Ellen Parsons

Ellen Parsons is a main character in all five seasons of Damages.
Ellen begins the series as a bright and idealistic law school graduate who lands a job at the prestigious law firm Hewes & Associates. While working for Patty Hewes in a win-at-all-costs environment, Ellen evolves into a clever, manipulative, and vengeful lawyer. However, her own sense of ethics leads her to simultaneously work as an informant for the FBI. She later joins the public attorney's office, followed by a brief return to renowned law firm Nye, Everett & Polk, and finally as the head of her own law firm, Parsons and Associates.
== Background ==
Ellen came from a working-class background and lived in a home with an abusive father. Her mother is Deniece Parsons, her father is Gary Parsons, and she has two sisters, Carrie Parsons and Megan Parsons.
== Relationships ==
Ellen is close to her mother and sister Carrie. For a time, Ellen questions whether her mother is her birth mother.
Ellen becomes engaged to David Connor early in the series. After his death, she has short relationships with hit-man Wes Krulik, journalist Josh Reston, and fellow lawyer Sean Everett. She also has a relationship with war-veteran Chris Sanchez, with whom she has a daughter.
== Series ==
Ellen began the series as a recent law school graduate and summer associate at Nye, Everett, & Polk, with Hollis Nye having been her mentor. During a job interview, they offered her a junior associate contract with a salary of $150,000 for five years. She turned it down due to an interview at the prestigious law firm Hewes & Associates, and while they did not rescind the offer, they knew she would choose Hewes & Associates. That evening, Ellen met Mr. Nye in Bard, a bar she frequents. He told Ellen she was special and that Patty Hewes would hire her. He warned her about working for Patty and made her sign a card, on which he wrote above her signature, "I was warned".
Later that week, Ellen went for what she thought was her interview at Hewes & Associates. She met with Tom Shayes, who introduced her to Uncle Pete. He told her what to expect from the interview and scheduled it for Saturday, the same day her sister Megan was getting married. Ellen decided to go to the wedding instead of the interview, and her sister gave an emotional speech where she said that Ellen was always perfect at everything and was like a big sister to her despite being younger than her. Patty Hewes turned up at the wedding, uninvited. She gave Ellen some insight into family and then hired her as a new associate.
On her first day at Hewes & Associates, Andrew Vida briefed Ellen on Arthur Frobisher and his broker, Gary Genoa. Along with Felicia Marquand, he went over the timeline and brought Ellen up to speed on the current objective: link Frobisher and Genoa. Then Tom Shayes showed Ellen her new office and gave Ellen her first task: write a full summary of the Frobisher discovery. At 4pm that day, Ellen met with Suzanne at Bergdos and bought some new clothes. When she got home, her boyfriend, David Connor, gave her an engagement ring, which he had snuck into one of her shopping bags.
Katie Connor, David's sister and her best friend, told Ellen that she had worked for Arthur Frobisher. Before Ellen could advise her, she was called to a meeting with Patty, during which Patty advised Ellen not to have kids. Having had time to reflect on the situation, Ellen realized that Patty only hired her to get to Katie and asked Tom if this was true; Tom did not think so.
After the death of Saffron, Katie's dog, Katie told Ellen that she wanted to take down Frobisher. Ellen met Patty in a bar and told her that Katie was willing to testify.
Much later, Ellen left Patty's apartment, distraught, running through the streets in a trench coat and covered in blood, almost getting run over by a taxi. She still had Mr. Nye's card. She ended up in a police station, where she was placed in an interview room. Initially, she remained completely silent, but then she uttered the single phrase, "Get me a lawyer."
Ellen's ethical approach to law often contradicted with Patty's less conventional ways. As her career progressed, Ellen's ways began to border with the illegal and morally questionable. A sudden shift occurred when Patty ordered Ellen's murder. After surviving the murder attempt, she started working as a double agent for the FBI while still at Hewes & Associates. Her plan of vengeance was completed when she confronted Patty at gun point and got a confession. Afterwards, she forgave Patty and tried to distance herself from her.
However, she was constantly drawn back into Patty's orbit. Ellen decided to make a name for herself by suing Howard T. Erickson, a prominent corporate director, with Patty's mentorship. But by the end of the case they rifted apart again due to Patty's willingness to win the case by endangering a human life. She later fought against Patty in a high-profile case by representing Channing McClaren.
 
Category:Characters