'Damages' post-mortem: On the money trail

"Damages" introduced the shadowy figure of Stuart Zedeck (Dominic Chianese) this week, and he quickly became a thorn in Joe Tobin's (Campbell Scott) side as Joe continued trying to untangle the web of his late father's fraud.

Not that Joe was any picnic to deal with either, as he clearly didn't get the gestures Zedeck made toward him. "Joe doesn't pick up on it," as Chianese put it in the show's weekly morning-after conference call.

Chianese and "Damages" co-creator Todd Kessler -- who worked together on "The Sopranos" -- talked about Zedeck's motivations, "Damages" going abroad next week and more. Highlights from the conversation.

Stuart Zedeck: Not just a dry cleaner
Chianese: [Zedeck] is a neighborhood kind of character for me. ... He's going to push the plot. I can't give anything away -- I wouldn't want to take any of the entertainment value out of this, but he's definitely a loyal person. He's a friend. And that can create -- my father always said watch out who you hang around with, you know? [Laughs]

Kessler: The other thing we're trying to do with the character of Zedeck is that Louis Tobin ... had to find someone he could trust that didn't have a high profile. Zedeck is from the neighborhood, he owns some dry cleaning stores, and would definitely fly either below or above anyone's radar. It was a smart choice, and they're very smart businessmen. Some of the savviest people aren't the ones making headlines.

The meaning of the gifts
Chianese: I felt that the gift of the fur was to prove to Joe that loyalty, and that there was friendship there -- friendship that cannot be questioned. He's sort of testing -- he knew [Joe] when he was a child, so to him he's still a kid. He may be 40 years old, he may not understand when you give something like that, it's given with all your heart. It's a neighborhood kind of thing; it's a family kind of thing. ... Joe doesn't pick up on it, and then they give him and give him some money, because everybody understands money.

Kessler: The first thing that Zedeck did was give something to Joe for his mother, Marilyn [Lily Tomlin]. Zedeck knows how much the furs and the belongings mean to Joe's mother. So it's a very personal thing. But he doesn't realize that Joe is in a place of true desperation, and then ends up coming through with giving him money. And what Louis had told Zedeck about Joe -- that he was always ungrateful and certain [other] problems -- we'll continue to explore that as the season progresses.

Going out of town
Kessler: One thing we're very excited about for next week is that for the first time in the entire series, we actually leave the country. The story develops in pursuit of the money, and a curveball is thrown which basically further bonds Zedeck and Joe and eventually Winstone [Martin Short]. But we're taking a step in pursuit of the money ... Tom [Tate Donovan] actually ends up leaving the country, and as Patty's [Glenn Close] side closes in, it bonds the triumvirate of Winstone, Zedeck and Joe. They have to deal with the imminent problems instead of the question of inherent trust.

Here's a peek at next week's episode.



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Photo credit: FX