Revenge "Betrayal" Review

"Betrayal" opens as Emily sleeps and dreams that Victoria's figured out her identity. In her mind, Victoria's the one who led the charge against her father; however, Revenge alters perspective each episode as the truth emerges: the surface hardly reveals truth. Of course, Emily's committed to the list of names and events documented by her father during his years of wrongful imprisonment. She doesn't care about truth--only revenge. She isn't satisfied when she successfully destroys the political aspirations of the man who prosecuted her father because she wants to destroy his life just as he destroyed her father's.

The absolute conviction of Emily Thorne's a strength of the series. Revenge is really a fantasy in some ways because it depicts the destruction of the rich each week; however, Mike Kelley and his writers need to tread carefully with Emily because her coldness and lust for revenge could potentially cause the viewers to remove themselves from her arc. Nolan states what people wondered last week following the destruction of hedge fund: what about the innocent people who lost their retirement because one man screwed Emily's father? In this instance, Nolan's reminding Emily about the family the DA has, and how they'll fall with him. Emily stares coldly at her accomplice and says, "I know." Nolan remarks, "You're scary."

Emily's not completely scary though. For some people, she offers the opportunity for redemption (unbeknownst to the person). She silently tested her future fiancé, Daniel Grayson, at an Italian steakhouse when she secretly took her steak knife and asked for a new one. The waiter who brought the new knife to her table had a personal connection to the Grayson boy--the cocktail waitress whom Daniel hurt in a car accident caused by drunk driving. The waiter smashed Daniel's windows as Emily watched, feigning shock and awe. Their dating wouldn't move forward without a moment of truth, so Daniel's honest with his girlfriend. Emily listens and states her belief that mistakes should be forgiven if one owns up to them. Later, Daniel seeks Emily's comfort following a conversation with his mother about Sara the Cocktail waitress. He swears he'll always be honest with her but she doesn't offer the same promise to Daniel because her identity's a lie.

The series will sink or swim with its main character. I commended the conviction of Emily, but that conviction's a potential weakness. Storytellers have delicate lines to walk in their creations, especially with characters. Emily can't continue as the stone-cold woman driven by revenge because she'll alienate viewers. The scenes between her and Daniel were essential because conflict's a crucial ingredient in long-form fiction. She shifted uncomfortably when Daniel swore his honesty to her because she felt the same emotions towards him except she's devoted to the destruction of his family. I'm interested in Emily when she struggles with her romantic feelings for a person and her desire for revenge. The rich-person-who-gets-destroyed-each-week already feels old three weeks into the season but this episode suggested the narrative will be more focused on the principal characters.

The DA story required a suspension of disbelief but it brought the Graysons into the revenge arc. Nolan wondered how Emily acquired the damning evidence (a sex tape) of the aspiring politician, and we learned she bought the entire building once she learned his mistress resided there and installed security cameras to capture the man's adulterous act. I'll forgive the absurdity of the scenario because it's a means to an end. Conrad's a major contributor in the DA's political campaign which means the evidence directly affects the Graysons. Conrad and the Graysons' chief of security investigated the source of the leak and discovered its origin came from the very room they were speaking in. Conrad and his chief of security quickly thought of Queen Victoria because she tried to save David from imprisonment in the final days of the trial. Emily planted a dangerous seed.

Emily, of course, is oblivious to Victoria's feelings for her father. I thought the flashbacks of David and Victoria were interesting and surprising. I planned on writing an introductory paragraph about the series' affection for visual contrasts because Victoria's first seen dressed in a black-as-night nightgown. Victoria watched her neighbor with golden hair and a light colored wardrobe play with a golden retriever in the open air of the Hamptons whereas Victoria sat atop a closed balcony that resembles a castle. Once again, Victoria and Emily share a scene loaded with tension and suspicion near the end, so building a review around the enemies seemed like a slam dunk until it occurred to me how similar the two women are, and how they'll probably need one another eventually.

The impending death of Daniel won't speed the women towards an alliance against Conrad and the other rich bastards who destroyed David Clarke's life because Emily might yet be directly involved in the murder. The feud between Victoria and Emily's the core of the Hamptons. Victoria's mistrust of the girl is designed to keep the audience on its toes because the shoe could drop at any moment. I might be in the minority of those more interested in a friendship between the girls because their scenes feel hollow and forced. As enemies, they'll thwart one another while the Conrads of the Hamptons operate in their devious and devilish ways. Together, they could rid the Hamptons of the Conrads and potentially find some peace. As enemies, someone they both love will be murdered. The details of the murder remain a mystery but I'm interested in how differently events would be in a bizarro Revenge universe.

Other thoughts:

-I have the sense readers might think the review is a rambling mess without clear direction because I'm projecting my own feelings onto the hypothetical readers of The Foot. Truthfully, there's only so much to write about without transforming the review into a detailed summary of "Betrayal."

-"Trust" concluded as Jack and Declan's father had a heart attack. Well, he passed away and his sons reacted as if the cable had been cut off. Jack seemed somewhat sad about his dad's death whereas Declan just wanted to move past it. Their reaction didn't endear me to either one. Declan was more interested in sweeping Charlotte Grayson off of her feet and collecting damning evidence against Adam.

-Michael Davis was introduced tonight. He and Emily acted as if they hardly recognized each other but Emily introduced Michael to his current girlfriend, which again raises the question about Emily and Michael's history. I'm interested in learning more about their history.

-Daniel's Harvard roommate was introduced tonight. I don't have any thoughts about the character. I figured I'd mention him because he'll recur as a character. He's also interested in Ashley.

-I have nothing more to write about "Betrayal."

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