swiped from AICN:

USA Today says:

… Patty, played once again with a bracing mixture of venom and good intentions by the inimitable Glenn Close, is about to get our money back for us from a fraudulent financier. Right off the bat that may strike you as a more fun case than last season's environmental conspiracy, and two episodes in, at least, that proves to be the case. …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… Opening with a bang, literally, the third season of this gravity-defying balancing act of a show promises to be the best one yet. Jumping at the chance to fictionalize Bernie Madoff, here thinly disguised as Ponzi-architect Louis Tobin (Len Cariou), creators Todd Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman offer us the mouth-watering opportunity to see what would happen if our gal Patty could get to the bottom of things, all in the name of the defrauded masses: murder and mayhem, of course, presented in the show's signature and still tantalizing time-warped bits and carried out by yet another killer ensemble. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… FX sent the first two episodes of Season 3 for review and - yep - they are pretty addictive. Save for one far-fetched incident, the two hours provided enough clues as to where the season will head - and how much conflict from secrets and lies will be coming down the pike - to hook fans of the show who might have been waffling on the commitment. The trouble is, of course, that's just two episodes. There's plenty of time for the whole thing to go sideways. …

The Dallas Morning News says:

… The show's co-creators, Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman, wrote the premiere episode "Your Secrets Are Safe" (and Todd also directed). They pack everything that's smart and great and beautiful about Damages into this intro. …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… As season three begins, "Damages" finally gets its formula right. Almost nothing from the past two seasons -- beyond the wary Ellen-Patty relationship -- has any bearing on this week's season premiere. Better yet, Ellen is more realistically working outside of Hewes & Associates in the district attorney's office. …

The Boston Herald says:

… TV’s best legal drama opens with a series-changing stunner. It starts with a car crash. It ends with the discovery of a body. The identity of that corpse will rattle fans of the show. The revelations next week only deliver on “Damages’ ” promise to shake things up in in its third season. If the series survives to a fourth year - and this fan hopes so - it will never be the same. Of course, all these dire revelations come via “Damages’ ” six-month flash-forwards. They have never been more suspenseful. …

Variety says:

… Any way you slice it, this is big-brain TV -- the kind of program that must be watched with close attention paid to the small details. … FX has often made its bones by seeking to push the pay-cable envelope in terms of standards, sometimes gratuitously so; "Damages" demonstrates that envelope-pushers needn't be edgier, necessarily, just smarter.