Revenge "Confidence" Review

I got excited during the press conference scene, when Ashley whispered to Emily, "The Graysons are stronger than ever." Visions of a deadly tag-team danced in my head. A little devil lurks within Ashley's character. It appears in her mischievous smile as the Graysons forget about everyone else around them. I read into Ashley's line a future in which the former friends, Emily and Ashley, form a deadly duo that threatens to break apart the Hamptons, as we know it; an alliance that'll make the crappy Imitative nonsense look like 7th graders' plot to drink in the woods, behind the school, because they're badasses. I have no idea what I'm writing about.

Confidence is the word of the week in "Confidence." Emily wishes Takeda had confidence in her. Takeda's confidence in her was never consistent. Throughout their time together, he's never been confident in her. Flashbacks reveal the history of Emily and Accent Guy, and how her trust issues threaten to actually derail her plans for revenge. The episode continues the trend of Emily watching from the sidelines as the Graysons continue to weave their nonsense web, Accent Guy sneaks into hotel rooms to retrieve evidence from the plane, as well as set the Graysons up for a fall, through which he'll find a way to the Initiative. Emily stubbornly persists she had a plan that Accent Guy ruined. Accent Guy reminds her she can continue with her plan, but now with the help of his plan. Accent Guy managed to reunite the Graysons in a united front moments after they were at each other's throats in the foyer, a mere few feet from the assembled press (I'm to believe the press didn't hear the shouting and accusations of fake kidnappings? Extras are the morons of television shows, of course).

Honestly, the movement from the Graysons wanting to destroy each other, to the united front for the corps seconds later, was a confusing mess. Accent Guy's explanation to Emily an act later slightly clarified the matter; however, ABC's sound department is such shit that it reduced the scene of clarity to 'less-of-a-confusing-mess.' Victoria took initiative with the Initiative by embracing the truth of her daughter's parentage, of announcing Conrad's devotion to the family despite being a cuckold, and Daniel's devotion in midst of the melodramatics of Grayson manor (I think; again, the sound on ABC is abysmal, yet the ABC commercials audio are crystal clear). Accent Guy's plan beyond reuniting the Grayson front is unclear. I'll assume the Graysons will implode from within. That's been Emily's plan all along. Still, she just stands by and listens. Emily's sort of like early season two Amy Abbott in the episode; silent, staring off into space, reacting only when directly engaged by another. Revenge works best when Emily's driving the action.

Jennifer Jason Leigh's Mother character needs to be inserted into the central story of the show for the season to take off. The revelation of her love for the silver-haired man is a horrible choice because of the time it'll take Emily and her mother to get over their differences, i.e. that Emily is responsible for his death, and her mother will be really mad. Emily's sadness as she looks on the locket with her mother's face while listening to her confess love for the silver-haired man is a well-played moment by Ms. Vancamp. Emily's thrown by the love affair; she stares at nothing with the blank expression of those who experienced a great shock, like Nationals fans on Friday night. While Emily's nearly catatonic, the Graysons are re-assuming power. Accent Guy needs to take action because Emily, simply, isn't. Takeda was right to send someone. When Emily 'wakes up,' though, she'll be supremely pissed off.

Other Thoughts;

-Shorter review because it is Monday night, and in this day and age, Revenge's third episode is but a faded memory.

-Jack can't commit to Amanda because of her association with the Graysons. Declan got in trouble with a rich man he stole from. I hate the Declan plot. At least Charlotte's a good character now.

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