Damien

A possible profile of Damien by vlasdygoth

Shady Park Guy Number 5 Neonthorn

**Robert Douglas Gorham** (aka **Damien**) is a major character in *The Bright Sessions* and the main character of *A Neon Darkness.* He is a Class E atypical with an ability referred to as "mind manipulation". In *The Bright Sessions,* he is somewhat unofficially a patient of Dr. Bright's, having forced her to give him therapy and information after discovering she had experience with atypicals. The novel *A Neon Darkness* follows him at 19 years old, having just moved to LA, as he befriends a group of people known as the Unusuals. His story after and during the 4th season of The Bright Sessions is also continued in Some Faraway Place, which details the unlikely friendship between him and Rose Atkinson.

## Biography

Damien developed his power sometime before he was thirteen years old. When he was thirteen, he had less control over his power, and ended up driving his parents away in an argument because he wanted to be left alone. They never returned.

## Abilities

Imposing his want on other people. He is considered a high-risk patient by Dr. Bright, earning him a Class E-3.

His abilities operate on an unconscious level. People around him are compelled to behave as he wants them too. This includes responding to his verbal requests, but speech is not required.

He appears to be unable to influence telepaths like Chloe due to the complementary nature of their abilities.

When his powers were reversed by a backlash with Mark’s mirror powers, he temporarily became aware of what others around him wanted from him and was compelled to act in accordance, regardless of their abilities or lack thereof.

While trying to kidnap Adam, Damien was beaten severely by Caleb. After spending several weeks in a coma, Damien woke to discover his ability no longer worked. Damien can still feel thinking minds in the vicinity, but he can no longer influence them. Chloe also still cannot read his mind.

## Appearance

In *A Neon Darkness*, Damien is stated to be a white man with dark hair and an "emo haircut". He is also described as being short and chubby.

No physical description of him is given in *The Bright Sessions*, however Lauren Shippen mentions in a blog post that he is the fifth tallest of the show's main cast.

In *The College Tapes,* while he is viewing Mark's memories of Damien, Beck remarks that Damien had lost weight since he'd seen him in *A Neon Darkness.*

## Relationships

### Dr. Joan Bright

Joan is Damien's therapist, by his insistence. She is the only character who can (partially) resist Damien's influence of her own free will, rather than due to an atypical ability or a scientific intervention. In season 2, the two characters appear to have a close (if somewhat antagonistic) relationship. Damien stalks Joan and compels her to tell him secrets about herself and her other patients, resisting her attempts to provide proper therapy. Damien repeatedly teases Joan about being her closest companion, all while ignoring the fact that the reverse also seems to be true. He grows jealous of Agent Green and becomes angry when Joan is forced to tell the AM about Damien. However, he agrees to help Joan rescue Mark on the condition she finds someone like Damien. The two even spend a significant amount of time strengthening Damien's control.

Their relationship suffers irreparable damage in season 3 when Damien kidnaps Mark. When Damien loses his ability, Joan reluctantly tries to help at Mark's insistence, but Damien later berates her for relishing his temporary powerless state. They generally avoid each other after Damien is released from the AM, and when they do meet, they share a cold, strained familiarity at best.

### Chloe Turner

Chloe is initially terrified of Damien. She panics and says his mind is "cold and hard and sharp" and that there is something "really wrong" with him. She tries to persuade Dr. Bright that he is too dangerous to treat. Damien seems to prove Chloe right when he shifts his stalking from Joan to Chloe, fixating on her ability to resist him fully. However, Damien's attentions soon shift to Mark, and Chloe becomes less fearful.

Damien later hits Chloe on the head with a heavy lamp, causing her severe chronic pain and problems with her abilities. Chloe takes an extended leave to deal with her injury, and she runs into Damien in a diner on the drive back to the city. The two share a cautious meal and catch up. Damien apologizes for hurting her and then accepts without argument when she says she's not ready to forgive him. Chloe also reveals that she still can't read his mind, saying that his ability must still be there somewhere.

### Mark Bryant

Joan Bright's brother whom Damien removed from the AM premises as part of Joan and Sam's plan, only to kidnap him and keep him captured and uninformed of his sister's and Sam's involvement. Damien's reason for the kidnapping was his desire to find someone with the same ability as himself. Although Mark's feeling towards him are undetermined, it has been confirmed that Damien has more than platonic feelings for him.

### Samantha Barnes

Sam and Damien initially had a rocky relationship due to Damien kidnapping Mark and Sam punching Damien the first time she met him. This tension escalated when Damien bragged to Joan that he could make Sam commit suicide if he wanted to, although he later insists this was an empty threat. After Damien's release from the AM, Sam falsifies papers for Damien to leave town and escape Ellie Wadsworth's supervision. Among other things, she legally changes his name to Damien—a fact which seems to have earned her Damien's grudging respect. Sam, likewise, turns to Damien for advice on Mark, reminding him that they're "both in love with the same man."

## Trivia

* Lauren Shippen was forced to rewrite Damien's character after watching Marvel's Jessica Jones.
* Damien considers religion pointless.
* Damien's Myers-Briggs personality type is ISTP.
* Damien is very good at playing the violin.
* Damien is lactose intolerant.
* Damien loves dogs.[1]

## References

1. ↑ Retrieved from http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/154678191369/heeey-im-the-girl-who-harasses-you-and-lauren-on
2. ↑ The Bright Sessions Tumblr
3. ↑ http://www.thebrightsessions.com/episode-27
4. ↑ Retrieved from http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/153784806594/can-we-see-where-wadsworth-lands-on-the-height
5. ↑ Retrieved from http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/170239959909/hey-i-just-listened-to-the-new-ep-and-it-was
6. ↑ Radio Drama Revival Episode 437 – The Bright Sessions and Lauren Shippen
7. ↑ Retrieved from http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/156568053344/whos-religious-out-of-the-characters-and-for
8. ↑ Retrieved from http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/156568053344/whos-religious-out-of-the-characters-and-for
9. ↑ http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/153689051659/if-dr-bs-patients-were-in-a-band-what
10. ↑ http://thebrightsessions.tumblr.com/post/153688546384/are-any-of-the-characters-vegetarians-or-allergic