Dominic West chides the Beeb for not being up to the standards of 'high end drama' ala the Wire.

l [link]

I guess it's not just Jimmy giving a fuck when it's not his turn, but DW as well.

Damages finale? Nothing?

I liked it. Didn't care for the rewind bit in the first few seconds - it took me completely out of the story. Yeah I know I'm watching a tv show, but why emphasize that by rewinding during the show?

I thought Frobisher was going to buy it when he's chatting away on his cell phone with ex-wife, saying everything is going to be okay (like a leaf on the wind), but I'm glad he didn't.

I liked how they brought the story around, leaving it open for Tom and Ellen to be back at work with Patty next season.

I'm not entirely sure how they left it open for Patty and Ellen to work together again--why would either of them want to?

The only reason I get that they have is because of meta rationale.

I think it might be more interesting for them to be working against each other.

agreed. The only thing Ellen doesn't have closure on is who killed her fiance and why.

But, I'm not sure that's worth tuning into season 3 for.

I liked the finale. I liked that they completely surprised me with each reveal. With cell phone dad dead, I'm not sure how much more story they can tell wrt the fiance murder. I guess Ellen will probably eventually find out that the sheriff deceived her, but I don't find that very interesting. I think sumi is onto something -- I think that next season, Ellen & Patty will be on opposite sides of a case.

Tim Goodman trashed the finale. I enjoyed it, mostly because Glenn Close is just so damned good. Yet, it was no where near as good as S1.

The problem with pitting Ellen against Patty is that Ellen is not Patty's equal on the legal playing field. Ellen is a year or two out of law school, and though the show has portrayed her as smart, it hasn't made her into some kind of legal wunderkind. UNR's attorney was more of a legal nemesis for Patty than Ellen could be.

Okay, after I typed that I realized it might be fun for Ellen to work under someone like UNR attorney against Patty. Then at the end of S3/beginning of S4 Ellen could go back to Patty's firm and finish what she started from the inside - ending Patty for good. Though for most of this season, I was rooting for Patty and not for Ellen.

I think Marcia Gay Harden was really underused, after a promising start. I hope she's back in S3.