Ep 1. There's Only One Way to Try a Case

Patty Hewes, the brilliant and ruthless litigator, is back for the fourth season of Damages. The season premiere, titled "There's Only One Way to Try a Case," picks up several years after the events of season three.

Patty is now focusing on a major class-action suit against a pharmaceutical company, accused of manufacturing a drug that has caused serious health problems for its users. The lead plaintiff in the case is a woman named Channing McClaren, played by guest star Ryan Phillippe.

Channing is a former soldier who was injured in Iraq and became addicted to the drug in question while receiving treatment for his injuries. Now, he is determined to get justice for himself and the thousands of others who have been affected by the drug's harmful side effects.

But as Patty and her team begin gathering evidence for the case, they realize that their opponents are not going to make it easy for them. The pharmaceutical company's legal team, led by a slick and ruthless lawyer named Ellen Swatello (played by John Goodman), is poised to fight tooth and nail to protect their client's interests.

Meanwhile, Patty's protege Ellen Parsons (portrayed by Rose Byrne) is dealing with her own set of challenges. She has left Patty's firm and is now working as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City. But when a high-profile case falls apart due to a witness recanting his testimony, Ellen finds herself in hot water with her boss and on the brink of losing her job.

As the episode progresses, tensions mount on both sides of the legal battle. Patty clashes with her daughter, who is now a partner at the firm and has her own ideas about how to handle the case. And Ellen becomes increasingly desperate to salvage her career by finding a way to prove her witness was coerced into changing his story.

"There's Only One Way to Try a Case" sets the stage for what promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable season of Damages, filled with complex characters, shocking twists, and high-stakes legal drama.