“When I was a child, my father was framed for a crime he didn’t commit.”
It’s the familiar refrain for fans of ABC’s Revenge. At the beginning of each episode, main character Emily Thorne, played by Emily VanCamp, reminds viewers why she’s out to take down the rich and powerful of South Hampton — the people who wronged her father and framed him in a terrorism plot.
“For the truly wronged, real satisfaction can only be found in one of two places: Absolute forgiveness or mortal vindication. This is not a story about forgiveness,” Thorne says at the beginning of the pilot episode.
What an intriguing beginning. I only hoped the series would live up to my expectations.
ABCs Revenge: Initial Reaction
While I loved the first episode of Revenge, I initially thought the show wouldn’t last. Because the series surrounds Emily’s quest to take down those who were responsible for her father’s downfall and, ultimately, death, I figured that innocent people would get caught in the crossfire. Before long, those who had no part in the terrorism plot would start to get hurt.
In addition, I worried that the format of the show wouldn’t be varied enough to sustain my interest. In the first few episodes, Emily worked methodically, picking victims, ruining their lives, and crossing them off with a big red X at the end of the show. How long could I really keep watching her do essentially the same thing each week?
So Far, ABCs Revenge Has Few Shortcomings
Luckily, the show began to vary, and Emily began to face challenges in her mission. Her neighbor, Victoria Grayson — dubbed the Queen of the Hamptons — begins digging into Emily’s past, only to discover that Emily may not be exactly who she says she is. And soon, a friend from Emily’s past shows up and sets her hooks into a local bar owner, threatening to stay in the area and cause more trouble for Emily.
And as it turns out, there seem to be very few innocents on the show. I can only pinpoint four so far — Queen Victoria’s children, Daniel and Charlotte, and Jack, the local bar owner, and his younger brother, Declan. These four are the only characters who, so far, seem to be exactly who they claim to be.
So far, none of the four have been hurt, but each is standing on the precipice of danger. Jack is being pursued by Emily’s unpredictable friend from her past. In the first episode, Daniel is shot before the series flashes back to the beginning of the summer. And Charlotte and Declan are dating, but Queen Victoria is determined to keep the two from becoming to deeply involved.
Every other character on the show is two-faced, backstabbing or conniving in one way or another. Aside from the few characters mentioned, it’s difficult to feel any empathy for the rich and powerful, cutthroat summer Hampton’s inhabitants.
I’m totally hooked on this show, and I’ll be watching for the rest of the season to see how Emily’s plot plays out.
Revenge airs on ABC at 10 p.m./9 p.m. central on Wednesdays.