Damien Episode 1.04 – The Number of a Man: Recap and Review with Spoilers
It’s Monday evening, which means it’s time for our weekly recap and review of A&E’s “Damien.” In Episode 1.04, “The Number of a Man,” a wicked little intro showcasing a gnarly critter clogging up Simone’s bathtub acts as a strong opening for this fourth episode. There’s nothing graphic about the scene, but it’s unsettling all the same and establishes a dark tone that we’ll likely see sustained through the episode. Not that it’s a typically bright series.
We’re back to the legal aspect of the story, as the same man – James Shay (played by David Meunier) – who’s been obsessing over Damien and his apparent connections to a series of corpses, once more puts Damien through the ringer. Although Damien is actually connected to the deaths, he’s innocent. The man hasn’t killed anyone, but that’s not a truth this detective is about to believe.
Barbara Hershey continues to flex her seasoned chops as the slick protector of Damien, Ann Rutledge, and before long we see that she and John Lyons (played by the great Scott Wilson) are working at joining forces in their task of guiding Damien to a darker realm. It’s obvious that John doesn’t want to see more of his men slaughtered as a result of pushing improper envelopes with Damien. Of course, while Ann seems in for the collaboration, she’s also got a clearly deceptive look etched in her features.
The tension between Damien and the active detective is great. This officer is mighty aggressive, and he’s willing to travel down illegal paths to get Damien to admit his involvement in the recent rash of deaths. Of course that doesn’t work, but Shay isn’t walking away from the encounter with empty hands – Damien tips him off to Ann Rutledge.
Following what qualifies as a true eye-popping sequence that involved an old man, a pair of scissors and – get ready for it – his genitals, we see Damien thrown in handcuffs. That’s how it goes when you’re the Antichrist trying to save a man and his manhood. The whole debacle makes for a big W-T-F moment, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t entertaining and genuinely unexpected.
Eventually Shay makes his way over to see Rutledge, which in turn leads to another tip to pursue. Meanwhile, Simone witnesses some form of dark magic ritual, and one presumably innocent chicken doesn’t live to see the credits roll. That’s harsh, guys.
As the episode unravels, there’s a recurring theme of innocence interwoven into the tale. That means we get all kinds of interesting stories and moments, all painting Damien as something far purer than the murderer that Shay believes he is, or the monster-in-the-making that Ann has made him out to be.
There’s something strangely paradoxical about the whole affair, and deep into the fourth episode things are feeling oddly imbalanced. Thus far I’ve enjoyed the series, but it isn’t structured quite as cleanly as I would’ve hoped.
At what point do we see a conscious shift from Damien, who later meets with Simone for a one on one chat? Every monologue feels important, but it’s hard not to point to a lot of chatter that feels like drawn out threads of filler slowly sewn together. I think most of us are prepared for a glimpse at the other side of the coin, despite the fact that there’s something very human about Damien’s repeated heroics.
Speaking of heroics, no one will be getting an award for late episode duties; Shay’s son – from what I gather – ends up in the pool after glimpsing that creepy dog. Shay manages to save the boy, but come on now – you’re a detective, Shay, keep your eyes peeled!
It’s been a solid episode, but I’m beginning to desire a bit more from “Damien.” It’s not that the show has been anything less than entertaining; it’s just that it’s beginning to feel a little stale, and that’s not a good thing. This week’s episode gave us a strong opening and a strong close while incorporating some fine moments between Damien and Shay, but we’re ultimately no closer to a turning point for the titular character. “Damien” still has my attention, no doubt, but I’m uncertain of how long we can maintain this twisted relationship.
-
Episode
Categorized:News
