"Damages" and why you must watch it.

[prozacpark]

I have been meaning to plug "Damages" for over a year now, but my state of mind while actually watching is mostly squeeful love, which is hard to express in words.  But I'm going to be converting people this week, and we'll be watching it online together, so I figured now is the time to gush over its perfection and what makes it so unique and

Comments

[prozacpark]

I'm excited about the rewatch because I haven't rewatched any of it, and i suspect that I would like season one better on rewatch. The first time, I sort of got caught up in how much I hate that narrative device (I have weird, irrational reactions to fiction ;).

And...I had oddly enough not thought about what this show would be like if it had men (it'd be BORING to me, for one thing), but you're very right about the fandom and how much it would love it then. This makes me even more bitter because I might have spent last season shipping Patty/Ellen insanely, and the slashers, of course, would be all over it if it were men. Gah.

Also, I almost think that fandoms are often built around genre shows, and drama shows without genre elements tend to not inspire much fanfic/fanworks/meta, etc because people are not investing in them at that same level. I wonder if that holds true for drama fiction with men?

And yay for a video! Also, I owe you SO much video feedback, and need to get to it.

[prozacpark]

My bias against the in media res narrative device is entirely irrational. I think it's the overuse of it as a short-cut attempt to grab people's attention before you have EARNED it? It makes me feel manipulated and eye-rolly. I did, however, totally love Patty from pretty much her first scene and stuck with the show for her despite my weird biases. Ellen took a bit longer to grow on me (I appreciated her in a sort of...indifferent way at first), but I have been surprised by how much they have made me love her (especially considering how much of my energy is going towards fangirling Patty

[blighted_star]

I knew you'd love this show. It has kickass females, so how could you not?

I'm sad FX canceled it cause now I can't watch the show. I miss Patty.

[prozacpark]

I'm tragically predictable when it comes to my love for kickass women. Especially when they're morally ambiguous and the show doesn't hate/judge/punish them for it. <3

You're caught up to season three? The 101 Network is supposed to air the fourth season, and I admit that I had not been aware of its existence before then. And if nothing else, there will be DVDs so don't give up on Patty! ;)

[blighted_star]

Yea, I watched S1-3. I need to find out if I have the 101 Network. I never heard of it but it'll be better than finding a streaming site or waiting for the dvds.

Do you watch The Good Wife? The show drives me insane, but I'd be interested in your opinion.

[prozacpark]

I don't watch the "The Good Wife" but have sort of committed myself to at least trying it out (in the comment below, even!).

I would be curious to know what your issues with the show are, though? It helps if I'm prepared, and as long as they're not specific, you can spoil me in general terms of characterization/plot fail.

[spankulert]

I second this recommendation very much. Their relationship is such a focal point of the show, and they're both such rich and intriguing characters, it's a pure joy to watch.

I'd try nudging you towards The Good Wife a little. It's another show that allows its female characters to matter, have relationships and be complex. Plus you'll get Alicia and Kalinda hanging out, which is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

[prozacpark]

Even aside from the gender-awesome bits, I really enjoy having a show where the central relationship is this complex, layered, and unpredictable. It makes me ship (not necessarily in a romantic way, even) the way I mostly fail to ship the happy canon romances or the predictable canon platonic relationships, and I'm constantly just amazed that this show exists and that a f/f relationship is so canonically significant and so nuanced. <3

And this is where I shamefully admit that I have been shunning "The Good Wife" based on its title alone despite my fondness for Julianna Margulies. It started airing around the same time when I was metaing about how being good wives was important to women's moral arcs, but not to men's, so the title just seemed like it personified all of that fail.

But you've made it sound like something that's going to appeal to me, and I shall definitely make a point of checking it out very soon. More tv with women to watch!

Also, how have I not added you yet? You have IRIS icons! <3

[spankulert]

It's always hard to come across unpredictable writing, but that's usually what you'll get when characters are written like people, with all the layers and contradictions that brings.

The title was a bit off-putting for me as well(I'd say the shunning lasted for about three months *g*), but I am extremely glad I gave it a shot. The first few eps are a bit more focused on the case of the week formula, but pretty soon the sub-plots begin rolling, plus the producers saw just how well people responded to the characters and the personal stories, so the focus of the show shifted. And I can assure you that there is little fail to be had. The women are all intelligent, capable, complex. The older woman at the firm is even given focus, she's got a great personality, and even though she's an old lady she gets to have a romantic sub-plot. So much love for this show, it has rocketed into my top five ♥

An Iris lover and someone who scouts new people through their userpics. Ahoi, kindred spirit!

[prozacpark]

Yeah, most of the fail in fiction tends to enter when the writers start using characters to serve their plots instead of having the story enhance the characters.

I'm glad that you told me that it ends up arcy eventually because the episodic formula might have turned me off. And now I'm looking forward to all these awesome women.

Iris is secretly the power behind the whole thing, and I really wanted a season of Sofie training at her feet.

[havocthecat]

It's on my list! I just have yet to get to it, because there's so much on the list.

[prozacpark]

I'm happy to know that it's on your list! Femslashers, especially, need to discover this show. :)