My Review of Revenge's 4x23: "Two Graves"

Written by Joe Fazzio
Directed by John Terlesky

Emily: "I consider myself lucky. Most morality tales don't have a happy ending. For some reason, karma saw fit to spare me, but not without leaving deeply edged wounds."

And that's it folks. I think we all knew in advance when the fourth season started up that a fifth season was going to be an unlikelihood and after 89 episodes, things came to a very satisfying conclusion here as Emily/Amanda's four year battle with Victoria came to quite a conclusion.

It wasn't quite as big or as lengthy as I expected it to be but the last confrontation between the two ladies was satisfying nonetheless. There was no way that Victoria was going to make it out of the series alive and the possibility that Emily wouldn't either was always there. In fact, the show teased ever so slightly the idea of our anti-heroine dying along with her arch enemy but instead the second grave fell to another person.

I liked that David was the one who shot Victoria and also found it apt that as the life was slipping from her that Victoria would try and take Emily with her. Of course she failed but the title of this episode still came to pass when David succumbed to his illness months later after saving his daughter's soul one last time.

Emily and Victoria's rivalry has been the grounds for this whole show and I felt this episode wrapped it up brilliantly. In the end, Emily came through as the victor but not without being slightly damaged herself. Sure, she got her happy ending by marrying Jack and sailing off with him at the end. I was never the biggest of Emily/Jack shippers but a part of me was pretty happy to see them together at the end than I was for most of the series to be honest.

As for the rest of the characters - Nolan got a mission at the end. The idea that he might be helping someone else exonerate their parent might reek of spin-off consideration but at the same time, it's a perfect fit for him. Emily gave him purpose for four years and even with her revenge story over, she was still able to keep doing that. The one thing I am going to miss massively with this show is Emily and Nolan's friendship and this episode gave so many great moments of reminding me of how wonderful it was to watch on screen.

Of course, other characters stories came to a natural conclusion here as well. Margaux finally realised that she had gone too far with abetting Victoria's antics and teamed up with Nolan to take out White Gold (who nearly killed Jack) and even turned herself in for her part in Ben's death. Much as I found Margaux in the second half of this season, I am glad that in the end she chose to the right thing. Similarly so did Louise by turning on Victoria and setting Emily on her.

As for Charlotte - she only had a handful of scenes but most of them were just her being supportive to Emily at David and Victoria's gravesides as well as attending Emily and Jack's wedding as well. It's amazing how likeable Charlotte was in the last two episodes than she was for a good portion of her time on the series but at least her and Emily were on good terms.

As for Emily's life now, post revenge - I guess we can assume that both her and Jack enjoyed sailing the world and domestic bliss. I know it seemed cheesy to give Emily a happy ending (something even the episode made a point of commenting on) but I'm glad nonetheless that she got one. Considering that she has had to pay prices for her pursuit of revenge, I think she was entitled to some happiness at the very end. More to the point, so were we as viewers.

Also in "Two Graves"

Despite being dead, Ben did manage to briefly appear in flashback and as images on Margaux's laptop in this episode.

Victoria (to Margaux): "The corpse I passed off was my mother."

Victoria using her mother's dead body to fake her death was fitting in a weird way. I did feel the final reveal about Victoria's parentage was a little tacked on though. Oh and Patrick got a mention.

Victoria: "You're a cruel, loathsome bitch who deserves to burn in hell."
Marian: "Well then we'll continue this conversation there."

White Gold: "Either you tell me where Amanda is and you die or either you don't tell me and you die slower."
Jack: "Go to hell."
White Gold: "Bad call."

Nolan giving both Emily and Jack a brand new puppy at their wedding was sweet. In fact, the various callbacks to the pilot really made this episode even more special.

Emily: "I'm not putting Victoria in prison. I'm gonna put her in the ground and don't you dare try to stop me."
Nolan: "I won't. Do it."

Margaux (to Nolan): "I started this to get justice for Daniel. He once told me not to abandon my soul like he had. He redeemed himself by saving a life. I need to honour him and do the same."

The ambiguity as to whether or not Emily now has Victoria's heart is a delightfully twisted thing. I don't think we'll ever know the answer to that. I'm not sure I really want to know either. David dying during a snowy winter as well felt oddly right too.

Emily: "For you, death is my only true revenge."
Victoria: "I died long before you were born. This is just a formality. Are you ready now?"
Emily: "More than you ever know. Goodbye, Victoria."

Emily: "Upon embarking on a path of revenge, Conficius warns dig two graves. Conficius was right. The second of the two graves was meant for me. I was only saved by my father's infinite love."

Standout music: Has to be Angus & Julia Stone's "For You". It was fantastic when it was used back in the "Pilot" and it was perfect here as well for Emily/Jack's wedding.

Emily: "When everything you love has been stolen from you, consider my story as you embark on your own journey of revenge and always remember, what goes around comes around."

Nolan: "Well played, Ams, well played."

Chronology: 2014 or was it 2015 by the time we got to Emily and Jack's wedding?

That was absolutely perfect. It might have been something of a rocky road with Revenge in it's later years but with "Two Graves", I honestly do believe we got one of the most satisfying and wonderful character journey ends that we've had in a while. I'm going to miss seeing Emily and Nolan on my screens but after four seasons and 89 episodes, this was the best way of ending the series and their respective journeys. Goodbye show - you will be missed.

Rating: 10 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x22: "Plea"

Written by Alex Taub
Directed by J Miller Tobin

Emily (re Victoria): "I know she's alive."
Margaux: "You are delusional."
Emily: "Delusional with nothing to lose."

Well, that's not true. This episode alone made it clear that Emily could lose her freedom and will lose David as the latter only has six months to live but at least even with the obstacles of ankle bracelets and being put back in the slammer after violating rules didn't deter Emily from realising her archenemy is actually alive.

I have to admit I'm actually relieved to a degree that Victoria didn't kill herself. The woman is way too much of a narcissist to kill herself so framing Emily instead and using an unclaimed body (along with Margaux and Mason as hench people) actually makes a lot more sense. The way Emily described to Ben Victoria's intricate plans showed that she really thought things through. Except she was sloppy in some other regards.

It took Louise of all people to actually find the hoodie that Emily supposedly wore when Victoria was attacked in the latter's penthouse (actually we learned that Margaux did the attacking) to make her realise that her guardian angel might not have killed herself after all. She did however manage to relay this back to Ben, who despite spending most of the episode sceptical of Emily's innocence did some digging of his own, learned that Victoria was alive and then got killed by White Gold at Margaux's behest.

I'm not going to mourn Ben too much as a character but it was a little sad that upon actually doing some decent detective work he ended up getting killed for it. Of course with White Gold around the place, it does mean that along with getting out of jail, Emily has someone other than Victoria that she'll have to take out during the final episode as well. That should be fun to watch, right?

As for the rest of the episode, it was mostly everyone reacting to either Emily going to prison or David not having too long to live. There were some nice individual scenes with Nolan and Jack, Jack and David, David and Emily and of course one scene with Emily and Jack that should delight all shipper if both of them make it out of next week's episode alive that is.

Also in "Plea"

Charlotte returned for one scene in this episode to give Louise permission to enter Victoria's penthouse and to also tell audiences that she can't be bothered with her mother's "death". Smart girl.

Louise: "We all need to grieve."
Margaux: "This is how I grieve."

Emily's defense lawyer was played by Tom Amandes who has previously worked with Emily Van Camp on Everwood.

Emily (to Jack): "I wanna be with you. It's why I need all of this to work. It's why I'm going after Mason even if I have to cut my damn foot off. I want us to have a chance."

Louise (re Victoria): "Don't you want something to remember her by?"
Charlotte: "I'll tell you what - you stop calling me and I'll tell the hotel you have my permission to enter her penthouse. Take whatever's gonna bring you solace."

Loved how Jack was able to get Margaux framed for stealing some jewellery and how quickly Emily was able to get information out of her. It does prove that Margaux is an inept villain though.

Margaux (to Jack): "This is a knee jerk reaction with you. Defend Emily no matter what, even when she kills."

Nolan (to Louise): "I can't stand in Emily's house because your guardian angel blew it up."

Victoria claimed the body of a woman named Mary Gaines to pull off her elaborate scheme.

Margaux: "Of course you were behind this."
Emily: "That's a theory but we've got all night to discuss among other things."

Standout music: Nothing that I can think of.

Ben (to Victoria): "Son of a bitch! You are alive."

Chronology: From where "Aftermath" kind of left off.

Not a brilliant penultimate episode but "Plea" certainly set up everything nicely for the finale though. It'll be interesting to see if Emily can get her freedom, revenge and love by Sunday, especially given the odds aren't in her favour at the moment.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Revenge - Cancelled After Four Seasons

I think we all saw it coming but yesterday ABC finally confirmed that Revenge will be ending for good after four seasons.

The show which debuted in 2011 will conclude with it's final two episodes Plea and Two Graves, the latter of which will air on May 10th. Executive producer Sunil Nayar told Entertainment Weekly ....

“We’ve been talking to the network and we all just wanted to make sure that we felt very confident. Now that everybody has seen the finale—which is fabulous—everybody understands that as much as we all adore the show, it has hit exactly the mark it needed to to end. This is the series finale of Revenge that will be airing in a couple weeks.”

Personally I think Revenge's ending is one of the least surprising cancellations we've had. Aside from the ratings sadly declining and ABC's lack of decent promotion this season, the fourth season has had so many moments where it looked like the show was wrapping up anyways - David being alive/exonerated, Daniel's death, Charlotte fleeing the Hamptons, Emily revealing to the world that she's Amanda and of course, Victoria blowing herself up as well. Now I love the show to bits but there's no way it could've logically justified a fifth run (even a truncated season would've been pushing it) and four seasons is a good run for the show. I'll miss Emily's weekly take downs and the wonderfulness that is Nolan but all good things have to end and hopefully the final episode will wrap things up in a satisfying way for the show.

Press Release: http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/04/revenge-cancelled-by-abc.html

Revenge's final episode will air on May 10th on ABC and later in the month for RTE1 viewers and in June for E4 viewers. Season 4 will be released on DVD later in 2015.

My Review of Revenge's 4x21: "Aftermath"

Written by Shannon Goss And Christopher Fife
Directed by Rob J. Greenlea

Emily (re Victoria): "That bitch set me up. I'm innocent."

Of course this happened. It would've been a remiss had it not. Emily had the perfect scheme to fake her death and see Victoria go to prison for it. Sadly for her, Victoria thought it was a neat thing to do as well and having Mason being part of the frame job was a nice touch. Emily screwed them both over and now they've done it to her in style.

I'm not actually praising Victoria and Mason here and I certainly don't see Emily going to prison as karma in any form but I do think she should've seen this one coming. With two episodes left in the series, I'd be extremely annoyed if Emily is sent to prison for a murder she didn't commit, but right now it does look like the odds aren't in her favour.

Along with Victoria's two minions Louise and Margaux acting like the woman was a saint, Ben well and truly turned on Emily this week too. I know that he had to consider the possibility of Victoria's death being a murder but it's almost like was too quick to believe that Emily murdered the woman and that scene with Jack at the station did come across as sour grapes as well.

Speaking of Jack - I understand that he momentarily considered the idea that Emily might have done it too (as did Stevie in a way but ultimately I am glad that some awkwardness aside that he was mainly on Emily's side in this episode as well, even if Nolan had to convince him of Emily's innocence as well. He also seemed happy when Ben told him that Emily chose him as well.

As for David - I'm glad the episode raised the notion of him being a suspect, considering that he had plotted to kill Victoria earlier in the season. Of course this also ended up being used as a means for Emily to find out that her father was ill, even if David didn't tell her everything. Isn't his condition actually worse than he's letting on?

The rest of the episode moved at a good pace too. While I hated that Nolan and Tony broke up, I am glad that at least the latter wasn't killed off or vilified in the process though. That being said - the adoption storyline for Tony literally came out of nowhere and a part of me is still hoping he's back for the last episode but I guess not, eh?

Also in "Aftermath"

Of course Emily wouldn't be bothered about Grayson Manor being blown up. It was never really her home in the first place.

Nolan (to Emily, re Mason): "Can't anyone follow a simple revenge plan? Oh right you didn't when you revealed yourself as Amanda."

Nolan's nickname for Mason - Crazy Capote. I think even if Mason sold his soul to the devil, he probably wouldn't have half of Capote's talent though.

Emily (re Victoria): "She wanted to die at Grayson Manor."
David: "That house was a symbol of everything Grayson stood for - wealth, power, status."

Stevie (re Victoria): "That woman changed the course of my life. She stole my husband, she drove me to drink and she ran me out of town."
Jack: "You're not the only person whose life she destroyed."

Of course Victoria's little video message would quickly delete but even though are retrievable though. Emily better hope so.

Louise (to Margaux): "I knew it. This wasn't a suicide at all. This was murder."

Nolan: "I wish I had met you a year ago."
Tony: "Me too. Goodbye Nolan."

Standout music: Not really anything this week I think.

Victoria (to Emily): "The only difference, you never had the guts to kill yourself but I do so I suppose that makes me the victor in our little game but who's keeping score? Enjoy your life in prison my dear. May you suffer greatly."

Chronology: From where "Burn" left off.

A strong follow up episode, "Aftermath" might have had some frustrating moments (airport security?) but it was still a great episode, even if things might not be looking so rosy for Emily at the moment.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x20: "Burn"

Written by Ted Sullivan
Directed by Kenneth Fink

Victoria (re her chair): "It's a memento of a bygone era."

What the fuck just happened there? Did Victoria really just blow herself to fricking bits just to 'end' her ongoing battle with Emily? I can't believe it but only because Victoria is so much of a narcissist to end her life but her pretending to frame Emily, I absolutely could.

However before I watched this episode, I had already been aware of the spoiler and I did read an interview with Madeleine Stowe (is it me or has she been rarely interviewed in relation to this show?) who explained that the death was real and that Victoria had been feeling suicidal. Victoria certainly came across as defeated and extremely paranoid in this episode but even I'm not sure if it were enough that she would willingly do herself in.

With this show increasingly unlikely to get a fifth season (and why bother when the upcoming The Kingmakers in production has a similar premise), the end definitely couldn't have been more spelled out that before. Heck, Emily even managed to get that troublesome flashdrive out of an agent's hands thereby taking away the only remaining leverage that Victoria had against her before the blow up at Grayson Manor.

Speaking of which, if Victoria had to die, then I'm glad it was there. I even got a kick out of seeing her placed on her throne one last time. That was a nice bit of closure I guess. Also with nearly everyone else in her family either dead or scarpered, she'll at least have both Margaux and Louise to romanticise her passing while Emily inevitably ends up getting arrested for the murder of course.

Seeing Margaux and Louise both as Victoria's support was amusing and annoying in equal measures. Any bit of endearment that Louise had earned evaporated in this episode where she outed Nolan and Tony's relationship and foolishly tried to extract a confession from the former about Emily attacking Victoria in the parking lot. Louise certainly backed the wrong horse here.

Keeping with Nolan - I think this was a great episode for him too. It was nice to see both him and Emily make amends and for one last time (possibly) he tried to push both her and Jack together. Also we got to see both him and Tony as a united front as well. After a series of failed/crazy romantic partners, it's nice that as the show begins to properly wind down, the writers finally found someone nice for Nolan to be with.

Of course while Nolan's love life seemed to sorted out, we had the ugly break up with Emily and Ben and the tedium of Jack sloping off to LA. I know we're supposed to feel for Jack but I was on Emily's side here more than his. Jack is just too much of a whinger at times and there's still three episodes left for him and Emily to properly get together anyways. As for Ben - I felt a little bad for him but given the trailer for next week, it does looks like Margaux and Louise will have another person for their 'We Hate Emily' club now that the chairperson blew herself up.

Also to keep with the shock factor of the episode (aside from Victoria/Grayson Manor going boom), this episode also revealed that David has lymphoma - something he confided in Stevie about but couldn't tell Emily while Mason Treadwell reappeared at the end to basically inform Emily that her revenge mission has destroyed her future happiness etc. Basically he's a little pissed off that he doesn't have dibs to her story now, though he did raise a little point in his scathing cutdown of her.

Also in "Burn"

For confirmation that Victoria's properly a goner, read this .... http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/04/revenge-season-4-spoiler-confirmed-to.html

Margaux: "Victoria, I beg you don't let this woman into your life."
Louise: "Well someone has to lighten the mood around here. You're about as depressing as a Yankee groom at a Southern wedding."

Was this show trying to do their own brief version of Once Upon A Time's Queens of Darkness with Victoria, Margaux and Louise?

Tony: "Everything is fixable."
Nolan: "That is debatable."

Victoria (re Emily, to Louise): "She's taken everything away from me - my son, his child, Charlotte. She will not stop until I'm dead and I refuse to give her that satisfaction.

I just realised that Josh Pence who plays Tony actually played a younger version of Ras Al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises. Maybe Margaux/Louise can get Victoria to a Lazarus pit.

Emily (re Tony): "I hear he's a really great guy."
Nolan: "Go finish this."

Louise: "Good on you, wreck a marriage, get a sugar daddy."
Tony: "Now that's not true."

This episode saw the real Emily's gravestone change (she was born on October 3rd 1985) as well as Stevie getting Carl's birth certificate changed too.

Jack (to Nolan, re Emily): "I'm asking you as a friend, don't ever tell me she loves me again."

Nolan: "I've never met anyone like you."
Tony: "Now you have."

Standout music: Talking Heads "Burning Down The House". Oh, how very fitting for this episode.

Mason (to Emily): "Like the little pyromaniac you are, you started a fire and convinced yourself you could contain it but I know your dirty little secret. You can't exist without revenge."

Chronology: From where "Exposure" more or less left off.

"Burn" certainly lived up to it's title. Whether it was that scathing commentary Emily received courtesy of Mason at the end or Victoria's suicide, this was just an incredible episode. ABC might as well just admit it now that the remaining three episodes will end this show.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x19: "Exposure"

Written by Wilson Pollick And Andrew Steier
Directed by Jennifer Wilkinson

Emily: "Victoria, if you're watching, it is in your hands to end this."

Now that's how to throw down the gauntlet. Granted, Emily's on air "up yours" towards Victoria might have stemmed after Nolan realised too late that Louise had betrayed information to the demon lady herself but either way, I liked that Emily publicly slighted Victoria in the manner she did.

Victoria might be a great villain but her inability to take responsibility or even partially admit she's done terrible things as much as Emily has been growing more and more annoying over the last few seasons and having Emily allude to Aiden's murder and Victoria's part in it was pretty satisfying to watch.

On a frustrating note, this episode not only gave Victoria one ally for her cause but two of them. Louise foolishly screwed over Nolan because she stupidly bought into Victoria's little sob stories about Daniel and Margaux then returned to the vengeance after briefly having some sense in this episode about Emily. One step forward with Margaux and then several ones backwards.

As for Louise - I don't think she's really in a position to be that annoyed with Nolan. Nolan had no reason to tell her about Emily's real identity and Louise did conveniently ignore the fact that it was him who got her away from her mother's clutches as well as saving her from a trip back to Claremont. Is it too much to hope that Louise gets an epiphany and ends up helping Emily and Nolan in the last run of episodes?

Keeping with Emily - when she wasn't pissed at Nolan for keeping dangerous information about her, she was also feeling the brunt of Ben's annoyance but on the plus side, she did manage to stop a few of her former takedowns from mounting a revenge mission on her for the time being. I liked that Emily was savvy enough to realise that some of them would band together against her and that Victoria would go to the media as well. The fact that Emily got ahead on both fronts was pretty nice.

As for the episode itself - it was primarily a clip show with several clips from various seasons tying into the events of today. While I do think clip shows can be somewhat naff and a cheap way of saving money, it actually worked well enough, highlighting the progression that Emily and her mission has made over the last four years as well as reminding viewers of the people that she's lost along the way too.

Of course this episode was very much building towards things coming to an end - Emily Thorne no longer exists (but I'm sticking with the name for the remaining reviews), her battle with Victoria is close to concluding as is the whole 'will they/won't they' thing with her and Jack. Oh and there's a final enemy in sight too. Let's not kid ourselves - it's either going to be Lydia or Charlotte, right?

Also in "Exposure"

I hope for Louise's sake she isn't stupid enough to tell either Victoria or Margaux that she killed Lymon.

Emily: "Emily Thorne no longer exists."
Nolan: "It's the end of an era."

The fun thing about the flashbacks was noticing how different a lot of the characters (the male ones moreso) look now.

Ben (to Emily): "It's too late. That's why it's called live television. You don't get a do-over."

Emily (to Tom): "So get on the phone and spread the word. Stay away from David and Amanda Clarke."

One of the few decent things that Margaux did in this episode was admit to Victoria that Emily didn't cause her to lose the baby.

Victoria: "She caused you to lose your own child. Why don't you care?"
Margaux: "Because I lied. Emily didn't push me."

Emily (to interviewer): "I didn't make an accusation. It's on Victoria to take responsibility for her own actions. I do have sympathy for her though. She was born with a dark soul.

Standout music: You & Me's "You & Me", played at the end of the episode with David and Emily on the porch.

Victoria: "Amanda Clarke dug a grave for me tonight."
Margaux: "But I won't let her put you in it."

Emily (to David): "For the first time, I have no idea what's coming."

Chronology: From where "Clarity" left off.

As a clip show went, "Exposure" did a solid job of keeping things pretty interesting. The nods to the past (Sammy, real Emily/pretend Amanda, Aiden) were great and the hints of things to come should hopefully give this show a satisfying conclusion. At this point, I really do think it's done for now.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x18: "Clarity"

Written by Karin Gist
Directed by Allison Liddi-Brown

Emily (to the media): "There is only one explanation. There's one secret that I kept and it has cost the ones I love more than I ever wanted. I am David Clarke's daughter. I am Amanda Clarke."

Well, that was interesting but when you think about it, rather expected. With an upcoming series from one of this show's writers having a similar premise (The Kingmakers which I'll discuss in a later blog) and the likelihood that the remaining five episodes will see the end of this show for good, Emily's rather public confession to clear Daniel's name felt signposted throughout the episode.

That doesn't mean that the reveal in the final moments lacked impact. In fact they packed a genuine punch as Jack and David looked delighted with Emily outing herself to counter the likes of Nolan, Victoria and Margaux being completely shocked by the whole thing as well. The fact that Ben wasn't there during Emily's pivotal moment should be taken as a sign of those two breaking up as well.

I'm glad that Emily's secret is out. We might have a few more episodes left but every main cast member has known who she is since the second half of this season and aside from some inevitable legal ramifications for Emily's double life, it does feel like the beginning of the end for the series in a proper way.

More to the point - Emily gave both Victoria and Margaux what they wanted. Daniel's name is no longer tainted and while Victoria doesn't look particularly satisfied in the previews, Margaux has slowly realised that going after Emily wasn't her brightest of ideas. She told Victoria to let it go in this one and even got her right hand man and that assassin lady not to go after Emily too. As annoying as Margaux has been in the last few episodes, I did feel bad for her here.

As for the Emily, Ben and Jack triangle - well, any day now Emily and Ben will break up. The divide is already there between them and while Stevie was able to persuade Jack to go along with Emily's original plan, he was still there during the crucial moment of her public announcement too. I think Jack/Emily fans are going to very much get their happy ending by the time we get to the finale.

In less happy news, it looks like things are going to turn ugly between Nolan and Louise as well in the last few episodes. Louise overheard him talking to Jack about being married to her out of pity and when he did tell her he wanted a divorce, she played it off like it was nothing. Not to mention her sudden fixation on getting pregnant, the whole flashdrive issue and to a lesser extent, both Tony (who bailed on Nolan sadly) and Lymon's death of course. Yeah, this isn't going to end well at all, is it?

Also in "Clarity"

I'm surprised we didn't get to see Louise's awful mother one more time during this episode. I really hope Louise doesn't properly go crazy on Nolan.

Margaux: "How can I miss someone I never met?"
Victoria: "You're a mother and Emily should be behind bars for taking that away from you."

The assassin was called White Gold and she was played by Courtney Love. First Empire and now this show. Where will she appear next?

Nolan: "I have to make sure I'm free."
Tony: "My advice, be free."

Emily: "You asked me to leave revenge behind. This is what it looks like, Dad."

We met Ben's older brother Kevin in the episode as the former made detective (something which Victoria briefly threatened to scupper as well). Even he picked up on the Emily/Jack vibe.

Louise: "Nolan and I have no secrets."
Victoria: "Did he tell you what happened the night Daniel died?"

Tony: "This isn't how I work Nolan. I won't be the other man in someone's marriage."

Tony looked pretty damn hot without his glasses on. I hope he comes back in the remaining episodes.

Margaux: "I wasn't myself when I asked him to hire you."
White: "You were the darkest part of yourself. Don't be ashamed, own it."

Louise: "I'm a big girl, Nolan. I can swim in the deep end."

Standout music: Calvin Harris/Haim's "Pray To God".

Emily: "I've lived between two worlds. You can't possibly understand."
Ben: "Yeah, but I want to. Come on, don't do this. Don't shut me out."

Chronology: More or less from where "Loss" left off.

Now this was excellent. Another one of those with a tiny bit of tweaking, it could've been a series finale but either way, "Clarity" was a triumph. I don't know where the remaining episodes are going to go but it does look like this show could go out in style.

Rating: 9 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x17: "Loss"

Written by Joe Fazzio
Directed by Helen Hunt

Margaux (to Victoria): "Emily cornered me on the street. She said she wanted peace, she gave me her word but then she pushed me."

I was hoping this episode was going to be the last of Emily and Margaux's battle. For a slight moment, it almost looked like that was going to happen when Emily actually handed her real birth certificate over to Margaux. Then that moment happened and suddenly things became ten times worse.

Much as I've hated where Margaux has been taken as a character these last few episodes, she has my sympathy for losing her baby - Victoria too for that matter. However, grief stricken as she may be, blaming Emily (who also is blaming herself) was a pretty callous thing for her to do and it's obviously going to escalate things now.

Victoria was keeping to her side of the bargain by not going after Emily and even spent the last few episodes dissuading Margaux's revenge mission but now we've got this whole new rivalry between Victoria and Emily where the latter is genuinely innocent as well. That's going to be trying in the next few episodes.

Overall, this wasn't the greatest of episodes for Margaux, even without her tragic loss. Her attempts of going after Jack became foiled after Emily and company realised it was the judge who was in her pockets and Ben played his role nicely in the latter being forced to go in favour of Jack. On another plus side - how great was it that Stevie returned in this episode?

Even if it meant some of the usual Jack angst (though he showed some awareness during one scene), having Stevie both in the mix and privy to the Emily/Amanda thing actually made her even that bit more fantastic to watch. Can we keep Stevie for the remainder of the season? She even livened David up in some of his scenes, though to be honest, he was actually likeable and useful throughout the whole episode. I loved that he was able to comfort Emily at the end of the episode and give her sensible advice too. I just wish we had seen that David earlier in the season.

Also in the Jack related plots this week - we got the introduction of social worker, Tony who seemed a little put out by Jack's working/living/family stuff but as soon as Nolan championed Jack, he was a little won over - by Nolan. We've had a few teases this season of Nolan may be getting a male love interest and despite his sham marriage, it looks like he might be in there with Tony after all.

Speaking of Louise - am I glad the Lymon stuff got dealt with quickly. His body was found, Louise lied to Ben about what happened but then told Nolan the truth later in the episode. I don't know where else they can go with this Louise/Nolan sham marriage storyline but I really don't want Louise turning on Nolan though. Can the show avoid going down that road, pretty please?

Also in "Loss"

Emily having nightmares of the night she was taken away from her father was a nice tie into the Jack/Carl plot.

Emily: "This is between you and me. You leave Jack out of it."
Margaux: "Emily, you started this. Whatever happens to Jack is on your hands."

Margaux being the one to go against the Wing in Daniel's name instead of Emily was a better plot twist. Her motives were sympathetic too.

Emily: "I'm holding to our truce, Victoria. I don't want any more loss."
Victoria: "Neither do I."

Emily (re Margaux): "Take care of her or I will."
Victoria: "Spoken like a true pacifist."

The horrible thing is that Margaux's miscarriage was so heavily telegraphed in this episode in nearly every scene she appeared in.

Margaux (to Victoria): "I just want to keep my baby safe."

Emily: "I propose a truce to protect the people we have left."
Margaux: "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Emily: "Just the opposite. I believe you're a good person, Margaux who got caught up in this. We can clear Daniel's name together. You have my word."

Standout music: Ben Howard's "She Treats Me Well"

Emily (re Margaux): "It was an accident."
Victoria: "Around you, there are no accidents."

Chronology: From where "Retaliation" left off.

I loved this episode. "Loss" might have not been subtle within the slightest at hinting at what was going to happen with Margaux but between Nolan potentially getting a new love interest, Emily wanting to end the cycle of vengeance and Stevie's return, this was a brilliant episode.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x16: "Retaliation"

Written by Jesse Lasky
Directed by Alrick Riley

Victoria (to David): "I guess there's a silver lining to not killing me after all."

Um, yeah, I guess there might be. I'm not sure how I feel about Natalie being disposed of as quickly as Malcolm Black was. Is there now going to be a three episode limit on antagonists for the remainder of the season? On the plus side, at least Natalie was a bit more fun to watch than Malcolm but messing with Victoria was never going to end well with her.

I did love that Victoria seemed more miffed about Natalie taking over hosting the July 4th party than sinking her claws into David but at the same time, Natalie trying to finish what Conrad started with David also sealed her downfall as well. Having her revealed as one of Conrad's mistresses (seriously how many did he have?) was a little bit of a cop out but I did like that her own stupidity in admitting to starving Edward to death gave Victoria the upper hand though.

I really enjoyed the take down in this episode and it was sort of nice seeing Victoria and David kind of working together. Victoria will never be a selfless person but at least she's being consistent in wanting to use any wealth to clear Daniel's name through a foundation and David while still dull hasn't been as insufferably dull as he was at the start of the season. Make of that what you will.

Keeping with the take downs, Margaux had a mixed bag this week. On one hand, she actually managed to achieve some success by getting Jack arrested for drunk driving because apparently we need more of Jack's 'woe is me' act for the final six episodes of the season but on the other hand, her other two attempts to thwart Emily spectacularly failed though.

Using Ben's ex-wife April and siccing the poor woman's violent ex-boyfriend (a bloke named Wes) to go after her was pretty low by Margaux's standards and it's also continuing my irritation with her whole revenge plot. Even Victoria seemed bored by it during her brief scene with Margaux this week but at least the result ended up with Wes arrested and April getting to have her life back again.

As a plot, it was hardly compelling but far less tedious than I expected to be. More to the point, if I didn't think that Emily and Ben didn't stand a chance in hell of lasting as a couple, then this episode certainly proved that they won't make it as a couple. Which should please Emily/Jack shippers no doubt.

As for Margaux's other plot - her getting Lymon to worm his way into Louise's affection to get information from Nolan's computer - yeah, that was obvious. That being said, I didn't actually expect Louise to inadvertently cause her brother to meet his maker in this one. I really hope the writers don't use this as a means of having Louise turning on Nolan, which I fear they might do.

Also in "Retaliation"

Lydia got a mention in this episode. I wouldn't be surprised if she resurfaced. I'm actually surprised she hasn't.

Natalie: "Victoria, look, you gave it your best shot in court. It's over."
Victoria: "You clearly don't know me."

Both Victoria and Louise seemed to have interesting looks in this episode with their hair. I can't believe I just typed that too.

Nolan (to Ben): "Betrayal. You always have to give yourself an extra fifteen minutes."

Margaux: "I thought common sense would prevail. What is it about that girl that makes people go against their best interests?"

Lymon doesn't strike me as a computer expert, yet he was able to hack one of Nolan's secret laptops with such ease.

Ben: "How do you come back from something like that?"
Emily: "I don't think you ever do."

Lymon (to Louise): "It's your call but I say don't let your old family sink your new one."

Standout music: Years & Years "Desire".

Ben: "A person's first love is their weak spot."
Emily (re Margaux): "Just like Daniel proved to be hers."
Ben: "So who's yours?"

Chronology: July 4th of course.

I really enjoyed this episode. Okay, so "Retaliation" could've done without the super overt Jack/Emily shipping pandering but the episode was hugely engaging from start to finish and I liked the take downs we got as well. Provided Louise doesn't turn on Nolan, this was a winner.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x15: "Bait"

Written by Shannon Goss
Directed by Ty Trullinger

Emily: "Word of advice, if you're gonna keep coming at me, you're gonna have to be a hell of a lot smarter."
Margaux: "You think you're invincible?"
Emily: "Not invincible, just better."

Now this was a fun episode. Revenge has always worked well with it's female rivalries and while the days of Emily and Victoria are no longer a thing, both ladies at least have other adversaries they can try to take down with varying degrees of relish.

First of all, Emily vs. Margaux. I've always actually liked Margaux enough as a character but as an antagonist, she is both lacking something and isn't half as clever as she wants to think she is. Granted, she's no Ashley either but this episode almost made it too easy for Emily to constantly best her that the last scene with Ben at a disadvantage (looks like we're meeting his ex-wife soon) actually came as a surprise.

Until then it was amusing to see a simple bracelet become the very thing used to corrupt Margaux's computer system and Emily revelling in being the smarter of the two was amusing as well. Of course, Emily does have a weak spot - he's called Jack but by keeping him at arm's length, she managed to remove one ace from Margaux's short sleeve though.

Personally though, I wish the show would give up on this rivalry. Margaux simply isn't justified in her revenge against Emily and she simply doesn't work as an antagonist. The sooner she actually takes Victoria's advice and moves on with her life, the better for her and for us as viewers as well.

Speaking of Victoria - I love the rivalry with her and Natalie. I don't know if Natalie is a slightly nicer or potentially nastier version of Victoria but I do love that she was Conrad's stepmother and the fighting over Edward's will between the ladies is actually a lot more fun than I expected it to be. A part of me is surprised they didn't connect Natalie with the Malcolm Black storyline but it looks like everyone's forgotten that was ever a thing to begin with.

Victoria's teaming up with Lymon as well was another surprise twist I liked in this storyline. Lymon's determination to revive his flagging political career and Victoria wanting more than two incontinent Corgis out of her father in law's will was a good enough incentive for the pair of them to join forces. I'm not sure if there's enough story here to get us to the finale but it's a lot of fun nonetheless though.

A little less fun was Emily rejecting Jack though. On one hand, I get that she's trying not to give Margaux any further ammunition but on the other hand, I just don't see her and Ben as an endgame couple. However I don't doubt by the finale (if not an episode or two before then) that Jack and Emily will finally get it on though.

Also in "Bait"

Natalie was Edward's nurse and divorced her previous husband to quickly marry him. I'm guessing she might be the Annie Wilkes of the Hamptons then.

Ben: "So what is Jack Porter doing next?"
Jack: "Something I should've done a long time ago."

If Jack's idea of doing something spontaneous is making a grilled cheese sandwich - well, that's just a bit weak, isn't it?

Victoria: "You were Edward's wife? That was your secret?"
Natalie: "Gotta admit, it was a good one."

I liked Louise being included in the whole screwing Margaux over plot this week. I still don't want her and Nolan actually sleeping together but I do like their rapport.

Victoria: "I need a lawyer, not an opportunist."
Lymon: "Well, it's a good thing for you, I'm both."

Nolan (re Emily): "We're sort of like superheroes."
Louise: "Well I thought we were like the Wonder Twins."

Nolan describing him and Emily's dynamic like that cracked me up. Oh and it looks like we might be having a David/Natalie pairing as well to rile Victoria up in later episodes.

Natalie (re Edward): "I loved him."
Victoria: "What exactly did you love most? The fact that he was worth millions or was on death's doorstep? I think it was both."

Standout music: Broods "Never Gonna Change" at the start of the episode.

Jack: "It's always been you. From the moment Sammy ran out to you that day."
Emily: "I don't know what to say, things between us Jack are messy."

Chronology: More or less from where "Kindred" left off.

I liked this episode. "Bait" wasn't big or too eventful but it kept things ticking along nicely and while Emily's rejection of Jack was more frustrating than heartbreaking, fans of that particular are more than likely going to get their happy ending anyways. Still not sure where else this show can go once this season wraps up properly.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x14: "Kindred"

Written by Nancy Kiu
Directed by Colin Bucksey

Mystery Caller (to Victoria): “There’s been a death in the family.”

Okay then. The show needed a solid cliff hanger of sorts and this episode provided at least two of them. Aside from Daniel and Conrad, who else in Victoria’s family has now become a dead person? Charlotte? Patrick? Her mother perhaps? I’m kind of hoping for the latter as having Victoria lose two children in a short space of time might be a bit too much for her.

Keeping with Victoria, this was a very interesting episode for her. Not only did she firmly remind Margaux again to let go of her vendetta against Emily (she really has changed), but she also got some nice closure with David of sorts and a fabulous new rival in the shape of Natalie Waters.

Casting Gina Torres was a smart move for this show and in four scenes alone, I already find Natalie a fascinating character. I loved how she seemed to be slightly a step ahead of Victoria during their encounters and even unmoved by Victoria’s threats to discover her secrets as well. Now that Emily no longer poses a threat to Victoria, it looks like Natalie may fill that void and I cannot wait to see both ladies going head to head again. I just hope Natalie gets more episodes than Malcolm Black did.

Speaking of ladies going head to head – Margaux fought poorly with the reports insinuating that Emily and David were lovers (really did not want that image in my head) and I liked that Emily made it clear she could crush Margaux’s little empire as well. I also liked that when Margaux finally did get some genuine ammunition against Emily, it also happened to involve Jack and because of that, we got some conflict to Margaux’s overall plan. Points given to at least making this plotline more interesting than it initially was but I’m still hoping Margaux comes to her senses and lets it go.

As for Jack – I really could’ve done without his moping in this episode. While David seemed to enable it, Ben at least seemed slightly exasperated by it but at the same time, at least Jack finally left the force. I hated Jack being a cop because it made no sense but I do find it amusing that as he was about to try to get together with Emily, she had already moved on to Ben. I wouldn’t worry – Emily and Ben probably won’t last.

As for the rest of the episode – when Emily wasn’t toying with the idea of taking back her real name (thanks to David, who was actually pretty great this week), I liked that both her and Nolan finally helped Louise to expose her mother for the murderer she was. I’m glad Louise doesn’t have blood on her hands and even more delighted that she managed to cut both Penelope and Lyman off as well. While I’d rather her and Nolan didn’t consummate their marriage, this whole ‘sham marriage’ storyline has been more enjoyable than expected.

Also in “Kindred”

Nolan checking out one of his staff members while taking about his marriage to Emily cracked me up.

Nolan: “The marriage may be fake in it’s spirit but it’s real on paper. Nolan Ross is off the market.”
Emily: “And the world weeps.”

Emily or shall I say Amanda Clarke was born on June 11th 1984. Of course she had to be a Gemini and as one myself, I’m pretty stoked about it.

Victoria (to Margaux): “I told you that if you go to war with Emily, no good can come of it.”

Emily: “Is that a threat?”
Margaux: “Simply the world you’ve chosen to live in.”

I’m surprised when Emily wasn’t trying to crack Louise’s memories that she didn’t go for the same method that had been used on her by Takeda and Aiden.

Ben: “Don’t make me do that.”
Emily: “What?”
Ben: “Imagine a world without Emily Thorne.”

Natalie (to Victoria): “It’s not easy being queen if you believe your history.”

It was a bit funny that Penelope and Judge Miller kept the murder weapon for all those years and in public display too.

Victoria (to her socialites): “A friend is like a business. Investing in the wrong one always proves costly.”

Standout music: Lia Ices “Magick”.

Louise: “How could Nolan have such faith in me when I don’t have faith in myself?”
Emily: “Cos that’s who Nolan.”

Chronology: A few days from where “Abduction” left off.

“Kindred” was a nice episode. Not as action packed as the previous one but again, some loose ends were tied up, some plots took an interesting twist and hopefully there’s enough sustainable for the remaining eight episodes when the show returns in March.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x13: "Abduction"

Written by Christopher Fife
Directed by John Scott

Victoria (to Margaux): “Emily’s not worth your time. Besides, revenge is a dangerous game.”

Have we finally turned a corner with Victoria? Maybe. She did spend most of this episode in captivity with Emily and when she wasn’t sniping at her former daughter in law, she even went out of her way to try and save her from Malcolm Black. In some ways, I’m actually wondering if hell has officially frozen over.

Having Victoria and Emily forced into working together to survive Malcolm’s captivity might have been an obvious move but it was also a rewarding too. Even an episode ago, these two would’ve happily trampled on the other just for the fun of it but here they had bigger fish to fry and while Jack, David and Ben did their bit to save them, it was mostly the ladies own smarts that kept them alive.

I have to admit though, I am surprised about Malcolm. For all the hype he was given as a baddie, he didn’t even last three episodes and despite almost incinerating Emily, he didn’t particularly feel that threatening as a baddie. Mainly, I blame the accent but also the writing to a point.

I will also admit though that Malcolm’s death was the funniest we’ve had since Pascal’s in the previous season. Getting shot by David and then incinerated himself should’ve been horrifying but instead, it was actually fairly comical. Now how the hell the remaining nine episodes are going to work without him as a lingering threat, I don’t know but I will be intrigued to find out.

Surely the writers don’t think Margaux’s revenge mission against Emily is going to grip viewers for the remainder of the season? Margaux’s vendetta is even more misplaced than Victoria’s was at the start of the season and even if the latter is telling you to let it go, then perhaps it’s advice Margaux should take on board.

The problem is that even though I generally like Margaux as a character, this is not an interesting storyline to go with the character. I know the writers probably wanted to give her something to do other than be pregnant but this isn’t the best idea either. If Emily could outfox the Graysons for most of this show’s run, then Margaux hasn’t a hope in hell of taking Emily down. I’m hoping this plot is done with fast and not bled out for the remaining nine episodes of the season.

Speaking of plots – Nolan and Louise married? I didn’t see that coming but seeing as it was a ploy to ensure Louise could get her inheritance away from her awful mother Penelope (who actually appeared properly on the show), I can live with it. As for Penelope, it’s amazing how they managed to make her more of a credible threat in this episode than Malcolm was for the last two. As for the bombshell of Louise killing her father – the actual truth or more manipulation from Mommy Dearest? It’s kind of hard to tell really.

As for the rest of the episode – I liked that Victoria and David broke up and I even found Ben okay during this episode as well. He was mostly useful (except for the bit where he was bound and gagged by one of Malcolm’s thugs) but at the same time, I’m not exactly in love with the idea of a pairing with him and Emily. I still don’t really think they have any chemistry to be honest.

Also in “Abduction”

Ed Quinn is a good bit of casting for this show. I just hope he’s not wasted in his role as Margaux’s lackey though.

Emily: “It’s not about us. It’s about everyone whose going to suffer if we don’t get out of here alive, including my father.”
Victoria: “”Your words hold no meaning for me anymore.”

If someone with all the media connections, it really shouldn’t be that hard for Margaux to find other ways to ruin Emily without her hired help, right?

Penelope: “You need those pills to stay sane.”
Louise: “Those pills you tricked me into taking had horrible side effect, including seeing more of you than I wanted to.”

Victoria: “Love is complicated.”
Emily: “He doesn’t love you.”

I wonder if Courtney Ford got any payment for a voice credit for this episode, given that Jack, David and Ben tried to trick Malcolm into thinking Kate was alive.

Victoria (to Malcolm, re Kate): “”I killed her. She murdered my son and I shot the bitch in cold blood. You know the best part? I loved it!”

Standout music: “Grizzly Bear” by Angus & Julia Stone.

Louise: “Guess who got married?”
Penelope: “You did what?”
Nolan: “And that makes me her conservator now which means that Louise is finally free of you.”

Chronology: Actually a year and a half since the events of “Truth” but also from where “Madness” left off.

With some tweaking, “Abduction” really could’ve been a series finale. Malcolm Black is dead, Victoria and Emily have buried the hatchet and Victoria and David have broken up and I’m not sure if the other subplots are enough to keep the remaining episodes going but I’ll keep an open mind though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x12: "Madness"

Written by Sallie Patrick
Directed by Matt Shakman

Mrs Ellis (to Louise): “You can see it in their eyes, can’t you? What I have known since you were born, that you’re a waste of life.”

And I thought Victoria was a terrible mother! I know an episode heavily focusing on Louise’s back-story isn’t the very thing that some fans might want to see but I’m actually glad we got one, especially as this episode cleared up a few things while adding a little more mystery into the mix.

I have to admit that I was surprised it turned out that Louise was getting Larium in her Xanax (which was meant to explain her violent outbursts and hallucinations) but at the same time, the bigger question remained – was Lyman responsible for his sister’s drugging? Nolan seemed pretty convinced he was and this episode didn’t exactly make it clear as to whether he was guilty or not.

Lyman, in general played by some Southern charm from Sebastian Piggott seemed a little enigmatic too, character wise. I genuinely cannot figure out if his concern for Louise’s well being is sincere or part of an elaborate scheme to control her inheritance. It’s fairly clear that Mama Ellis is certainly doing her best to drive her daughter over the edge but whether or not Lyman is party to that, I don’t know.

Another thing I really liked about the Louise storyline this week was Emily’s involvement. Emily was sensible in being wary of Louise’s previous history but I like that she kept an open mind, gave Nolan sensible advice and then helped clear things up after a distressed Louise slapped Nolan. Another thing I liked was the fact that Louise’s favour to Victoria became knowledge to Emily and Nolan.

Even after her son’s death, Victoria still won’t accept the fact that her own stupidity led to Daniel being killed by Kate. Emily calling her out on it didn’t seem to sway her either but their confrontation at the lighthouse got caught short by a slippery Malcolm Black knocking out and kidnapping the two with his goons.

Ah yes, Malcolm Black – I’m trying to keep an open mind here but between his comedy Irish accent and those tedious flashbacks detailing his history with David, I’m just not convinced he’s such the big bad this show is trying to portray him as. Now Conrad I easily believed in from the very first episode as a baddie but Malcolm, not so much. Hopefully the next episode will change my mind on this but somehow I doubt it though.

Also in “Madness”

David’s scheme to kill Victoria was back on this week. Is it wrong that I now want him to fail?

Lyman: “Every penny counts.”
Nolan: “That it does.”

Reading the Backlot’s review for this episode, I too was disappointed that Nolan and Lyman didn’t get familiar in another way but maybe it could still happen. Assuming Nolan doesn’t get paired up with Louise.

Emily (to David): “Death for Victoria would be merciful. She has nothing left. Now is the time to let her suffer.”

Nolan: “What’s the world coming to? You spare Victoria’s life again?”
Emily: “As many times I’ve considered it, you know that death was never my intention. Too much blood has been shed, Daniel’s included.”

I liked that Victoria actually told Margaux about Daniel saving Emily and that the latter was really Amanda. Ben overhearing the conversation I didn’t expect though.

Louise (to Emily): “It’s just that everyone has two faces, some more than others. I mean you of all people should know that.”

David (to Jack): “Conrad ruined my life but Malcolm has damned my soul to hell.”

Standout music: Massimo Salvagnin Quartet’s “Cari Ragazzi”.

Malcolm (to Emily): “Nighty night.”

Chronology: A few days since “Epitaph”.

“Madness” certainly had it’s moments of chaos but I do wonder if Louise’s subplot with her family is more interesting than Malcolm’s antics, is that kind of a bad thing too? Still though, episode wise, I did very much enjoy this one though.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x11: "Epitaph"

Written by Alex Taub
Directed by Bobby Roth

Daniel (to Emily): “If you open those curtains, it’s all be over.”

It’s been a month since Daniel was actually killed off screen and in terms of send offs; this was a satisfying episode to finally end the character. Assuming we won’t be seeing Joshua Bowman on the series, even in flashbacks and dream sequences any time soon.

With Daniel’s death being so prominent in this episode, there were some pros and cons. The obvious cons was the whole cover up of Kate’s body to make it look like Emily had to kill Daniel in self defence and if even Ben could easily see through that, then I’m pretty certain the arriving Malcolm Black will be able to as well.

It was also pointless because now we’ve got a misguided vengeance storyline of Margaux’s to deal with as well. I like Margaux but the whole idea of her wanting to take down Emily will become pretty tedious and at this point, with everyone else privy to her being Amanda, maybe Margaux could be used more as an ally than a threat to Emily, right?

Then there’s Victoria and David. Is it wrong that I like that Daniel’s death is doing more to drive a wedge between them than uniting them? They were both pretty nasty to one another this week, even if David did try to be a bit more supportive during the actual funeral itself.

As for David – I called his whole plan to take out Malcolm Black being a failure. Even without the last scene where the latter killed off Edward (who was the most annoying character this week), the latter half of this season alone needs Malcolm and whatever brand of danger he supposedly carries to the remaining cast members.

The rest of the episode also had it’s moments though – I liked that while Emily was banned from Daniel’s funeral, we still got some insight into her true feelings about him and I even liked that she told Ben about being shot by Daniel during her wedding night. However if anything, I think that’s going to make Ben even more of a problem down the line than anything else.

As for Louise – her loyalty towards Victoria remains gravely misplaced but her baking skills and general perkiness at least prevented the episode from being a total downer. Aside from the lingering plotline with her brother, I’m not sure where else Louise can go for the remaining half of the season but at the same time, I’m finding her a lot more enjoyable now than I did when this season began.

Also in “Epitaph”

While I didn’t miss Charlotte in this episode, it did feel slightly odd not having her in it either. At least her absence was accounted for onscreen.

Victoria: “How smoothly you lie.”
David: “I did that so you don’t have to.”

The Daniel flashbacks in this episode involved Victoria teaching him how to tie a tie and a bedroom scene with Emily. Jack also had a flashback to romping with Kate.

Ben (to Jack): “I’ve seen Emily play people, including me and she’s good at it. Anyway, I hope it’s true.”

Victoria: “I won’t be a prisoner to your lies anymore.”
David: “I was a prisoner for two decades because of you. You can hold on for one more day.”

Emily showed more of her bad ass nature when she got David to help her pop her shoulder back in. Whatever toughness Emily has was not courtesy of him.

Emily (to Ben, re Daniel): “I wouldn’t hurt him because underneath the scar tissue, the temper, there was a genuinely good guy trying to find his way.”

David (to Emily, re Victoria): “If all of this hadn’t happened, we’d be having her funeral right now instead of Daniel’s.”

Standout music: Izler’s “Emptiness”.

Malcolm: “Malcolm Black.”

Chronology: The episode picked up from where “Atonement” left off.

Not as gripping as the winter finale but at the same time, “Epitaph” was a good note to end Daniel’s death on and to properly introduce Malcolm Black into the mix. It’s good that the show has found it’s feet again after such a shaky start this season.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x10: "Atonement"

Written by Ted Sullivan
Directed by John Terlesky

Emily: “I want you to know that it wasn’t all a lie. Not with you.”
Daniel: “I know.”

Okay, Daniel’s death may have been coming for a long time but bloody hell, that was an incredible episode. Why did it take until now for the writers to give us something this great this season?

After spending three and a half seasons alternating between being something of a right bastard and wanting to be a decent man, it seemed that the latter won out and Daniel’s demise was on the horizon, courtesy of a trigger happy Kate of course. I liked that his final scene was with Emily and I also liked that he managed to make amends of sorts with Margaux as well.

I even liked the flashbacks to 2008 with Daniel and Conrad (how the latter really is missed on this show) as well. I’m not surprised that Conrad manipulated Daniel out of doing the right thing back then but I did like that Daniel took responsibility for his actions in the present day, including the fact that he shot Emily this time a year ago as well. Now that was the Daniel I kind of liked back in early seasons.

As for the death in question – Daniel just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time as Kate and Emily were duking it out with each other. Having Daniel save Emily from a shooting prior to getting shot himself seemed ironic though. As for Kate, well she didn’t get time to gloat because Jack shot her moments later for good measure.

It’s kind of a shame though that we lost Kate in this episode because she finally became interesting to watch. I liked her and Victoria trying to get information out of each other and the whole fight/shoot out scene with her and Emily was also brilliant as well. Kate made for a potentially decent adversary and having her revealed as Malcolm’s daughter was a pleasant enough twist.

Keeping with decent twists, David finally did something interesting this season. While he might have failed in his murder attempt with Victoria (belladonna in the wine – an appropriate twist), the fact that he now wants to kill her suddenly improved him a little as a character. However with Victoria admitting her part in his original downfall and Daniel being dead, I think David might lay off any further murder attempts for the time being though.

Last but not least and to add some levity to the episode – Nolan and Louise. I don’t know if it’s the start of a potential hook up or just a really amusing friendship but those wonder twins were fun to watch this week. I really hope that by having Nolan offer Louise a way to get back at her politician brother it means that she doesn’t become psycho with him. Is that too much to ask for?

Also in “Atonement”

Relegating Ben to one simple scene meant he was less annoying than before.

Daniel: “Why is my future more important than hers?”
Conrad: “I once asked myself the very same thing.”

Louise and Nolan got their own shipper name – Lolan and took some selfies too for good measure.

Kate: “What is it you want?”
Victoria: “Just for David and I to have the relationship we were denied years ago.”

Nolan: “When does anything ever go right for the host of a Hamptons party with you on the guest list?”
Emily: “I heard that.”

Victoria’s conversation about the difference with Conrad and Daniel to Margaux was nice. I was surprised that Kara was later mentioned in the episode.

Louise: “How I enjoy toying with the weaker sex.”
Nolan: “That includes me too.”

Daniel (to Victoria): “I’m done running. I hope you are too.”

Standout music: Jessie J/Arianne Grande/Nicki Minaj’s “Bang Bang”

Emily: “I’m guessing only question is, when were you planning to kill me?”
Kate: “”Well, I was planning on after we got your money but plans change.”

Chronology: From where “Intel” left off.

Brilliant episode. “Atonement” definitely is the standout of the season and I’m hoping a sign of a much meatier and gripping second half too. Oh and quite an exit for Daniel too. I think I’m gonna miss him now.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x09: "Intel"

Written by Karin Gist
Directed by Wendey Stanzler

Ben: “I wanna learn about the mysterious Emily Thorne.”
Emily: “Well, then I wouldn’t be mysterious.”

Emily and Ben. Like two other pairings in this episode (or three), this is not a relationship that will probably go the distance as both of them clearly have an angle for being interested in the other. While Emily later admitting to approaching Ben to get information on his boss, Ben himself doesn’t strike me as someone whose interest in Emily is purely romantic either.

This is probably a good thing as there’s nothing in the way of chemistry with either character but it’s also worth pointing out that Ben seems to have a problem with Jack and maybe part of his interest in Emily is to rub his partner’s nose in it while at the same time, Ben did seem suspicious in Emily’s interest in David Clarke as well.

Then there’s Jack and Kate, which like last season with him and Margaux could’ve been another reasonably inoffensive pairing. Except for the bit at the end where it was revealed that Kate’s in cahoots with the men after David Clarke, which has now made her a tiny bit more interesting than before.

Keeping with the doomed pairings – Daniel made at least two half arsed attempts of trying to get Margaux (one on his own, the other after Emily dismissed him as a coward – kind of), only for the latter to point out his shortcomings and inform the audience that she’s pregnant. I guess Daniel should be relieved that unlike Emily last season, Margaux at least isn’t faking it.

However while the Daniel and Margaux stuff wasn’t too riveting, I have to admit that I like Daniel a lot more recently. His bar scene with Emily at the beach club (officially the new Stowaway I take it?) was a riot and I loved that he didn’t mince words when pointing out that Victoria and David’s relationship was doomed.

While it’s easy to pile the blame solely on Victoria’s feet (notice how quickly she abandoned her promise not to go after Emily anymore), David should take responsibility too. He lied to Victoria several times in the episode and while he did somewhat come clean about Malcolm Black at the end, he probably didn’t tell her every single detail either.

Speaking of Malcolm Black – I really do hope that he lives up to the hype because we have to wait another three episodes before he actually shows up on the show. While it does feel like the show is rewriting some bits of its own history in order to give this mysterious character super prominence, I will admit that I’m pleased the show seems to be going somewhere hopefully interesting now.

As for Nolan – he’s everyone’s friend, isn’t it? When he’s not castigating Emily for torturing a guy or calling David out on a piss poor apology, he also realised that he might have misjudged Louise and decided not to go through with helping Margaux. I’m not sure where else the writers can go with the character, but Louise’s scenes with Nolan are a lot more fun than I was expecting them to be. I think I want her to stay for a bit longer.

Also in “Intel”

I just realised that a) Christa B. Allen is no longer a regular and b) Brian Hallisay actually is.

Kate: “I’ve never been called a perk.”
Jack: “I doubt that.”

Ben mentioned having an ex-wife who used him to deal with her past. Now there’s a parallel between him and Daniel if ever there was one.

Louise: “Tell you what; you never forget your first mental institution. In fact, I did self medicate with some hot nutty boys.”
Nolan: “Your words, my life.”

David: “I owe you an apology.”
Nolan: “You owe me a reputation.”

Emily really went for it with the torture (well, as much as network television will allow) but I was amused that Nolan drugged the guy with a nanotech tracker.

Victoria: “I keep waiting for a blowback but it hasn’t happened.”
Daniel: “Not yet.”

Louise (to Nolan): “Where I’m from, you claim the deer you shoot.”

I’m guessing we’ll end up seeing Louise’s politician brother in the second half of the season, won’t we? Also, it’s only now we learn that David/Victoria have five million in a random safe?

Nolan (to David): “You’re right about Emily. When it comes to you, she can’t stay out of it.”

Standout music: Rae Morris’s “Skin”.

Daniel: “I deserve a better answer. Why?”
Margaux: “Because I’m pregnant.”

Chronology: From where “Contact” left off.

Credit given where it’s due – “Intel” was the third episode in a row this season I enjoyed and while the Malcolm Black thing does seem a little trite (is he really anymore threatening than Conrad was or another Initiative waiting to happen?), at least it means that the show will have a direct focus/threat for the second half. Plus, the promise of a main character in the next episode has potential too.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x08: "Contact"

Written by Joe Fazzio
Directed by Paul Holahan

Nolan (re Louise): “Can’t I just have a normal friend?”

Actually, you kind of have a normal friend in Jack, Nolan but seeing as he’s deathly dull and sometimes a jerk, you may have a point. Is it wrong that in spite of her crazy obsession with Victoria and general shit stirring with Daniel and Margaux that I’m actually starting to like Louise a bit?

Maybe it’s just having her combine forces with Nolan but either way, at least Louise has injected some fun in something of a fun free season so far. I still would like the Victoria fixation to be nipped in the bud but as mates, there’s some great potential with Louise and Nolan. Or there would’ve been had Nolan decided not to join forces with Margaux after all.

Nolan spent half of this episode away from the main plot and it actually did him the world of good, character wise. Sure his new business venture had one guy quit (shame, he was rather hot) and most of what he said to Emily had no effect but it’s been nice that the last few episodes have at least given him something to do, so I’m grateful for that.

However, there are some things in this episode that I am less grateful for though. Namely Ben upping his annoying factor by acting like Jack’s usurped him in the cop hierarchy and Jack in general just being a fun sponge with most of his scenes. The jury’s out on FBI lady Kate but that’s mainly because she seems more like another obstacle for David though.

Speaking of whom, this was not a great episode for David. Not only did he not take kindly to Emily revealing how much of a cow Victoria has been to her but he also took Victoria’s side even after she admitted to know about Emily’s true identity but the fact that there’s another villain on the horizon might help to even out this largely unfocused season so far. That and the fact that Emily’s also holding one of David’s would be kidnappers hostage and has a hot poker handy too.

As for Daniel, this was kind of a decent episode for him. He tried (though failed) to make amends with Margaux, called Louise out of her craziness, wasn’t too much of a jerk to Emily and gave Victoria some home truth, though not particularly new ones. Surprisingly enough, this episode managed to make him a bit likeable, which hasn’t been the case in a long while.

Also in “Contact”

The fact that Victoria would even fake a Flatline to get David’s attention just shows how desperate she’s become. The sooner Louise is set on her, the better.

Nolan: “How did you find me?”
Jack: “You tweeted a photo of this view with the hashtag ‘never leaving’.”

What exactly was that barman’s problem with Nolan? Did he even specify as to why he quit working at the beach club?

David: “Don’t feel bad about not helping, you were scared.”
Emily (re Victoria): “I wasn’t scared. She didn’t deserve my help.”

Nolan (re Louise): “She’s a sweetheart.”
Margaux: “She’s a violent psychopath who needs to be locked up.”

Assuming that Louise’s mother isn’t actually dead (though I’m suspecting she might be), are we actually going to see her properly on the show? Or even that politician brother of hers?

Emily (to David): “I did it all for you. To punish the people that hurt you.”

Daniel (re Victoria): “Are you crying because she survived? You always did try to save me from her.”
Emily: “And you just kept crawling back.”

Standout music: Lykke Li’s “No Rest For The Wicked”.

David: “I’m so proud of you, Amanda but I can’t be your father.”

Chronology: From where “Ambush” left off.

Well, I did enjoy the episode and the fact that that’s two episodes in a row I enjoyed, perhaps this is a sign of the show getting it’s shit together again, perhaps? That being said, “Contact” wasn’t devoid of it’s frustrating moments (David being an idiot, Jack/Ben etc) but still it was enjoyable enough.

Rating: 7 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x07: "Ambush"

Written by Shannon Goss
Directed by Hanelle Culpepper

Emily (to David): “You told me to be strong and brave but you’re a coward. You could’ve come for me.”

I actually thought it would be the winter finale before David found out about Emily being Amanda. The fact they did in this episode pleased me and the way it was done too – Emily blurting it out in pure anger after realising that David’s stories haven’t been adding up was actually pretty perfect. And then that thing happened.

I love this show being ludicrous as much as the next person but Victoria getting struck by lightening after the reveal was just bizarre. Possibly karmic and more funny than it should’ve been as well. I don’t doubt she’ll survive and try and keep her claws into David but right now, it also couldn’t have come at a worse time for Emily.

Keeping with things being out in the open – I liked the confrontation scene Emily and Daniel had in the lift. The fact that he’s not bothered by her being Amanda but wants no involvement in his ex-wife’s clash with Victoria didn’t seem like the most unreasonable request to make. If I wasn’t reminded by the fact that he shot Emily last season, I might have even felt a bit bad for him when he asked her if she ever had any real feelings for him.

This episode wasn’t really Daniel’s though. Not only did Emily leave him stuck in a lift but Loopy Louise tried to kill Margaux, teased him about his sexual prowess and Margaux herself wasn’t best pleased when she realised that Danny slept with the nutty redhead.

As for Louise, her little murder attempt on Margaux and creepy obsession with Victoria aside, I actually enjoyed the scene where she tried to cheer Nolan up. While Nolan would be best avoiding Louise like the plague, they did seem to have a fun rapport together and the fact that she got him to buy a beach club was a welcome distraction from him moping about David and Emily.

As for the rest of the episode – Jack and Ben are the most boring crime busting duo going. Seven episodes into this season and I still cannot buy Jack as a cop and Ben, despite wanting to solve what really happened to Conrad is downright annoying as a character. Perhaps David could pay him a house call in the next few episodes.

Also in “Ambush”

Louise’s mother was played by one of the vampires from the fifth season of True Blood. Too bad she was only a hallucination though.

Nolan: “You believe your father murdered Conrad Grayson?”
Emily: “He had more motive than anyone.”

Victoria used a necklace to bribe a stripper into pretending to David that she was good to Amanda. I’m also surprised she didn’t try to reclaim her throne.

David (to Emily): “I thought it was time we met.”

Emily (re David): “All the time I’ve spent honouring his memory and he doesn’t even have one of me. Who the hell is he, Nolan?”
Nolan: “It’s time we find out.”

Louise photo shopping images of her and Victoria on her tablet is definitely the creepiest thing this episode did.

Daniel: “If I knew you were this flexible things might have worked out for us.”
Emily: “Will you stop talking?”

Standout music: Emika’s “Double Edge”.

Nolan (to Louise): “I used to be happy when I was trending.”

Chronology: Not long from where “Damage” left off.

I’m not gonna lie – I really liked “Ambush”. Arguably the strongest episode this season, the reunion with Emily and David mostly worked and some of the character moments (anything excluding Jack/Ben) were interesting enough as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x06: "Damage"

Written by Christopher Fife And Sallie Patrick
Directed by John Terlesky

David (to Nolan): “She died without knowing you betrayed her. That you betrayed me and for that, I will never forgive you.”

I really wanted to like this episode. There were some moments I genuinely enjoyed and then there was the live television interview from hell and that was one of two moments that I truly hated. David humiliating Nolan on live television believing he stole from Amanda and later punching Nolan. Both moments annoyed me more than they should’ve done.

I can understand why David might think that Nolan might have betrayed Amanda but the fact that he was so unwilling to listen to Nolan’s side and humiliated him so publicly actually made me hate the character with an intense passion. Then again, this whole David storyline has been a bad idea from the start.

We’re six episodes into this season and it feels as directionless as ever. David being brought back to life has done more to hinder and undo everything that has gone on before than help it. I’m not even sure if Emily actually revealing herself to be Amanda and David believing it will actually help this show.

Also seeing David being continuously manipulated by Victoria as well has certainly gotten exhausting to watch, even if this episode did show moments where Victoria’s concern for David’s well being was genuine. However, that’s not enough to make me care and I’m really struggling with this season as a whole. I hate to say but ABC really might have to put this show out of it’s misery and end it this season.

Of course there were some good moments in the episode, surprisingly enough stemming from Charlotte. She managed to bump off a would be kidnapper in one of the show’s least extravagant fight scenes and even seemed receptive when Emily finally gave her the very harsh dose of reality that Charlotte’s been needing for some time.

I liked that both Daniel and Victoria were supportive of Charlotte going to rehab and the idea of a Charlotte free zone for a few episodes really won’ hurt the show at this rate. I also liked that Charlotte called Victoria out on her psychotic need to hurt Emily, though it’s unlikely Victoria won’t give up on that one.

As for the Louise plot, I’m still not really sure what the point of it is really but she did have some interesting scenes with Daniel, Victoria and Margaux in this episode and just maybe I was a little harsh on her last week. Her plot is no different to Tyler’s on a cosmetic level but I’ll happily take her lunacy over anything involving Ben and Jack’s cop shenanigans though.

Also in “Damage”

Nice recreation/expansion of a certain David/Amanda flashback that’s been prominent with the show since the opening episode.

Victoria (re Louise): “That girl is mentally imbalanced.”
Daniel: “So she’s a friend of yours.”

Emily managed to figure with a basic look that David staged the whole kidnapped/tortured thing. Strange how trained professionals such as the FBI were then easily fooled.

Louise: “You were like a mother to me.”
Victoria: “We were roommates for a day.”

Emily: “I’ve never killed anyone, Charlotte. I know you hate me for the things I’ve done but I’ve never done that.”

I’m surprised that Charlotte actually did believe Emily murdered Aiden. I also like that she knows Victoria did and told Daniel who Emily really is.

Nolan (to Victoria): “Oh, I just love live TV. You never know what’s gonna happen.”

Victoria (to David): “No matter what happens, I will always be on your side.”

Standout music: “For You” by Angus And Julia Stone.

Nolan (to Emily): “Your lies finally caught up to me.”

Chronology: From where “Repercussions” more or less left off.

“Damage” is kind of what this show feels like at the moment. This episode was utterly frustrating in parts, boring in others. I’m trying to enjoy this season but I am really struggling with at the moment.

Rating: 6 out of 10

My Review of Revenge's 4x05: "Repercussions"

Written by Ted Sullivan
Directed by Kate Woods

David: “I have come to learn that evil takes many forms, including those that we think we can trust the most.”

Actually the only think David has learned is to take the wrong end of the stick really. Even without Victoria and Charlotte feeding him misinformation and using him to get back at both Emily and Jack, David came to the wrong conclusion about who wronged his little girl at the end of this episode.

The trailer for next week saw him punching Nolan and when the latter tried to explain that he did everything David had wanted (money, infinity box etc), David didn’t seem at all convinced by Nolan’s sincerity. That to me is both annoying and understandable (given David’s current mental) but mostly annoying.

It’s frustrating to think that David might actually consider Nolan a traitor almost as it’s frustrating to see that Emily still hasn’t informed him that she’s really Amanda. At least with the latter storyline, Emily did manage to move David into their old beach house with Daniel and Margaux’s help but how much longer can Nayar and company drag this plot out?

I like that David is suspicious about Amanda’s death and even that he questioned Jack and Carl as well but I wish he would show a bit more mistrust and suspicion towards Victoria as well, even if both Emily, Daniel and Margaux managed to knock the wind out of her sails this week.

The confrontation scene at the hotel with Emily and Victoria was pretty good though. If this series does end with Victoria well and truly losing everything, then I’ll be happy but somehow even when David inevitably turns on her for lying to him, I still get the feeling that Victoria will somehow manage to get a last laugh of sorts anyways.

As for Daniel – when he wasn’t lording it over Victoria with his act of generosity, he was also getting further caught up in crazy Louise as well. I did like that he tried to keep things professional towards the end but it seems like Louise’s inane obsession with Victoria won’t be ceasing anytime soon and Daniel just fodder for the fire really.

On the plus side though, at least this episode finally gave us some decent Nolan moments. His scenes with Emily, Jack and David were all the highlights of this episode and if he can finally manage to convince the latter not to trust Victoria (which he did try to here), then it will feel like the character’s getting back on track. Provided David doesn’t kill him first, that is.

Also in “Repercussions”

How many more tedious scenes of Charlotte using and hooking up with assholes do we have to endure this season?

Victoria: “I’m afraid you won’t like the answers.”
David: “I don’t care. I’m gonna find out what happened to my girl.”

Charlotte’s little stunt with getting David to believe that Carl was his grandson was a new low for her.

Louise: “I’m from the South dear. If they’re not gossiping about you, you might as well be dead.”
Daniel: “Maybe I like to maintain a little mystery about myself.”

Margaux: “You should learn to govern your emotions, Emily. This is such an unflattering colour on you.”

In surprising news, Ben was actually kind of likeable this week but only because he seemed genuinely concerned about justice when looking into Conrad’s murder. The fact they kept him away from Emily probably helped too.

Emily (to Victoria): “You know what I see is a frightened woman about to lose the last person she could trick into loving her to his daughter.”

Charlotte (to Jack): “Wow, you are not a good cop. Terrible deductive reasoning.”

Victoria: “What are you doing?”
Daniel: “Atoning for my father’s sins.”

Standout music: Harry Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’”.

Daniel (to Louise): “Trust me I’m doing you a favour. You really don’t want to be a part of my family.”

Chronology: Five days since the last scene of “Meteor”.

“Repercussions” was a better episode than expected, maybe even better than last week but there’s still unengaging plotlines and still a sense that this show cannot go beyond this season. I don’t want to be harsh, but it’s kind of how I feel at the moment.

Rating: 7 out of 10