Mrs Doubtfire reveals her evil side
First heard about this on the Newsnight cultural review of 2008 where they were saying it was the highlight of the year for American drama so I checked it on Amazon and for only £8 I put it in my partner's stocking for Xmas - bargain.

I was expecting it to be sub-HBO standard but it isn't. Instead it is a gripping thriller with a cast of monsterous, yet believable, characters. I've only watched the first 5 episodes so far but if it maintains the standard it will be a most excellent series. I've given it 4 stars in case it tails off like some series do.

The only downside is that my canny partner pointed out that Glenn Close looks eerily like Robin Williams in the fat suit from Mrs Doubtfire which only makes her more sinister.

Anticipating series 2 to be even better as the actors grow into their characters even more. Be afraid, be very afraid.

must see
i read through reviews and they are soo right i bought season 1 and watched disc 1/3 in the same day kept the viewer constantly guessing what had happened and why..............

I loved it
This is a great series, from first frame to final credits.

I admit that I was completely taken into the glossy, glamorous, ultimately shallow world of the US legal system as depicted here - and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

While I fully accept the comment that the show sometimes felt like an ongoing marketing campaign, on a perverse level, I actually felt that element added to its enjoyment. Moreover, neither the show nor the actors involved, ever appeared to take any of it too seriously.

As for the Rainbow comparisons, I actually thought Rose Byrne was pretty good as the clever but extremely naive, rather pompous young lawyer, who makes the mistake of believing in her abilities just a little too much. And Glen Close makes a hugely enjoyable 'villain'.

To any potential viewer, don't over-analyse, just sit back and enjoy!

I've given it 5 stars because it was so entertaining, and on watching the series a second time, I loved it even more. Good television is a rare commodity in this reality/celebrity TV obsessed age, and I salute any series steers away from this sorry state of affairs.


Could have been great
The series starts off great. It kicks off with the protagonist wandering the streets covered in blood, then flashes back to events 6 months earlier and gradually comes up to date to fill us in on the story - an intriguing framing premise that only starts to wear out its welcome by episode 4 or so. The characters are fascinating - especially the very human monsters brilliantly played by Glenn Close and Ted Danson. So what went wrong? As we near the end of the season, it's revealed that the most improbable characters are embroiled in an ever-widening conspiracy. Plot hoops and cliffhangers take over from the earlier subtle characterization. There's the sense that, like with Prison Break, the writers are starting to steer the story with a view to getting a second season. If it had been just the one season, this could have been a masterpiece. At the point you realize it's just going to go on and on till it runs out of steam, you may question whether you really want to commit your time to watching another 13 episodes that will just contrive ways to spin the story out. The writers should have taken a lesson from The Shield, where there is always forward momentum that carries you on insatiably to another season, but that forward momentum comes honestly from the characters' interactions - it's not a question of moving the characters to suit the plot and (worse) to provide "salesman" storytelling tricks such as shock reveals and portentous dialogue.

Damages Season 1
One of the best drama's i've seen for a while, I have currently been hooked on "THE WIRE" which is probably the best show ever made. Damages starts slowly and the character "Ellen" played by Rose Byrne seems an unlikely heroin. But as time passes she becomes all you want from a hero in a series. Glen Close definitly steels the show with a outstanding on screen display, you can't decide wheather you love or hate her.
I can't wait for Season 2 which is currently being filmed. Ted "cheers" Danson also plays a blinder as a Big Bussiness Fat Cat who although shows us how far he will go to cement his legacy he still has a concience.
If you watch it you will love it,If you choose not to watch it you will miss out on what Modern T.V shows can bring us. FANTASTIC VIEWING!!!!

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