The show Damages is essentially required viewing. The central relationship in Damages seasons DVD revolves around Patty and her once naive but not anymore protege and each of their attempts to outflank and out-manipulate one another.

In the season 1, Patty used Ellen to get closer to a key witness and in season 2, Ellen tried to play Patty after she tried to have her killed. There are many remarkable performances in these two seasons.

As Damages Season 4 DVD starts, three years have passed since Ellen told Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) that she was going to work for the firm she originally turned down to work at Hewes & Associates. She's gained a lot of confidence to go with her ambition and then comes across the case of a lifetime: A wrongful death suit against a very powerful contractor.

Some of the pieces of Damages didn’t quite fit. Why was Joe able to appear at the stabbed Tom’s apartment with such perfect timing (after Tom had left a phone message for his family to clear out, and just as Tom himself arrived)? This qualm was overridden by the murder scene that followed.

The casting crew assembled their best set of supporting characters since the first season for this one.  Leading the way was Dylan Baker as the slimy, rogue CIA agent Boorman.  He was hamming it up the entire time, but Baker can just play that style so perfectly.

I don't really like Ellen as witness against Patty, leads into the final season. Everything will come full circle, as Ellen can recap all the things Patty has done to her since the beginning of the Damages final season. What's your opinion?