"Damages" Recap - Episode 7: We Are Not Animals

There's a point in this week's episode when Mr. Deep Fried Southern Charm, Ray Fiske (Zeljko Ivanek) tells Old Grandpa, "We're not animals.  There are limits."  Well he's absolutely right because the animals I know would never be as devious and manipulative as the people on this show.

We open in the present day and Ellen is telling Hollis Nye---who I still don't trust---if there's no dead body in Patty's apartment, someone's covering up.  She then starts the story from the beginning.  She and David had a fight and she went to stay at Patty's apartment while Patty was away for the weekend.  We flashback and see her in bed when a man she says she's never seen before attacks her.  They struggle and fall to the ground and when Ellen gets up, the knife she'd grabbed to protect herself is sticking out of the dead guy on the floor.  Now take note, Ellen's never seen the guy before, but we don't know if we have, because we've yet to see his face.

In a panic Ellen takes off her bloody pants, throws on a trench coat and runs out of Patty's building into the street.  That's the scene from the pilot.  She's desperate to find David and when she does, he's dead in their bloody bathtub.  When someone starts banging on the door, Ellen climbs out the bathroom window.  In front of the building two cops pick her up.

Flash forward and she tells Nye, "You want to help me, find Patty Hewes."

Opening credits.

We open on an extreme closeup of someone dabbing foundation under Ray Fiske's eyes and at first I'm thinking Ray Fiske has even more secrets than I thought.  He's a cross dresser too?  Well no, it turns out a makeup guy is covering the black saucer circles under Fiske's eyes before his appearance with Patty on Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren show.  Too bad Zeljko Ivanek never played a dead body in "Six Feet Under."  He'd have been a natural.  In between dabs of foundation, Patty tells Fiske that if anything happens to One Night Stand Greg before she can get him on the record, she'll hold him personally responsible---the last two words, "pair-son-ally responsible," mimicking his deep fried southern accent.  Hee.

One Night Stand Greg is trying to look all incognito in a hoodie, scurrying along the street when a guy jumps out of a car and comes rushing toward him.  Greg does an about face, he and a woman collide, and she ends up on the ground.  When Greg helps her up, the woman says, "Gregory Malina?"  When he says yes, she hands him something and says, "You've been served.  Good luck."  The guy who was rushing down the street?  He's talking to a doorman, asking worriedly if he's in a good parking spot.  Nice fake out.

Later Greg's in his grimy, one room, hidey hole eating chips and watching "The Greg Behrendt Show."  Inside joke alert.  Greg Behrendt is the guy who co-wrote, "He's Just Not That Into You."  I'm sure this is a commentary on the Greg/Ray relationship, but who's the "he"?  Or maybe Greg's just really desperate for some good daytime television.  Try a soap Greg.

When someone tries his doorknob, Greg grabs a baseball bat and slowly opens the door.  It's Fiske.  The first thing Greg does after saying hello is complain that for someone who has more money than God, Frobisher is pretty cheap when it comes to hiding the guy who can put his multi-millionaire butt in jail.  Plus, there ain't no ESPN.  Fiske says he filed a motion to quash the subpoena and he asks Greg if he told anyone about the stock sale.  Greg swears he didn't.  When Fiske is leaving, Greg says, "That's it? You're leaving?"

Fiske says with a hint of sadness, "You want me to stay?"

Greg shoots back, "Don't start with that sh*t okay, Ray?"  I'm guessing Fiske is the "he."

Patty's at Boot Camp Academy to visit Michael.  She's appalled to find the place crawling with fresh air, farm animals, and zombie teens.

Flash forward to Hollis Nye and Ellen.  Hollis wants to know if Ellen thinks Patty set her up.  Ellen says Patty was the only one who knew where she was.

Flashback to Patty and Michael at Teen Zombie Boot Camp.  Michael's mopping the floor while Patty's trying to get the lowdown on his life there.  All Michael gives Patty are textbook "I'm responsible for my own actions" answers.  She wants him to come home and he's like no, I like it here. The best thing that ever happened to me was getting away from you.  You took my free will and I'm stayin' put.  Classic "guilt trip 101."  Patty's not buying any of it and insists he comes home.  He's like, hell no, I won't go.

Flash forward to Hollis Nye telling Ellen no one knows where Patty is.  The cops interrupt the meeting to say they found Ellen's fingerprints on the ugly Statue of Liberty murder weapon and she's officially under arrest.

Flashback to Patty in her office washing down aspirin with alcohol, reminiscing about her little boy that got away.  She spots Tommyhawk and Ellen having a good ol' laugh in the hallway outside her office and she's incensed.  You can just see her thinking, I may not be able to control my child, but I sure as hell can control my minions.

She goes to Ellen when Tommyhawk steps away and starts playing with Ellen's office hydrangea plant, symbolically picking out dead leaves.  She innocently comments on Ellen and Tommyhawk's good relationship.  She then mentions the time Tom was thinking about going out on his own.  "I hope he didn't try to hire you."

"No."  Ellen says quickly, and then covers well by asking with a smile, "Should I be offended?"

Patty tells her to keep an eye on Tom for her.  "Let me know how he's doing," she says in a "just between us girls voice."

Tommyhawk has a minor freak out when Ellen tells him what she told Patty.  He's like, we'll be okay as long as you didn't tell anybody about my offer.  Ellen swears she didn't.

Old Grandpa approaches Fiske at a hot dog cart near Central Park.  No wonder Fiske's having nightmares.  That hot dog cart stuff'll kill you.  Old Grandpa wants to know where Greg is.  Ray's like, I don't work for you, I work for Frobisher and I don't have to tell you nothin'.   He then tells Old Grandpa going after Greg was stupid.  "You're gonna' bring us all down with this commando sh*t."   Grandpa's like, he's a liability 'cause he's lost his nerve.

This is when Fiske gives him the "we're not animals" line.   Old Grandpa's like, I'm not going to let your young friend sit across from Patty Hewes and face an inquisition.  Fiske insists he's quashing the subpoena but Old Grandpa doesn't look convinced.

The next scene takes place in Patty's living room.  A couple of episodes ago I mistakenly thought this room was in a finished basement in one of Patty's palatial houses.  My bad.

Anyway, Patty's in her living room trying to get the TIVO working and talking to hubby Phil about Michael.  I always love it when you get these high-powered, mover and shaker types and they can't manage a remote control, much less a TIVO or a DVR.  It never fails to cracks me up.  Patty's no different.  While trying to set up the machine to tape her appearance on Greta she accidentally deletes hubby Phil's "Wild Kingdom."  Hee.

Patty wants Phil's opinion about bringing Michael home.  Meanwhile, she keeps messing up the TIVO and gets more and more pissed.  Phil offers to help but she's like, I can do it.  Phil's says about Michael, if he wants to stay, let him.  In frustration, Patty finally gives the TIVO remote to Phil.

Patty and Fiske face the Frobisher case judge and when Patty tells him they have proof that Greg sold his stock on the same day as Frobisher, the judge upholds her subpoena and tells Patty she can do the deposition as soon as she wants.

Flash forward and guess who comes to visit Ellen in jail?  It's Tommyhawk.  This is our first sighting of him in the present.   When Ellen asks him where Patty is, he says he doesn't know.  Ellen then tells him fatefully, "You're the only one I can trust."  Oh, I don't know about that.

Flashback to Ellen and Tom, and Ellen wants to tell Patty the truth.  Tom's like, no way.  "Maintaining the illusion of loyalty is far more effective than admitting the breech," he says.   Wow, you can't get much more lawyerly than that.   Patty happens to pop in at just that moment and knows something's up.   Being the master manipulator she is, she takes Ellen outside of Tom's office but within his view, to talk privately.   To Tom the chat looks more than a little cozy and he's worried Ellen's gonna spill the beans.  What's really happening is Patty is telling Ellen she needs her to do something.  It's a job she'd normally give to Tom but she thinks Ellen can handle it. 

Fiske goes to Greg's ratty hidey hole and tells him he needs to leave town 'cause he couldn't get the subpoena quashed and now Greg's life expectancy is getting shorter by the day.  Run little Greg.  Run for your life.

Fiske then reminisces about the old days in New York---porn shops in Times Square, pick pockets everywhere---and how he wishes he could have a new start like Greg.  Well, why don't you figure out a way to hold someone's rich and powerful life in your hands, someone who can have you whacked at a moment's notice, double cross them, and you might get your wish.

Out of the blue, Ray admits he cares about Greg---he's definitely the "he"---then gets all maudlin about the lie of a life he's living.  You know, wife, kids, townhouse.  Greg calls him on it and Ray tells him, "I can't protect you anymore, Gregory.  Just leave."

Scruffy Haired Guy, the one who was itchin' to kill Katie a couple of episodes ago meets with Old Grandpa.  OG tells him to get rid of Greg.  Scruffy looks all eager and says he'll do the job himself.

Meanwhile Tommyhawk is giving Ellen the cold shoulder and Ellen tells David she's worried.  She goes over all the possible scenarios of Patty finding out the truth and after awhile David's tells her to shut up about it already.  Tell Patty, don't tell Patty, but just don't tell me!  Where's that sweet, understanding fiance who covered for Ellen at their engagement party?  Long gone I suspect.

Greg's at the crappy hotel soda machine down the hall from his crappy room, and I'm thinking this where he's gettin' whacked.  When he does, it turns out it's by the bodyguard Patty put on his tail.  Malcolm takes Greg to a limo and Patty's there waiting for him.  She gives him the song and dance about how he's the only one who can get justice for those five thousand DEs who were cheated by Frobisher.  They lost everything and he's the only one who can help them.  Greg's like, you're making me cry.  Patty reminds him that she and Malcolm are the only things between his back and a bullet so he'd do well to show up when she says and be prepared to spill it all. 

When Patty's done browbeating Greg, she meets with Ellen and gets some secret papers from her for a secret errand.  She tells Ellen not to tell anybody anything, especially Tommyhawk.  When he finds out, Tom's not happy.  He's starting to feel mighty insecure and I must say that disappoints me.  Stop thinking like a flunky Tommyhawk, you're a partner now.  Act like it.

Patty's secret errand turns out to be a visit to Teen Zombie Boot Camp to see Michael.  She does a bit of mothering by contract when she tells him she has emancipation papers for him.   It's literally a parental divorce.   Patty's like, you want your freedom, you've got it.  You can pay for Zombie Boot Camp with your newly released college fund and by the way, have a nice life.   Michael's jaw drops to the table and for once he doesn't have a snide comeback.  As my beloved aunt would say, Patty may kid, but she don't play.

Greg's at the crappy hidey hole getting all dressed up for the deposition as Malcolm waits for him.   Cut to Fiske, Patty, Ellen and Tom assembling in a conference room to wait for the star witness.  Cut back to the apartment and I'm like, okay this is where Greg gets whacked right?  Well no.  It's Malcolm who gets whacked.  By Greg.  He clocks Malcolm over the head with the baseball bat, but at least he has the manners to first thank him for saving his life.

Cut to the conference room.  And the silence.  And the empty witness chair.  Cut to One Night Stand Greg taking Fiske's advice after all.  Cut back to Fiske himself saying to Patty as the clock continues to tick, "I think your witness has other priorities."  When Patty gets a text she tells everyone they'll have to "reschedule for another day."

After leaving the room, she's on the phone with Malcolm who tells her that he lost Greg.  "Well find him," she says.  She then goes in her office, slams her fists on the desk and curses very loudly.

Greg's on the street with his "I'm running away" bag, and who's following him but Scruffy.  That can't be good.

Sometime later, Ellen goes to Tommyhawk and wants to make peace.  They clear the air, neither one of them told Patty anything and they both swear to trust each other.  Heh.

Flash forward and Tom tells Ellen he doesn't know where Patty is and he doesn't think she wants to be found.  "Fiske really got to her," he says.  "Sounds like you were the last person to see her."

When Ellen begs him to help her Tom promises to do everything he can.

Flashback to Tommyhawk on the phone with Patty spilling everything.   Patty's like, thanks for telling me Tom but let's keep this to ourselves.  And by the way, "keep an eye on Ellen, let me know how she's doing." Heh, heh.

Cut to Patty at home in her kitchen watching the pre-taped Greta show and in walks Michael.  He's got the divorce papers with him and they're unsigned.  He's back for good.  Patty, trying to hide her smug excitement welcomes him home and offers to make him a sandwich.  She gets busy with that as Michael watches her on the television.  He asks how the case is going and she says very good.  Gosh, I can't tell what makes her happier.  The fact that the kid's home, or that she got her way. 

Flash forward to Tommyhawk leaving the jail and on the phone with Patty.  He tells her now is not a good time to come back, stay away.

At the same time, on a jail phone Ellen's talking to Hollis Nye.  "Tom just left," she says.  "He's full of sh*t.   Stay on him.  He'll lead you to Patty."

Heh, heh, heh.  Loved it.