just don't get is Padma's "Hands up, utensils down" comment at the end of each challenge.  Shouldn't it be "Utensils down, hands up"?

The big compromise for both of us is between Chelsea Handler and Joan Rivers.  Randy is entertained by Chelsea Lately and I enjoy Fashion Police.  I have lost big on this situation 'cause Chelsea Lately is on four times a week, while Fashion Police is only on once a week.

Very seldom do we watch police, medical or lawyer shows, unless it is a quirky one like Bones or Boston Legal.  House was good for a while - at least up until this season.  It just turned into the same old story week after week.  House being so mean all the time got real old and so I just quit recording it.

Since I am always on the lookout for something new and interesting to watch I often peruse NetFlix.  Last Friday I happened across the drama 'Damages' on NetFlix's instant watch queue.  Damages started in 2007 and Glen Close stars in the lead role as the powerful, ruthless and mostly unethical lawyer, Patty Hewes.  Glen Close is such a good actress.  I still can see the bunny boiling scene from Fatal Attraction in my head.  Or Alex coming out of the bathtub before she gets shot by the wife.

Each season of Damages centers around a particular lawsuit that Patty Hewes' law firm is working on.  The show flashes forward to a major event about six months into the future.  With each show, more and more snippets of that event is shown as well as the current happenings that lead up to the moment.  The plot moves forward as it gradually reveals more about that event.  At the end of the season it all is connected together.

There are so many twists, turns and surprises that I almost considered making a flow chart so that I would be able to keep up.

Damages is like a good book that I can't put down.  To say that I haven't done a thing since I started to watch last Friday would be a bit of an exaggeration.  I make myself somewhat presentable for the day, get the bed made and the dishes done, but that's about it.  I am in the middle of season three now, which is the last season that is available.  Yesterday afternoon, when I was watching the last show of season two, I really didn't want it to end, so I kept stopping it, getting up to do something and then coming back to watch for a bit.  I was sad when it was over.

However, if the people who are in charge would ever happen to ask my opinion, there are two suggestions that I would offer up:

1) Give Glen Close a better hair style.  Certainly a more flattering hair style could be found for her.  One that would look nicer but would keep the general idea of the hardness and assertiveness of her character.

B) Rose Byrne (she plays Ellen, a main character in the show) needs to eat a sandwich and a big slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  The girl is way too skinny.

Have the BEST day ever!
~ Dorothy