Revenge 4×12 – Madness

Wow, I loved this episode.

Yes this season of Revenge has been wildly inconsistent, but the past few episodes have made it all worth it. Now that practically everyone knows Emily’s secret (Margaux and Ben being the two newest additions), the show can actually start enjoying itself in the aftermath of Daniel’s grisly death.

Just as I expected, Malcolm Back’s arrival (in Epitaph‘s final moments) provided Revenge with the shot-in-the-arm it was looking for. Lord knows we can’t take David or Victoria seriously as villains, but Black is intimidating, brutal, and oh so very creepy. The episode’s cliffhanger was in fact one of the greatest things this show’s ever pulled off, with Emily tearing into Victoria and blaming HER for Daniel’s death, only for the two women to get tranquilized by Black. Seeing the villain hover above our heroine and taunt her as she lost consciousness was a bone-chilling visual on every level. I can’t wait to see Emily and her arch-nemesis try and make their way out of this predicament.

It’s funny how Margaux is finally a somewhat intriguing character. She’s still not that compelling, but watching her mourn Daniel and vow to take down Emily is certainly more entertaining than having to suffer through her trivial meetings at her lousy magazine. Part of me wanted her to lose the baby after that fainting spell (making her even more vengeful), but her discovering the truth about Emily is bound to create some exciting drama going forward. Even her bond with Victoria has proven to be a layered one, with a host of secrets and tested loyalties brewing underneath the surface.

While I still don’t buy David’s desire to kill Victoria after all the loving he spewed on her this season, the flashbacks did an excellent job of answering most of the questions I’ve had this season. They effectively showcased everything David went through after his supposed murder in prison, while solidly setting up Black as a formidable and menacing presence. And hey, wasn’t it good to see Fauxmanda again in those stripper shots? She was an integral element of the show in its first two seasons.

Vengeful Bits

– It feels like this is Revenge‘s final season (and it should be). Nolan mentioning Emily’s “happy ending” certainly alluded to that.

– I can’t believe Emily hadn’t crossed paths with Louise in 12 episodes! That was slightly surreal.

– Extremely contrived moment: Margaux overhearing Ben’s phone call to Emily in the police station. Dumb dumb dumb. At least she fainted!

– I must commend Madeleine Stowe for another powerful performance. She’s really sold Daniel’s death believably and sympathetically. After all the evil she’s caused, that’s quite an achievement on Stowe’s part.

– I just love seeing Barb from Cougar Town pop up and abuse Louise (the hallucinations). And hey, she got her daughter to accidentally slap Nolan in the process!

– So what will Ben do with the knowledge of Emily’s identity now that he overheard Vicky spilling the beans to Margaux?

– Louise’s storyline also took an unexpected turn as we discovered that her family had been drugging her for years. Is her brother really innocent? Who else could be to blame?

– How did Malcolm escape FBI custody? We better get an answer next week. “Lack of evidence” isn’t all that satisfying.

Devious Delights

David: Do you remember how happy we were when we first moved here? Thought it was heaven.
Emily: The devil can have it.

Nolan: (to Emily) Depending on how things unfold, this could become your farewell take-down.

Nolan: (to Emily) Frankly, my dear, I am so glad you give a damn, because after 20 minutes of schmoozing, I still can’t tell if he deserves a “Brother of the Year” award or the red Sharpie.

Nolan: Like they say, sanity’s relative… Unless, of course, your relatives are insane.

David: Conrad ruined my life, but Malcolm… He damned my soul to hell.

Emily: (to Victoria) Oh, save your breath. You’re gonna need it to run.

Conclusion
A riveting episode in a season that’s been stunningly reenergized.

 Nad Rating
A