why i’m looking forward to the return of damages

Heather Havrilesky:

[T]his show transcends the base level of twisty procedurals with one thing: Patty Hewes. Like Tony Soprano, Vic Mackey or Al Swearengen, Patty Hewes is that formidable villainess that makes the whole crazy mess sing. …

But Patty Hewes is different. She's a self-serving manipulator, sure, but she's guided by some odd mix of vanity, pride, vengeance, a commitment to appearances, a genuine desire to seek justice for the underdog, and the vaguest outlines of a conscience. Even after two seasons, during which Hewes has proven that she's willing to screw over almost anyone to win her cases and have her way, we're still not completely sure what the woman is and isn't capable of. She is haunted by her crimes, there's no doubt about that. It's hard not to be a little bit daunted when your husband ditches you and your own son tells you, "People either leave you, or they die. Those are the only two endings possible."