This week, Damages belonged to Uncle Pete.

For a few minutes there, it really seemed as though he was going to be instrumental in the case against Patty Hewes. But then, as Patty herself said, Pete is the “most loyal man I’ll ever know”. Turns out she knew him quite well, too, since he appears to have been willing to kill himself and his own wife in favour of giving up his longtime employer—and niece—in Patty.

In an interview with the LA Times, actor Tom Aldredge (who plays Uncle Pete and also played Carmela’s dad on The Sopranos) ruminates about his unceremonious dismissal from the program: “They told me what they had planned just before the last couple of episodes I filmed. I was a little disappointed, but what a way to go, huh? I think it’s ironic to have survived five years on The Sopranos and then to be whacked on the second season of Damages. Bummer, right?”

Aldredge also goes on to say that his “only negative feeling is that [the show] gets so plot intense it sometimes can be difficult to tie it all together.” And while I tend to disagree—Damages, as a rule, is a very tidy show despite its many characters and plot twists—I think the “intense” part of his quote is certainly correct as it relates to this episode. Between Tom visiting with a prostitute (did he or didn’t he?), Wes hitting on Katie, the guy with the beard threatening Frobisher, the guy with the beard threatening Wes, and of course, Uncle Pete’s DVD smuggling ring bust, there was no dearth of action up for the savourin’. Here’s hoping they can keep up this pace for the rest of the season.

This week also offered a few legitimately laugh-worthy moments, such as Grandpa Kendricks doing business while trying to wrangle his grandkids and sitting with them at a little plastic table, simple-minded Frobisher trying to relate with his Indian guru, and Wes turning on the charm after his shooting-range date with Ellen (“You came close—if you were attacked by a guy wearing epaulettes.”).

If you missed this week’s episode, check it out at the Showcase Video centre. See you next time.