(S03E13) "When I die, I don't want to be buried and put in the ground. I want to be cremated ... I want my ashes scattered here." - Patty to Ellen, as the two of them stand on the dock at Patty's cottage

If this is indeed the end for 'Damages,' it seems like a pretty nice way to go out. Sony is still in talks with DirectTV to work out a deal to save the show, and I can visualize it moving forward. But it would definitely be a re-boot, now that Tom Shayes is out of the picture.

(S03E12) "I can only think of one. Turn the Tobins against each other, because we won't find the money unless we tear that family apart." - Patty to Ellen, after Ellen said there must be another angle they can play, now that Tessa is dead.

Hoo boy. You know the end of 'Damages' is near (next week is the finale), because a lot happened in this episode to tie things together. Not everything, but a lot. And I love how near the end, they put the emphasis on "3. Days. Later." If they'd used a drama button in this episode, it would have been there. Well, follow me after the jump and we'll see if we can piece this freaky puzzle together.

(S03E11) "I'm not your mother, Ellen, if that's what you were thinking." - Ann Connell

Well, my goodness. Louis Tobin's Ponzi scheme seems like small potatoes now, doesn't it? Joe Tobin was worried about having to live out his father's crime-ridden legacy? No worries on that; Joe's creating his own twisted legacy all by himself.

And Marilyn Tobin - gack! She's willing to waste her own granddaughter for the sake of what? A few bucks? 'All That Crap About Your Family' is a great title for this episode.

(S03E10) "Your Honor, when I find the Tobins' money, nobody's gonna care how I did it." -- Patty Hewes to a judge who cautions her on working outside the boundaries of his courtroom

This was sort of an even-keeled episode of 'Damages,' in that nothing particularly earth-shattering happened. Well, I guess the escalating dysfunction of Lenny and his dad could be considered earth-shattering, though not unexpected. One of those two is going down, either physically (Lenny will send a thug to take out his dad) or emotionally (his dad will reveal Lenny's elaborate hoax of a life). I can't wait to find out which way it goes.

(S03E09) "We'll find Patty's humanity and we'll drive it through hardcore." - Gail Sturmer

What is up with that horse? In a previous review, I wondered if maybe Patty Hewes was harking back to an earlier time in her life when she wanted a pony. But it's hard to imagine Patty being so innocent and carefree and, you know, the pony-coveting type.

On the other hand, she doesn't seem like the bad guy when you put her in a room with Arthur Frobisher. Hence her comments when Frobisher, Terry Brooke and Gail Sturmer sat down for a meeting.

"The Arthur Frobisher that I know: foolish, vain, pathetically insecure, a despicable bully," she told the would-be filmmakers. "He stole from his employees and manipulated the system to escape life in prison with a slap on the wrist."

If there's anything Patty loves, it's seeing the bad guys behind bars, even if she herself manages to escape all of that turmoil for her wrongdoings.

(S03E08) "What is the point of doing anything unless you're doing good?' - Arthur Frobisher, on his Whirlwind Initiative to spread the word about wind power

So Arthur Frobisher is back, trying to rebuild his image with the wholesome message of wind power. He seems a little out of place to me, though. Like they stuck him in there just to bring him back, but he doesn't really fit into the big picture here. The scenes with him and Terry Brooks almost seemed like they were in the wrong season.

And Matthew McConaughey? That seemed like an odd placement in the show, for some reason. I guess I sort of think of 'Damages' as being in an alternative universe or something.

We pity the poor kid who gets the dice roll of being Patty Hewes' grandchild. Lord knows what sort of mind games she'll play with the wee tyke, or how much cash will be invested in his or her therapy bills.

The big question is will the child inherit some of Patty's awesome mind-game powers? Will he or she have Patty's talent to lie at will, or even better, tell when other people are lying? We see lots of spin-off possibilities for 'Damages' (Mon., 10PM ET on FX).

Watch the video after the jump.

(S03E07) "You're not a Tobin, Mr. Winstone. Keep acting like a Tobin, and I'll punish you like one." -- Patty to Lenny

Well, the plot on 'Damages' is certainly thickening, and I'd be disappointed if it did anything less. It's reminding me more and more of a John Grisham novel, especially after last night's episode.

We've got feuding families, people with lots of secrets, various attorneys and public officials, and now even a bank in the Caribbean. And yes, lots of mind games between Patty and Ellen.

(S03E05) "It's not my birthday." - Patty to Alex

Hmmm ... such cryptic messages in this week's episode of 'Damages.' First the wacky dream. Dreaming about a horse in your home probably isn't so crazy, unless you're Patty Hewes and the dream includes bloody hands and feet.

Let's analyze: Patty harking back to a more innocent childhood perhaps? Nah, too straightforward. Maybe the horse signifies Danielle's child, and Ellen's message that "it's a big responsibility" and "are you sure you're ready for it" denotes Patty's willingness to take care of Danielle and her child. Well, just the child now. The "blood on her hands" isn't so hard to figure out, but her feet? It must suck to be Patty with all that running around in her head.

(S03E04) There was family dysfunction all around in this episode of 'Damages.' We had Patty dealing with her son, Ellen dealing with her sister (and jerk of a dad), Tom dealing with his in-laws (who seem like very sweet people), and the ongoing strife within the Tobin family.

And swirling around it all was Patty Hewes, who always knows more than she lets on -- but maybe not enough, as evidenced by her phone call to ... someone in that least scene.

What happened on this week's 'Damages' season 3 episode 1, 'Your Secrets Are Safe' -- in 100 words or less.

Another complex season of 'Damages' is off and running! This time the flash-forward six months involves Patty Hewes, being questioned by the cops after a vehicle collision. Now we get to wonder all season the answers to several questions.

'Damages' (10PM, FX) season 3 premiere
The plot of the new season wasn't exactly "ripped from today's headlines," but it is going to sound rather familiar: Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) is appointed by the U.S. government to recover funds stolen in a Madoff-y Ponzi scheme. The case puts Patty up against the powerful Tobins, including dad Louis (Len Cariou), who insists his son Joe (Campbell Scott) and wife Marilyn (Lily Tomlin) had nothing to do with his misdeeds. Patty has a worthy adversary in the Tobins' attorney, Leonard Winstone (Martin Short), while her former associate Ellen (Rose Byrne) also has a new challenge: she's working in the DA's office, where she'll work to prosecute Louis Tobin. But the premiere's most shocking moment comes when one of Patty's cohorts is murdered ... and it will take the rest of the season for us to learn why.

Season three of the hit FX show 'Damages' premieres Monday, Jan. 25, at 10 PM ET. The legal thriller has a history of making us think things are going one way, and then spinning the story in a completely different direction.

The season two finale is a good example of that. All season long, we'd been teased about a showdown between Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) and Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). But did it turn out the way you thought it would?

If you haven't watched season two yet, read no further. Spoilers after the jump.