"Damages" Canceled?

First and foremost, I have to state that this is quite possibly one of the saddest days of my life. I know it sounds superficial, and slightly crazy, to be this devastated over a TV show's cancellation, but Damages is one of the most well written, well directed, and well acted shows I have ever seen. Because of this, I never imagined it would be cut this short, especially after only three seasons on air. The ratings have been dismal, but there was a glimmer of hope last month when it was rumored that DirecTV may save the show, just as they did for Friday Night Lights when they were in a similar situation. However, word is that yesterday the cast and crew were given the bad news--that the show was getting the axe. No official announcement yet, but it's not looking good.

There goes one of the most intelligent, gripping shows on TV past, present, or future. Seriously, season one blew me away. I challenge anyone to watch it and tell me they weren't impressed. Glenn Close is seriously perfection on screen, and she gave some of the best performances of her career on this show, which led to two consecutive wins for best lead actress in a drama series at the Emmys. I just don't get why people weren't watching this show. Damages had the makings of a great TV show -- a great cast, dynamic story lines, gripping story telling, and a real heart, as black as it may have been. More than anything, this is the kind of show that we need to keep on TV. For all the content-less shows out there that we keep seeing on our televisions, we need at least a couple of great ones that can really make us sit back on our couches and make us feel like we've been entertained-- and not just because we just watched someone fall on their ass on national television or performed some other embarrassing act.

After news of its cancellation, my anger started to build and I really got to thinking about the lack of viewership for this show. Yes, it was an incredibly serialized show, but watch an episode or two, and it's hard not to catch on quickly. We need to be given the benefit of the doubt here, that the audience is more intelligent than we're usually treated, and I think Damages understood that. As much as we may be used to seeing mind numbing TV that requires little to no thinking, our intelligence as an audience shouldn't be underscored, and Damages always had that in mind. The serialized aspect aside, the only other real conclusion I could come to was that perhaps we were just afraid of seeing strong female characters on screen, especially as leads. We're used to seeing damsels in distress, women who are constantly seeking help or guidance, or women who are lost and clumsy, looking to be saved by their Prince Charming(s) on screen. Damages had a very unique distinction in that the lead characters were strong females, and the supporting characters were males. Is it that we're so hard wired to assume male-driven shows as the norm, that we can't appreciate strong, tough as nails females as, dare I say it, our main characters on screen?

Who can really say for sure what happened to Damages' viewership, but one thing's for certain. It's going to leave a bad taste in my mouth, but I'm saying it anyway, Damages is a cautionary tale. This just goes to show that money talks louder than anything else. Without the viewership, and in turn, money and support from the network, even the greatest of shows can be thrown wayside. I'm still in a state of shock at this point -- I can't even comprehend how this show is canceled, especially after a phenomenal season three finale. If they're going out, at least they're going out with a bang.

Regardless, I'm still nursing a broken heart.