Who's your daddy? - Damages

The melodrama taking upper hand in the 4th episode, as Patti (Close) tells her son that Purcell (Hurt) is his father, and the two meet and speak for the first time. As is always the case with damages, a ton more plot elements crashing about here - still always fascinating, and hard to follow but impossible not to watch. Ellen and Tom head to West Virginia to learn more about the corporate malfeasance of UNR (energy firm). Despite rather cliched threats from smalltown cops and rednecks, they get out unscathed, and with a water sample, no less. Oddly, Patti asks Purcell (he's a scientist) to test the water. Why would she do that?, Marge wondered. Seems like a stupid thing to do, as we learn, when we see him dump the sample and then, during a show-cause hearing, testify that UNR has done nothing wrong and has not falsified his lb reports (which we know that they have done). This astonishes Patti, she leaves the court in a fury. But we've learned that she's always a step ahead of us, and maybe she know Purcell would shaft her. Bigger question is, why did he let it go so far? Why did he agree to test the water and to begin the proceedings against UNR? (Maybe to get it thrown out at an early stage?) We learn two crucial facts about Purcell: he was complicit in the murder of his wife, and in setting it up to look like a junkie did it. And, he's being secretly paid (off) by UNR and/or his own consulting firm. It's just unclear at this point why he has anything to do with Patti at all - it can't be good for him.