I’m so pleased Revenge has maintained its recently uptick in quality, because this was another superb hour.
Who would have thought that the most challenging obstacle in Emily’s revengenda would be herself? Having our heroine sabotage herself during her random blackouts has proved to be particularly fascinating, as there’s no guessing what an unstable Ems will do next. The writers did a brilliant job of misdirecting us with her recent trauma, that I totally missed the link to her mother who suffered a nervous break herself (when she tried to drown her own daughter). It’s no secret that the writers completely mishandled Emily’s mother in season two, so this turn of events should hopefully rectify that sloppy storytelling. And hey, perhaps the return of Mamma Thorne wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Can I just say that Gail O’Grady is an inspired addition to the cast? I pretty much adored all of Stevie Grayson’s scenes this week – from trading catty barbs with Victoria to the heartfelt conversations with Jack. And thus we arrive at the episode’s bombshell of an ending: Stevie is Jack’s mother. Sure it’s downright nuts, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t outright love it. Not only does this twist effectively tie Steve to the show’s mythology, it capably elevates Jack into the upper echelon of Revenge storytelling. Hello game-changer.
Part of me hopes this wasn’t the last we saw of Nico. It’s not secret that I find Stephanie Jacobson to be a ridiculously absorbing actress, and her journey ended with an absolute whimper this week after Aiden let her go. Surely she’ll be back to cause further havoc no? In addition, it didn’t feel entirely realistic that Emily would let her go, knowing full-well the damage Takeda’s daughter is capable of. Something feels off…
Although I still detest that they made Victoria a victim of rape, I’ll admit that seeing her hover above a dying Jimmy (and venomously reiterating his creepy line) proved to be a marvelously satisfying sight. Less successful were the writers’ attempts at making Patrick sympathetic. I’m not sure what they’re doing wrong, but Patrick still feels like a cypher to me, and I’m nowhere near as attached to him as I should be. Nevertheless, this was a well-executed subplot, and Madeleine Stowe was as phenomenal as ever (no surprise there).
Vengeful Bits
– Epic teaser with Emily in the MRI. We’ve rarely seen her this vulnerable.
– Conrad cares for Emily’s safety? That’s sorta sweet. Part of me kind of really likes the dynamic between these two. But thank God we got confirmation that they did NOT sleep together. Crisis averted.
– Nico and Emily’s fight scene had potential, but it wasn’t exactly well choreographed (or staged).
– Beautiful performance by VanCamp as Emily breaks down with Aiden. And I love that she did indeed plant the sword during one of her breaks.
– Daniel wants Charlotte to be his mole in Voulez; I can try to care but that’d be a waste of energy.
– How awesome was Stevie kicking Vicky out of her own house and then scolding Conrad? I’m dying to see what she does next.
Devious Delights
Stevie: (to Victoria) You certainly have made paternity quite a hobby.
Nolan: So blackout Ems speaks the truth?
Patrick: What is wrong with us?
Victoria: We’re victims of our world.
Emily: I’m starting to go after the wrong people Nolan.
Conclusion
Payback was an enormously intriguing episode. Well done show.
Nad Rating
A-
Okay, so I'm going to be the grinch and politely say: Revenge's theme song should be changed to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsPPIEpF6wI
Hahah evil!
No no Nad… Evil is what I first wrote but decided against!!! This thing is turning into a soap opera!!!!
(But like Grey's, I'm still watching it! :p)
So Stevie is Jack's mother. I really hope this means that she had an affair with his dad, and not that Conrad is actually his biological father… This is really starting to feel like a soap opera.
Nevertheless, that was really a good hour of Revenge.