Courtesy of ABC
Emily’s (Emily VanCamp) latest plan may have just tipped off her agenda to her greatest enemy. Meanwhile the junior Graysons make a play against Nolan (Gabriel Mann).
Let’s bitch it out…We’re into the home stretch for Revenge and as fun as it is to see the Red Sharpie of Doom! make a reappearance, I’m more happy that it’s not just in service for a regular take-down of the week. After laying down the deception for three straight seasons, it appears that Emily has underestimated Victoria’s (Madeleine Stowe) capacity for subterfuge because the take-down of former Grayson employee Luke Gilliam (Tim DeKay) is actually just a ploy to sniff Emily out. Red Sharpie meet your even more dangerous counterpart: Black Sharpie of Doom!
I admit that I wish the recent developments with Victoria had played out earlier in the season (after the wedding) because I think it would have helped to give these final episodes a greater sense of urgency. Instead it seems clear that things were held back for the finale in a misguided attempt to end the season (series?) on a cliffhanger. Hopefully the plot works for the writers and the fans and Revenge is brought back for another season as I’d hate to think that we suffered through a bunch of drawn-out garbaggio around the middle of the season for nothing.
As it stands, though, Victoria finally learning that Emily is out for revenge and her motive is tied to David Clarke is an exciting development. At this stage, Victoria is closer than anyone else (who isn’t part of the inner sanctum) to discovering Emily’s secrets. Just imagine what kinds of sparks Victoria’s interactions with Emily would have if they were on a more level playing field? I’m salivating just thinking about those insults.
The rest of ‘Allegiance’ feels a little too repetitive, though it’s more because the seeds of stories planted for the last few episodes are only now starting to germinate. Nolan (Gabriel Mann) spends the hour trying to pin Javier (Henri Esteve) down to talk about his magical shopping app, but it’s too late. Even before Nolan can make a move, the Graysons have him: Charlotte (Christa B. Allen) opens her legs and Daniel (Josh Bowman) opens his wallet to wine and dine the petty criminal with the highlights of fame and fortune. Naturally Javier completely falls for it (he is an idiot, after all). This prompts the most random scene of the episode when Nolan shows up Grayson manor to threaten Daniel by power-surging his patio lights. I’m sure Nolan is trying to be intimidating, but it comes off a bit like Jubilee from X-Men using her sparkler powers; it’s more silly than frightening. Clearly Nolan still needs a few lessons in intimidation from Hamptons Batman.
Thankfully Nolan is still good with a computer, so he gets to prove his mettle tracking down the latest David Clarke connection: Oscar Peterson, the reporter written into Aiden’s (Barry Sloane) garage floor last week. For a moment I legitimately hoped that the ex-reporter was a secret transsexual, but alas it was only a disguise worn in public (a pretty terrible one since it’s pretty drag queen-ish, but that’s neither here, nor there). Somehow Pascal (Olivier Martinez) follows the boys and ends up wasting Oscar, eliminating Pascal’s connection to the cover-up that seemingly got Aiden’s dad killed. It’s all a bunch of crap plot churned out to keep all of the characters not named Emily or Grayson busy for a while, so for now just shelve away the fact a multi-million dollar publishing magnate takes time in the middle of his day to kill a man himself.
Um…yeah, right.
Courtesy of ABC
Other Observations:
- Jack (Nick Wechsler) is back from LA – a trip we never saw – and eager to get his hands dirty helping Emily mark an X on the Grayson company photo. This is good considering his entire storyline with Margaux (Karine Vanasse) is beyond annoying. When Margaux was introduced, she seemed intelligent, if a bit focused on her daddy-issues. She’s now a full-blown mega bitch who doesn’t even ask about her boyfriend’s relapsed drunk mother. Character assassination folks!
- Side Note: Regarding the Grayson Global photo, how does Victoria know to use the exact same one for her Black Sharpie of Doom! project? Is this the only photo of the company employees or something? I can just imagine the employee who missed that BBQ realizing what a bullet he dodged by not making the final photo when this all comes out down the line.
- Conrad (Henry Czerny) tries to recruit Aiden after Oscar Peterson’s body is found. But this is what Conrad does: make deals, nothing but the deals. Why couldn’t this character have died in that car accident earlier this season again?
- Finally, I’m sorry but Javier’s app is creepy. A talking version of yourself that collects your digital footprint in order to tell you what to buy? So it’s basically just an uncanny double that uses SIRI and Amazon/Facebook algorithms? It’s weird and boring at the same time.
Best Lines:
- Victoria (dissing Emily): “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have less boring people to talk to.”
- Nolan (recruiting Aiden to find Oscar Chapman): “Can’t have a stake-out without take-out.”
- Charlotte (as Javier goes to sit in Victoria’s chair): “Oh not there, that would be like breaking 50 mirrors.”
- Nolan (challenging Daniel): “You may have infected Margaux.” (Glancing dismissively at Charlotte) “And this one…”
What do you think of Victoria getting one step closer to the truth? Are you surprised that Emily is getting played? Do you think Pascal would really commit a murder himself? Would Conrad really offer a man he knows virtually nothing about protection from a former business partner? Were you intimidated by Nolan’s patio antics? And who’s more insufferable: Daniel, Margaux or Charlotte? Sound off below.
Revenge takes a two week breather and returns Sunday, April 27 at 10pm EST on ABC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkNBQY8djds