Glenn Close has been a commanding force in Hollywood for decades, captivating audiences with her powerful, complex performances. From Fatal Attraction to Dangerous Liaisons, she has made a career out of playing unforgettable, often morally ambiguous characters. Yet, it was her role as Patty Hewes in Damages, an FX legal thriller that aired from 2007 to 2012, that truly redefined her career and elevated her to the top of television’s elite antihero list.

While her recent return to TV in All’s Fair may have rekindled some of that magic, it’s hard to overlook just how much more explosive Close’s portrayal of Patty Hewes remains, standing as one of the best TV performances of the 21st century. While All’s Fair has failed to capture the same critical acclaim, Damages remains a defining moment in Close’s career — a showcase of her unmatched ability to bring fierce, morally complex characters to life.

What Is Damages About?

Damages was a groundbreaking legal thriller that offered a stark departure from the typical courtroom dramas of the time. At the heart of the series is Patty Hewes, portrayed by Close, a ruthless New York attorney who will stop at nothing to win her cases — and destroy anyone who gets in her way. The show introduces us to Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne), a young, idealistic law graduate who becomes entangled in Patty’s high-stakes world of power and corruption.

What made Damages unique wasn’t just its focus on legal battles but its ability to unravel complex human relationships. The series used a format that opened each season with a shocking flash-forward, revealing a crime or catastrophe that would unfold by season’s end. This format allowed Damages to build intricate, layered narratives with deep character studies, all while exploring the intersection of personal and professional life in a high-powered legal world.

Key Characters and Their Roles in Damages

Character	Actor	Role in the Story
Patty Hewes	Glenn Close	A ruthless, powerful lawyer driven by personal loss and ambition.
Ellen Parsons	Rose Byrne	A brilliant, ambitious law graduate drawn into Patty’s morally complicated world.
Ted Danson	Arthur Frobisher	A wealthy businessman who becomes the target of Patty’s legal strategies.
Martin Short	Leonard Winstone	A morally questionable lawyer caught in a web of deceit and manipulation.
Željko Ivanek	Ray Fiske	A charismatic lawyer whose loyalty and ethics are tested by Patty’s manipulations.

Glenn Close Helps Redefine the Antihero in Damages

When Damages first premiered, the landscape of TV antiheroes was already evolving. Shows like The Sopranos and The Shield were redefining the boundaries of television characters, showing that audiences were hungry for morally complex figures who could push the boundaries of right and wrong. But while male antiheroes were making waves, Patty Hewes marked a distinct shift — a fully realized female antihero, who was neither defined by her gender nor her emotional vulnerabilities but by her unrelenting ambition.

In an interview, Close reflected on the creation of Patty Hewes:

“When I first talked to Todd Kessler about playing Patty, I saw a woman who wasn’t simply a ‘woman in power,’ but someone who had developed an entire worldview shaped by her trauma. She’s as flawed and dangerous as any male character on television, but her vulnerability makes her even more intriguing.”

Close’s performance was groundbreaking, blending cold calculation with a vulnerability rooted in deep-seated loss. Her portrayal of Patty isn’t simply a villainous lawyer; it’s a study in survival, power, and emotional devastation. By playing Patty as a woman who doesn’t care for rules or boundaries, Close expanded the notion of what a television antihero could be.

Why Damages Was Ahead of Its Time?

While other legal dramas relied on case-of-the-week formats, Damages chose to commit to a single, multi-layered storyline per season. The flash-forward structure kept viewers on edge, constantly reevaluating their perceptions of the characters and events.

The series also focused more on the personal lives of its characters, something that other legal shows, such as Law & Order or Boston Legal, rarely ventured into. Damages allowed its characters to explore their moral compass outside of the courtroom, making the stakes of each case feel deeply personal. Patty’s relentless pursuit of power often led her to manipulate those closest to her, including Ellen, who became both her protégé and her psychological pawn. This dynamic between mentor and mentee blurred the lines between trust and betrayal, turning each relationship into a battlefield.

Critic Paul Simmons notes:

“What made Damages revolutionary was its ability to create a legal drama that wasn’t just about the law — it was about the people behind the law, their flaws, their motivations, and how their personal demons played out in the courtroom.”

Key Elements That Made Damages Revolutionary

Element	Impact
Serialized storytelling	Each season focused on a single case, allowing for deep character development.
Flash-forward structure	Engaged viewers with suspenseful teasers, creating a constant tension.
Female antihero	Patty Hewes broke the mold for women in power, offering a character that was complex, morally ambiguous, and compelling.
Personal stakes	Showcased how personal lives and professional work intersect in high-stakes environments.

Why Damages Is Still a Masterclass in Tension and Character-Driven Storytelling?

Damages doesn’t just rely on twists and turns to keep audiences engaged. It builds tension slowly, allowing viewers to get inside the minds of its characters, especially Patty. The manipulation, power struggles, and back-and-forth of her relationship with Ellen lead to one of TV’s most complex and rewarding character arcs.

Each season deepened Patty and Ellen’s relationship, showing how the balance of power can shift from mentor to mentee and back again. Patty’s motivations were never entirely clear-cut, making her a fascinating character to follow and an even more compelling one to watch in conflict.

In the end, Damages remains a standout example of how a television series can balance intricate plotting with nuanced performances, making Close’s portrayal of Patty one of TV’s greatest roles. If you missed it when it originally aired, now is the time to catch up and see why Damages holds a permanent place in television history.

Conclusion

As Glenn Close continues to take on new, complex roles in television, Damages remains a defining achievement in her career. Patty Hewes is a character who embodies everything Close does best: cold, calculating, vulnerable, and utterly captivating. The show redefined what a legal drama could be, paving the way for other serialized thrillers while offering an unforgettable portrayal of a female antihero.

For those looking to explore Close’s most iconic television role, Damages is essential viewing. It is, without a doubt, one of television’s greatest achievements.

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