Courtesy of ABC
Revenge returns from its second mid-season hiatus with a ho-hum episode that does little to muster enthusiasm for the close of the season.
Let’s bitch it out…
Welcome to Talk Back, a recurring feature wherein we ask questions to start a discussion about shows we’re not regularly reviewing. When we last checked in on Revenge, the series had killed off bland villain Malcolm Black, positioned Karine Varnasse’s Margaux as the new foil and Louise (Elena Satine) had married Nolan (Gabriel Mann). Here are the latest discussion-worthy points:
- Margaux is – as predicted – a terrible villain: For a moment it seemed as though the media mogul would get the drop on Emily (Emily VanCamp) after threatening to leak the incriminating video of Em and Jack (Nick Wechsler) chatting nonchalantly about murdering Malcolm’s FBI daughter, but it was just Louise playing dumb. Were you fooled by this editing trickery? Or is Margaux far too dumb to prove a worthy adversary for Hamptons Batman (as Tom and Lorenzo lovingly refer to Em)?
- Louise is on Team Revenge: After dashing her impromptu honeymoon plans, Nolan bites the bullet and tells his new wife about his nocturnal activities with Em (in a broad, vague sense at least). Do you think this means that we’ll see Louise step up her game and get more involved in the A plot (whatever that is now that the show is running on fumes)? Or was this a one-off kinda deal?
- The Grayson death that wasn’t: The reveal that the dead Grayson isn’t Charlotte is mega-disappointing. Sure we haven’t seen the sole remaining Grayson child in forever and it has been wonderful, but the potential to never see her again filled my life with joy. Alas it’s just Victoria’s (Madeleine Stowe) dumb former father-in-law who has died.
- Victoria is going to court: I want to get behind this story line because I think Victoria’s petty rich-bitch rivalries have provided some of the show’s most outrageous moments, but this one just lacks oomph. Not for lack of trying by Stowe or Gina Torres, but because it doesn’t really matter. Whether or not Victoria has an inheritance doesn’t feel high stakes enough for a show that is supposed to be all about murder, payback and sexy plotting. This is just prime time Housewives shit until someone gets thrown off rooftops or planes are going down.
- Why are you here, David Clarke (James Tupper)? Remember how David Clarke’s appearance in the S3 finale was gasp-worthy? So what the hell has happened to this character in the last 15 episodes?! Since Clarke reunited with Amanda/Em he’s been the equivalent of narrative dead weight. He didn’t even share a scene with his daughter in ‘Bait’. Why is he here?!
- Poor Jack: Obviously Jack and Em are end-game (Daniel fans: he’s gone. Let it go). So bravo to Jack for
spending two hours searching the beach for a piece of sand glassfinally declaring his love. But seriously why does Em turn him down? ‘Cause she’s actually into Ben (Brian Hallisay)? Erm…no. Just no. There had better be some kind of long con happening here because that is bullshit. - Ugh Ben: Alright, Hallisay checks the pretty boy box that has been vacant since Josh Bowman bit it, but what else is Ben good for? Without Jack on the force, Ben basically has no connection to anyone except in his capacity as Em’s new boy-toy. Obviously the secret wife with the mysterious past that Margaux is using as blackmail is suggestive of big things to come, but…I just can’t make myself care. He’s so bland.
- Why can’t Em, Nolan and Jack kick David and Ben to the curb, pit Victoria vs Margaux and hit the open seas aboard that new sail boat? With seven episodes remaining, it’s definitely time to wrap this shit up.
What are your thoughts on Revenge?
Revenge airs Sundays at 10pm EST on ABC
I’m off this show.