The essential episodes of Damages
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Damages — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Hot-shot, high-stakes, New York City attorney Patty Hewes hires a new associate, the bright, ambitious, but somewhat naive Ellen Parsons, to help her as she tries to ruin billionaire Arthur Frobisher. Hewes represents a group of employees who are suing Frobisher in a class-action suit after he sold his company, leaving the employees financially devastated. Ellen is unaware that her best friend, Katie Connor, and the younger sister of her fiancé David, is working for Frobisher who is financing her new restaurant opening. Flashing forward eight weeks in the future: a man is found murdered, and Ellen, wandering the streets covered in blood, becomes the prime suspect.
- 02
And My Paralyzing Fear of Death
As a bomb threat puts Patty and her family on edge, Ellen's loyalty to the firm is tested when she must choose between delivering a brief to an important judge and attending her own engagement party.
- 03
As Tom faces a decision between a lucrative partnership at a big firm and taking over the Frobisher lawsuit, Ellen and David's long hours at work jeopardize their relationship.
- 04
With the case pushing Ellen and David's relationship to a breaking point, Gregory Malina comes under increasing pressure to testify.
- 05
As Patty tries to contain the damage caused by Gregory Malina's sudden disappearance and an insider who's leaking privileged information to Frobisher, Ellen's attentions are diverted by her own father's pending legal troubles.
- 06
As the Executive looks to force a settlement by providing Patty's team some critical information, Gregory Malina emerges from hiding to apologize to Katie and testify against Frobisher.
- 07
Patty Hewes and Frobisher prepare for his deposition but he beats her to the punch by holding a press conference and telling all about the car accident he had 25 years ago. Patty tells Tom that Ellen is only useful to them as long as Gregory Malina is alive. When she learns he is dead she tells Ellen she is off the Frobisher case. When Ellen ignores Patty's direct orders not to contact George Moore, she finds herself out of a job. In the flash forward, Tom is still unable to locate Patty and Ellen tells him the identity of the person who tried to have her killed.
- 08
Though she refuses Patty's offer to come back to work, Ellen does agree to return to press Moore for more information that could help nail Frobisher.
- 09
Ray Fiske's suicide prompts Frobisher to unleash everything he has in order to gain control of evidence that could undermine him in court.
- 10
As Ellen uses the Malina videotape to fight the charges that she killed her fiance, Patty engineers a confrontation with Frobisher that brings the lawsuit to a dramatic conclusion.
- 11
As she looks to finally have Patty jailed, Ellen's plan unravels amid a series of complex double crosses.
- 12
Louis Tobin's suicide is ruled a heart attack though no one really believes that to be the case. Danielle Marchetti is now out of her coma and the DA and Ellen offer her immunity from prosecution if she tells all that she knows about Tobin. Joe Tobin tells her in no uncertain terms what he expects of her. Patty suggests that she plead the 5th. Louis' daughter Carol doesn't take the news that her father committed suicide very well and pays Danielle a visit. Louis' relationship with Danielle is explained as is his reason for wanting to get her out of the country. Ellen meets her old friend Josh who is now a crime reporter. Meanwhile, Patty interviews a candidate, Alex Benjamin, for an associate position and suggests she should speak to Ellen first. In a flash forward 5 months into the future, more of Tom Shayes situation is revealed.
- 13
There's Only One Way to Try a Case
Three years have passed since Patty and Ellen last worked together. Ellen reconnects with her high school friend, Chris Sanchez, who has recently returned from a stint at High Star, a private contractor in the Middle East. Unable to get assistance from the corporation or the government, Ellen decides to look into his case. Both her new boss and Patty warn Ellen about building a case against High Star Security Corp.
- 14
McClaren's latest leak thrusts Ellen into the spotlight. Tensions between McClaren and Rutger Simon come to a head.
- 15
Patty and Ellen face off against each other in court, and the shocking results alter their lives forever.
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