I’ve lost count how many times I’ve nagged about Revenge needing to end. Thankfully, the end is almost upon us (unless ABC magically decides to renew the show for one last season, and that would be a grave sin for all involved).
With two episodes left, I just want Revenge to end with whats left of its dignity intact. The first year was a powerhouse production, but ever since, the show has fluctuated between stellar hours and some embarrassing outings that make me ashamed to be a fan. This hour fell somewhere in the middle.
On one hand, I appreciate the full-circle resonance of Emily being framed by a Grayson for a murder she didn’t commit (much like her father was), but everything leading up to Emily getting arrested in those final moments was painfully contrived. Is Ben really the only cop in town who can interview Emily? At least Emily got duped (via flashbacks reveals) in the same manner that she used to pull off her takedowns in season one. That was somewhat satisfying, I think.
I also refuse to believe Margaux and Louise’s attachment to Victoria, not to mention their sudden friendship. It would do Revenge a hell of a lot of good to dump these two dead weight characters before the finale so we could actually focus on the ones that matter. Sadly, they’re sticking around, and they just keep sinking this soapy thriller deeper and deeper into the abyss.
I still don’t get why the writers insist on giving David Clarke cancer. MUST we watch Emily have her father ripped away from her again? It feels needlessly brutal, and I just don’t see the point. I guess when you run out of story ideas, sudden illnesses are the way to go for some easy drama.
Finally, I want to say that I enjoyed Nolan’s subplot with Tony, but this couple really doesn’t add anything to the show. And now that their relationship has completely fizzled out with Tony deciding to commit to being a father, I don’t see why we even wasted our time on it. I was sure the writers were setting up an endgame love so Nolan wouldn’t end the show alone. Maybe he and Ems will find themselves only with each other on a beach in the middle of nowhere in the end? Come to think of it, that could be a pretty nifty ending for the show (if they don’t decide to kill Ems).
Vengeful Bits
– Vicky leaving a suicide note for Margaux was very odd. I never bought their relationship.
– Can Jack just stay in LA with his mom? Pretty please?
– Mason referencing The White-Haired Man was EVERYTHING.
– Vicky’s selfie video was kind of cool wasn’t it? However, I could totally tell Mason was up to something with his “sickness” in the beginning. Can anyone really fake a cold? Ugh.
– Emily VanCamp’s performance in those final moments was really awkward. I don’t buy her as helpless and victimized, I just don’t. I did however enjoy her screaming out that immensely soapy line (“That bitch set me up!”)
Devious Delights
Emily: All these years, I thought about watching it burn. I never imagined it would be mine when it did.
Nolan: What does the world sans Victoria Grayson even look like?
Emily: Revenge-free. And I didn’t even have to snap her neck.
Mason: The good news is that your biggest problem died in that fire, though I always thought Victoria would first burn in hell, not in the Hamptons. But now it’s time to focus on me and clearing me of killing Gordon Murphy before I, too, become a white-haired man.
Louise: What’s that stage of grief where you want to throttle someone?
Margaux: I can’t be sure. I’m starting to feel as if that’s my baseline.
Conclusion
A pity, but with only two episodes left, Aftermath still couldn’t manage to produce a gripping narrative.
Nad Rating
C