Plot twists notwithstanding, the most shocking thing about Damages’ second season to date happened in this episode, with the arrival of Saturday Night Live’s Darrell Hammond as a Chapstick-smacking spook. Thankfully, this week’s instalment also came loaded with surprises of the story variety.

Ellen’s foretold shooting, as teased in the alternate timeline, develops a few inches further as we learn that her apparent victim is apparently dispatched after apparently handing over a briefcase full of cash. It’s a non-starter for now, of course, but it’s also a welcome reminder that the writers of this program deftly avoid red herrings, crafting a show so tightly wound that no facts are too minute to be considered in terms of their implication on the story as a whole. That briefcase, no doubt, will play heavily into upcoming episodes.

But the real whopper this week, aided by the inimitable Mr. Hammond—whose character seems to be something of an evil architect—came by way of the revelation that Daniel Purcell was, indeed, involved in his wife’s murder, or at least in the ensuing cover-up. It would explain why he spilled out the tainted water sample painstakingly secured by his undercover West Virginian reporter, and also why he went on to testify in court that his supposedly corrupt corporation was actually on the up-and-up, much to the surprise of Patty, Claire, and everybody watching at home.

The plot thickens, as plots do, and the questions mount. Meanwhile, the FBI’s investigation into Patty’s criminal activity—once the driving force of this season’s narrative—couldn’t be further from the surface.

As always, if you missed this week’s episode, you can stream it at the Showcase Video centre. See you next time.