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Does Tuesday Bring FX’s Last DAMAGES Ever??
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
There were rumors floating around a few weeks ago that FX was giving serious thought to renewing its excellent high-continuity Rose Byrne/Glenn Close lawyer series “Damages” for a second season (despite anemic ratings), but I don’t recall ever seeing an official announcement.
I usually like to go back and pull negative comments out of series-premiere talkbacks when a quality series goes on hiatus, but there really wasn’t much negativity for “Damages.” Pretty much everybody who saw the pilot liked or loved it.
The season finale is titled “Because I know Patty.” FX appears to have released no details on its plotline!
Read a late-in-the-season appraisal of the series by TV Guide’s Matt Roush here.
Tuesday. 10 p.m. FX.
Justice League Unlimited Season One is 67% Off ($14.99) at the “Superheroes On Sale” page. 
$13.99 Spider-Man: The Complete 2003 Series. (Thanks to the release of “Spider-Man 3” next week.)
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If the season ends in a fashion that opens the door for a second season, great. If it wrap its up convincingly, I'll be happy that I went along for the ride.
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Let's hope for the best, but won't hold my breath!
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I am looking forward to it. I've heard good things. There are just so many shows to keep up with.
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Kinda sagged in the middle but the last 3 or 4 episodes have been excellent. It's the best show on TV right now and I'll be disappointed if it doesn't get renewed.
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Who do you think you are? I had no idea that aintitcool censored talkbacks. I'm stunned that I've been following a right-wing site for all these years. You only pull out negative comments of "quality series"? And who's defining "quality"? You? That's RIDICULOUS.
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ONLY because I have such a high opinion of the writing. Otherwise, when a show this involved in a season-long story is ending, I'm usually skeptical that the writers can come up with something just as good next season. But I think these writers can. But at least half the cast should be new as the characters seem pretty pulled apart from each other already. But I'm really hoping for this one to continue, fingers crossed.
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All Herc means is that he posts people who hate on the show when he posts about the end of the show. See the Mad Men talkback for more details. It's a swipe at the people who ate on a show that might not return.
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I'm not sure there's enough of an first-run audience for well-made serials that require a full-season commitment. Most of the people who are watching Damages do so on DVR, but that's no good to the advertisers. If it doesn't come back, at least it had a good, but short run, like Thief did.
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It's been a very good run and I've enjoyed the mis-directions that showing flash-forwards has allowed. Next season I want a cross-over where Hughes & Associates goes up against Hoffman & Asscociates. :)
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I am stuck working some really messed up hours. I need to get a VCR or TiVo so I can keep on these shows. I really enjoyed "Damages" so far and I hate that I've missed so many episodes.
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If you haven't watched, stay clear of spoilers and get the DVD.
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Kinda underused here, but I get the sense that he'll be a major player in Season 2. And he's guest starring on Life Wednesday night. And he's in the Assassination of Jesse James. And was fantastic in John from Cincinnati and his two roles in Deadwood. OK, end of rave.
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I have really enjoyed it since day one. It's true about the DVR though. I usually wait to watch the show with Mom on the weekend when I go visit her. She got all of her friends to tune in as well, but alas, it seems no one is watching. But if it ended here, I'd be OK because the show provided one hell of a story that was very well acted. Maybe execs should start considering doing shows for just one season.
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I guess some of the "special" readers didn't understand WildVulture's post. When Herc said that they pull negative comments out, he didn't mean that they delete/censor them. He meant that they pull them out to use as quotes in a new talkback; usually they say something like, "Here's what talkbackers were saying when the show was released."
btw, this has got to be one of the most vacuous, content-free news postings ever. I thought all the TV Guide reprint ones were bad. This one basically says:
"Hey people, usually we hear something by now, but we haven't heard anything. We wanted to cut-and-paste some stuff from TV guide so that we can at least make the site look marginally active, but we can't even do that. I guess we'll just talk about how we have nothing to talk about. Perhaps next week we'll have lots more non-information about fascinating non-topics. Dis-disinformation, if you will." -
If Danson doens't get an emmy for this one there's no justice in the world of ours. Tha being said, if they wrap it up nicely I don't see a need for a second season. I always thought this was a one-off anyway.
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but not because I didn't like it, because I kept forgetting to DVR it. Anyone know when a marathon's going to run? Also, Rose Byrne is un-fucking-believable looking and I want to marry her.
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Think they had a marathon this past Saturday.
Always had to DVR this at like 2:40am and then watch when I could. That's fine for Smallville, but for a show like this is tough. Hopefully folks will gobble up the DVD which = season2 -
Great show, I finally got caught up on the last 4 eps I missed on the Saturday marathon (Thanks FX!). Plays even better back-to-back like that. Should be a fantastic finish!
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i stopped watching after the 2nd episode.
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Speaking of taking bullets, they've been showing a preview clip all season of Frobisher wearing gloves and putting a silencer on a gun. I don't recall a scene so far in which he actually did that. So, I'm wondering how that's going to fit into the final episode. Any ideas on who he'd be willing to personally go after?
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Thank god this show is ending. Now we can get on to Nip/Tuck! and trying to understand why FX is not in HD? And why the day programer sucks for this channel.
Also PVIII does anyone else put Rose Byrne in the unfucking believable hot catagory? If so you must have low standards, I have a jealous girlfirned who usually gets mad whenever there a unfucking believbly hot chick on screen. But she didn't say anything about Rose Byrne when we saw Sunshine. She tries to say I just want to see hot chicks, but I put Rose Byrne more in the good acting catagory. -
for the average FX viewer to appreciate. Just wait, Nip/Tuck is back next week.
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Oct 23, 2007 12:02:00 PM CDT
If "Judge Judy" is the extent of your legal education . . .
by gruntybear
. . . then, by all means, "Damages" is a friggin' masterpiece. But if you have any actual understanding of how the law works or any experience with a courtroom setting, you know just how painfully B-A-D "Damages" truly is.
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FX is in HD, but like most of HD TV channels, it is coming slowly from one section of the US to another VIA cable, and I think Direct TV will have it by the time Nip/Tick has it's Season Finale.
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This show is awesome. The writing is spectacular. I don't know what next season would hold for Hewes & Associates, but whether it's the Frobisher case or a new one, I'm totally there. Glenn Close deserves the Emmy. And Jesus would have had nothing to do with it. LOL
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It's a legal drama and as such is well acted, intelligent and engaging. I don't know if it's a masterpiece but it's bloody good television regardless of how accurate a depiction of the legal profession it conveys.
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Oct 23, 2007 1:11:12 PM CDT
I liked the first 2 or 3 hours then it started spinning its whee
by barry egan
I thought subsequent episodes contained little or no information to drive the story forward. I stopped watching. Close was great but that's a given.
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very well made show but two things stand out. One is Glenn Close who is absolutely phenomenal and the second is the meticulously planned out story structure with more great reveals and twists than you would think is possible. The way they've woven together past and present and how it's all spiraling into this final crescendo is just great TV. It's a fantastic writing feat. Some of the 'negatives' though is that Glenn Close is so good that she can out class some of the other (good) actors and that unevenness can be offsetting. Plus, it's a show where you really need to watch from the beginning otherwise it's not going to 'work'. Good directing, editing too.
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Damages is great tv , period. Rose Byrne , yummy.
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Um...thats all I've got.
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ah, I moved and it messed everything up. Missed two episodes, and the show was so episodic that I assumed missing two would make me feel like a dumbass when I tried to catch up.
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It wasn't an awful show, but I found it to be extremely overrated(even the pilot). I stopped watching it, even though I'm still curious about who did what, because I hated every character in the show(except for the old man attorney who initially tried to hire the young lawyer) and felt sleazy for watching them. At least in shows like The Sopranos or The Shield, even the bad guys have some charisma or likability.
I still find it funny that the people behind FOX and FX, extreme right wingers, have been pushing the envelope with explicit and "offensive" material since both channels went on the air. FX especially seems to want to feature the most extreme nudity, language and subject matter this side of HBO. While I have no problem with any of those things on TV or in movies, FX shows often distract me in their juvenile attempts to get as "naughty" as they can for a commercial cable channel. Where's your family values? It seems like Lisa Simpson was right in her theory about FOX, FCC fines, and funding the Republican agenda. -
Hear me now. I sucked since episode 2.
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I am looking forward to this. It has been a great show. It isn't often that you see such strong willed women like Patty Hewes on TV. Close deserves serious emmy consideration. Danson as well.
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Oh, please. You're full of shit. I suppose the next thing you'll try to tell me is that the CSIs in Miami don't really dress like that and don't have all that cool-ass equipment and talk like David Caruso. (dramatic pause whilest I put on my sunglasses and look into the camera)
Right?
Seriously, though, nobody thinks there's anything remotely realistic about this show. It's just well-acted, twisty, soapy, dramatic thing with enough over-the-top villainy and double-crosses to ignore the completely inane shit. -
basically, any time he feels he's right and we're wrong.
As for this show, Damages IS pretty great. I don't really look forward to it, but I'm engrossed by every minute I watch... I don't really know how they'd work into a second season smoothly though.
Lovin the rookie lawyer's character arc as well... oh, same with ted danson's lawyer's thing. -
but jettison rose byrne. she is an absolutely horrible actress. i don't know if it's just that she shares too many scenes with really good actors, but she's unbelievably wooden. and yes, she's pretty, but exudes no sexuality whatsoever. again, though, maybe it's the cinched-up nature of her character on the show.
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Did tie up most of the loose ends. Now FX bring this back, please!!
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Great finale, completely in tone with the rest of the series, but should it return for a second season, especially if it was a longer season, they would do well to introduce at least one truly sympathetic/likeable character. But for what it was, this was a pretty damn enjoyable run, the only mild groaner being the psycho-stalker chick from the hospital. And gee, how nice it is when you can tell something was truly plotted out in advance. Were you '24' writers watching any of this?
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I wasn't sold until tonight.
Good to go for a second season. -
Reminds me of a 13-hour version of "The Firm." And no, it's NOT a legal drama, it's a conspiracy movie chopped into thirteen pieces! Phenomenal stuff. Even if it doesn't come back, thanks FX for trying
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I thought he was trying to say he goes back and quotes the negative comments, not removes them.
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is a good, competent actress but that was a pretty tough and complicated role. Among other things her role required, she basically had to go from naive, honest and trusting to showing every negative characteristic under the sun like being defiant, betrayed, confrontational, demanding, resigned etc while still retaining some inner core of the "good" girl the show started with. I don't think her performance was Oscar worthy but I think it was just fine and I don't think there are many other actresses of her age that could've done it better. And Close played those same negative characteristics so perfectly (albeit a character that's supposed to be more seasoned and accustomed to that behavior) that it makes her job that much harder. And in my opinion, Glenn Close is so good that the flaws in the performances of some of the other actors become evident when they might not otherwise. Oddly enough though, I think Ted Danson might've had the toughest role. He had to be enough of a scumbag to warrant the full focus of Patty Hewes' wrath yet at times had to seem almost like a sympathetic man who was abused by Hewes far more than was warranted. But, man, what a great, fun, well executed show from start to finish. Superb storytelling. Big kudos to the writers, directors and editor. I wish a lot of other shows were made this well.
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haha...great ending, great wrap up for Frobisher, getting fucked in 12 different ways, great twist at the end and set up for Season 2. Anyone who bailed half-way through or never showed up missed one of the best seasons of tv in a long time.
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Did anyone think that part of Patty pain at the beach house wasn't just over the daughter that she lost 35 years ago, but also the fact that she would be losing Ellen if the hit she ordered went as planned.
One other thing that I noticed was Ellen wearing a white coat at the funeral, whilst everyone else was wearing black. Nice touch.
Mario Van Peebles directed two of the episodes, one early on and last weeks and positioned himself nicely in the case to bring down the Patty Hewes character.
The fall of Patty Hewes would make for a great season 2. I hope it happens now. -
**SPOILERS**I got so tangled up in the timeline-shifting and the joy over Frobisher's fate, that two big questions came up afterward:1) Exactly when did the Frobisher shooting take place in the timeline? Because he's the reason Ellen gives for returning to work.2)What did Patty gain by having Ellen killed -- didn't she need her?
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...that if it comes back for Season 2 we haven't seen the whole story yet about what happened in Patty's apartment that night? The editing is always deliberately vague, and knowing the show's penchant for twists (and also Glenn Close's probable reluctance to turn this character into a murderer) I suspect that Patty sent her person there to PROTECT Ellen, but Ellen freaked out and killed him.
There was never any indication that the mystery man was there to kill her. (what was his weapon??) All we see is her grabbing a knife, a struggle, a fall, he dies. I think that once Ellen gets hip deep in the FBI investigation she'll realize she was wrong and need to find a way to save Patty... -
1) I think Frobisher happened approximately in the same time period as the final Ellen/Patty scene. As of that scene, no one knows he's been shot (and, out there all by himself, if he's dead, it might be a while.)
2) SUPPOSEDLY it's to protect herself from exactly what the FBI is after her for...shady practices...bribery...extortion. But, see above for my doubts. -
I hope this comes back. The last few episode twists were so good. The best show about a law firm ever. Fuck LA LAW.
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1.) What I found weird about the man in Patty's apartment was that if you watch Ellen when the man shows up, she rushes right past him on the stairs. He doesn't try to cut her off or stop her. Maybe he was there to protect her. But the look on Pete's face I think told otherwise. They could have easily told Ellen they were bringing a bodyguard over for her.
2.) I agree about the Frobisher shooting scene. It's never mentioned, and since Patty was out for him so bad, they would have had her react to hearing about it. PLUS, maybe he isn't dead for a reason. ;)
3.) I think Patty knew Ellen was a bit weak and might tell David about what happened. So if she tried to have Ellen killed, that's why. Patty knew David would have told the proper authorities about the incident if he knew. Ellen couldn't keep secrets from David.
4.) What was the big deal they made about Patty's son being home. Did anyone else find that odd? There was no reason for it to be mentioned. Or was there? -
cliche, cliche, perdictable twist.
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Executor: Thanks! I like your idea for S2Darth: Yeah i wondered about the son too. Also, in retrospect, what WAS the deal with the stalker chick? I always suspected she was hired to f*** with David, but then that kind of went nowhere.Still, amazing finale, one of the top 5 (or 3) seasons of 2007.
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The finale sealed the deal for me -- now I really want it to come back. I had a little doubt about how they'd pull off the ending, but the season (hopefully) finale was a satisfying conclusion, and opened up some intriguing new possibilities. The manner in which they wrapped up the case only reinforced that this isn't a legal drama, just like The Shield isn't first and foremost about solving crimes.
With The Shield entering its conclusion, and Rescue Me having seemingly lost its way and by no means assured to come back, FX needs this show to uphold its reputation, if not the ratings. Nip/Tuck, which devolved into an exercise in excess and cheap thrills, The Riches, and Dirt aren't going to cut it in that department.
Even if it doesn't come back, that was a good way to spend 13 hours, with some damned fine performances and sharp writing. You knew Close would be good, but Danson was a pleasant surprise, playing the sympathetic villain convincingly. The actor who played Ray Fiske was also good. Even Jimmy Cooper...um, Tate Donovan was pretty good. Hell, Gregory Molina was in Fastlane!
The best compliment I could give to the writing is that even though you know the curveballs are coming, most of them still managed to be effective and whiff the batter. I loved the little twists, like the real occupation of the hitman, and the comeuppances doled out in the end. And I know Hollis Nye didn't have it in him to be evil, nor Katie to be totally unforgiving. We'll see if Lost can manage time hops as well when it goes into flash forwards this season.
And for those debating Rose Byrnes' looks, ask yourself what somebody "hot" like Jessica Alba or Biel in that role would have done to this show's credibility, much less being able to carry off such a role.The spoiler questions -- 1)Frobisher's shooting obviously occurred after the settlement party, but probably hasn't been discovered yet. 2)Ellen knows too much about Patty and what she's done and how she operates. Reinforcing this is the heart-to-heart they had on the couch about regrets. It also reinforces the morally ambiguous nature of Patty. I did find it odd that the final conversation took place at the pier at the beach house. Such a conversation would logically take place in the city rather than all the way out there, but that wouldn't have been as pretty.
To wrap up, even if I never hear Wicked Game again in my life, it will be too soon. -
Had a lot of twists in the last two eps. So many in fact that I started feeling like a pretzel.
Still, the writing and acting was above average. Glenn Close and Ted Danson should get Emmy nods (but they won't).
I'll gladly set my TiVo for season two if there is one.
Questions still remaining:
1) What is with stalker chick?
2) Is there a link between Patty's infant girl death and Frobisher's company?
3) Patty's son is still hiding something.
4) Will Ellen and her dead fiancee's sister have sympathy sex?
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1. Stalker chick was mostly a red herring, for several weeks we were being led to believe that she killed David. They could bring her back next season having her blame Ellen for the death.
2. I think the significance of Patty's infant girl is that she is starting to think of ellen as the daughter she never got to know.
3. Patty's son probably saw everything in the apartment and will be important next season.
4. If only, if only. -
Was very entertaining. When i heard they might have a Season 2, i wondered How? What else could they cover? But after seeing that finale, i realized there was a WHOLE lot they could get into. So patty really did try to have Ellen killed? I was hoping we would find out what it was Patty and Ellen did that would make them "regret what they did." Things im confused about, Patty's son? What was his purpose. I feel he must've had something to do with the break-in. He surely knows something. Overall, great show. Always shocking.
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everything that arby54 said. And they may not have had all the time they needed/wanted to tell all the stories they wanted but needed to keep those elements in in order to maintain support of the main story lines. Plus 1. Since this is a show that shows us the past, present and future and we sort of know What and When things are going to happen, the Red Herring is a particularly important story telling device. We need to be kept guessing or thinking we know the Who and How. 2+3. The relationship with children can be so intimate and special that they can used to show who they are in their 'real' lives, outside of their external work persona. They showed Frobisher with is (ex-ish)wife and kids to show his human side which was effective in keeping us off balance regarding our opinion of him and his motives and thus whether or not he deserves to be reduced to nothing. Lawyers often use 'the family' technique to gain the sympathy of the jury. Interestingly though, they've kept Patty's 'true' nature purposely vague. There was just enough there with her son and the institution etc to give the character additional depth but not enough for us to fully understand her personal side. Was it real love that made the son come back or was it manipulation and a need to control her son, or both. This vagueness allowed the writers to do a lot more with her character. If they showed her as a fully loving and caring mother, there'd be some things she did that might cause us to think that what she did was out of character. But if they showed her as a 100% strict, ice queen B*tch, questions like when Frobisher asks "Why do you hate me so much?" or her motives 'using' Ellen or Tom or her relationship with Fisk etc would be too easily answered. And if I remember correctly, the daughter died right around the time Patty might've been starting her career... 4. That would be one way to get the ratings they're looking for.
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5) Is Frobisher dead or no?
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I'd rather a good show have one good season than attempt to prolong its success unsuccessfully.
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won't watch it next season.
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vertiasses sums up the ying and yang of Patty nicely, in the same way that Vic Mackey is a devoted family man, protective of children, and not completely contemptible. He may cross the line to achieve his goals, but ultimately, his goals are noble.To add to the black/white theme from the funereal, note that Frobisher was wearing white when he was shot, and the retiree was wearing black.
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Yes I am sure you predicted everything moron...predict my dick in your mouth.
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That was pretty ball exploding. Ellen Parsons, motherfucker!
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She's a bit of a chameleon, in each role she seems to actually look different than before, more than just makeup or wardrobe can account for. Like Peter Sellers or Gary Oldman she can really inhabit a role. A couple of times I didn't recognize her at first. Anyone else or is it just me?
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Because she didn't trust Ellen once Ellen admitted she regretted what they did to Ray, Frobisher's attorney. Blackmailing him, basically forcing him to either throw the case or risk complete ruin, and indirectly causing his suicide. Patty would be ruined if that ever came out.
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it's pretty simple, really, if we're to believe that patty did indeed want ellen killed. ellen showed remorse, which someone like patty would view as a fatal flaw in a would-be lawyer. she had ellen killed to prevent her from ever cooperating with fbi, police, etc. unfortunately for her, ellen lived, remembered she had a conscience and now patty is presumably fucked. looking forward to next season, though i hope they don't castrate patty like "the shield" has with vic mackey. i love that show, but they've really gone overboard in making him an acceptable character the last few seasons. and to think he killed a fellow cop in the pilot episode.
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Oct 25, 2007 1:10:57 AM CDT
Awesome finale but I think people are overthinking some things
by jacksparasites
I think everyone's so used to looking for a secret meaning to everything from watching so much Lost. The stalker chick seems to have only been a well executed red herring. It also served to show that David really was a decent guy. Early on, I think he came off as such a pretty boy that you almost expected him to be a cheater and unlikeable. But all things considered, w/ the stalker storyline, we got to see that he was a decent guy who stayed faithful to Ellen. As for Patty's son, he seems to be mainly a device to exploring another side of Patty. Without him, Patty might seem like a pure stereotype. I don't think either of those characters are involved in deeper mysteries yet to be solved. And when you think about it, Katy was really kind of a red herring too. She didn't even remember seeing the guy who's presence was the smoking gun of the case. Gregory Molina was the real smoking gun.
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He smoked Ray Fisk's gun all right! Thanks folks, I'm also available for weddings. Oh, and this show was great.
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Atari brought it up....was Frobisher responsible somehow for the infants death? Or did he rape Patty 35 years ago, knock her up, and not realize who she was later? Remember when Patty showed the tape to Arthur as she walked out he says "Why do you hate me so much?" She had no response except for the look she gave him. He's connected somehow to her losing the kid no doubt. Bring this back...and by the way Ted ain't dead if they bring this back.
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tvguide.com has a good wrap up interview with the producers that answers a lot of the questions, and puts to rest some of the speculation.
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