Revenge – What the hell are these people up to?

When Carla first reviewed the pilot of Revenge, she wondered exactly what was motivating Emily/Amanda down her path of retribution. Personally, I didn’t think she needed anything in particular … well nothing past the whole “burying her father’s reputation and ruining her life” thing. This week, we learned that “ruining her life” meant institutionalizing her at a very young age. Pretty solid motivation, if you ask me.

It is a bit difficult weaving through the different webs of deception that crisscross the Hamptons. Obviously you have everything that Emily is trying to do, which is based on everything Victoria orchestrated years before. Now we have to account for whatever it is that Tyler is up to. Convincing Daniel that he wasn’t an alcoholic, getting him blasted at the Stowaway, all while he kept himself sober “as a judge?” We need to keep a very close eye on this one (I’ll leave Nolan, who’s actions are better classified as “meddling,” out of the “deception” category … for now).

The queen bee’s past is easily the more confusing aspect of Revenge. Last week we discovered that she tried to protect David, and this week that she manipulated Michelle Banks into isolating young Amanda from her father by institutionalizing her. Plus, there is the flashback of Victoria and Frank stealing David’s laptop. I’d say that I question her motivations much more so than Emily’s, but to do so, I think I’d have to understand what she is doing first; and I certainly do not have her figured out yet. I think that is the hallmark of a well-written show — that I as a viewer can really feel that I only know a very small part of what is going on while still being so drawn in.

What are we to think of Frank? He’s the Grayson’s fixer … but is he loyal to Victoria, or to Conrad? Considering the duplicity that defines each of them, you’d think that someone in Frank’s position would have only been able to survive as long as he has by picking a side early on. Despite his level of comfort using a hypothetical affair to provide an alibi to the police, I hope that it stays hypothetical. A deeper relationship between them would be more than a little clichéd.

I was surprised that Declan would be the Porter brother trying to more quickly sell off his father’s legacy. I would have expected the younger son to be more attached to the Stowaway, especially considering they way things ended between the two of them. I’m sure though, it won’t be long before he realizes he won’t be able to use money to compete for Charlotte’s affections, and even longer still before he realizes that he won’t need to.

It is hard not to feel for Jack in this situation. Dreams shattered because of finances, lost his father suddenly and now saddled with supporting his brother. I guess, though, that a nice bottle of wine with a pretty lady has a way of putting things in perspective.

Notes & Quotes

• Unlike a lot of TV critics, I love a good voice over — but I have to say that Emily VanCamp cannot deliver one
• “Money can buy a lot of things, but family isn’t one of them.” — Tyler
  “Family can be overrated.” — Emily
• Emily was seeing Dr. Banks for over a year — I know we’ve probably seen clues of the timeline prior to her arrival in the Hamptons, but I still like paying attention to them
• Did anyone else expect Dirt Diver Frank to go all Black Ops on the detective if he made a move on Victoria?
• “You know what, it’s priceless to you, and that’s so much more important.” — Charlotte Grayson

Clacked by Ivey West
on Oct 13, 2011 @ 02:12 EST5EDT