FX’s Damages picked up for two more seasons

After some speculation that the first season of Damages may also be its last, FX picked it up for two more additional seasons meaning that we’ll see 26 more episodes of the twisty thriller starring Glenn Close, Tate Donovan and Rose Byrne.

This was one of my “can’t miss” shows of late summer/early fall. The premise for those who didn’t watch (and there were quite a lot, hence the speculation of cancellation) was young lawyer Ellen (Byrne), who was under the tutelage of lawyer shark Patty Hewes (Close), being implicated in the death of her fiance. We learned in flashbacks and flash forwards how Ellen’s involvement in a lawsuit involving Arthur Frobisher (played wonderfully by Ted Danson) may have resulted in her being targeted for death.

The show started off strong, had a so-so middle, but then revved up for four final episodes that set up what could prove to be a riveting second season. I won’t spoil anything but if it comes out on DVD, you’d be a fool not to watch it, particularly Byrne’s transformation of Ellen from a naive attorney into a cold, calculating character. It’ll be fun to watch the machinations between her and Patty next year.