Revenge

Revenge

Episode 4: Duplicity

By: Carlos Uribe

Revenge is a show about a girl who goes to the Hamptons to have revenge on everyone there.

Spoilers Ahoy!

This show knows what it's doing, that's for sure. Until now, I've been enjoying the show as it gets better. This is the first episode, though, that's made me think “Wow, I'm watching a great show.” It's an episode that's making me want to recommend this show to other people. I'm this close to being hooked on the show, and it'll be up to the next episode to truly hook me in. But, this was simply a good hour of television in general.

This week's mark is Michelle Banks, a psychiatrist who ensured that Amanda couldn't see her father after his arrest. She also was the one who institutionalized her as a child, in part due to Victoria's urging. Not only did this revenge scheme have to do with her father, but it also was an extremely personal one for Emily. Once again, she used a public function (you'd think Victoria would learn by now) to have her revenge: in this case, by advertising a website that had all the recordings of Banks' therapy sessions. Recordings that happen to involve just about everyone in the Hamptons, ensuring that Banks would not only fall but that hurtful information got out there.

Some of that information which seems to shatter any sort of relationship Victoria had with her daughter, Charlotte. In the clip shown at the mother-daughter tea event, Victoria admits to Banks that she sometimes wishes Charlotte was never even born. Hearing your own mother say that must simply be devastating to one's emotional being. Charlotte has for the most part been a stereotypical teen daughter whose teenage angst is largely there because she's a teenager. Hearing her mother's true feelings about her, though, gives her character an actual reason to be angry and frankly I think Victoria should work hard at regaining Charlotte's trust. But she is having an unexpected source of help from Declan.

Talking about trust, Tyler seems to be misusing Daniel's trust. He's not just lying to him, he's manipulating him for his own reasons. I'm not sure how he plays into this whole thing, but it's obvious Tyler doesn't have Daniel's best interest. He's also trying to destroy any trust and relationship that Daniel has with Emily. In other words, the show has managed to set up a different kind of obstacle to Emily. One who had nothing to do with Emily's father, but one who has his own scheme that is in conflict with Emily's plan. He seems to be the first unexpected hitch in Emily's master plan that isn't coming from Nolan.

Nolan's interference with the master plan is a lot less subtle and a lot more charming. I'm not entirely sure what Nolan's end-game is, but he's not helping Emily all the time. For one thing he's trying to hook her up with Jack. The show is setting up this love triangle, and frankly I don't know which team I'm on. I know who she ends up picking, but it does look like this love triangle will be creating even more drama in the near future.

Revenge didn't just deliver a good episode. It delivered a great episode of television. It was exciting, it was smart, and I can't wait to see what happens next. It is even making Declan more likeable (with the whole mother issue), so it's managing to answer my concerns. If anyone still has doubts about this show, I think this episode answered them.