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Revenge: Confidence

"Are you disappointed to see me alive? Death by dumpster had such flair."

I may be in the minority here but I'm not loving this season of Revenge. It's perfectly entertaining and intriguing, but I'm not finding it as thrilling as it was last year. I'm sure it's going to blow my mind at some point soon and rock for the rest of the season (I have a lot of faith in Mike Kelley's writing team) but so far it's been a slow-burn.

I think my biggest gripe with the show is The Initiative looming over the central mythology. Every time I hear those words I cringe because it's really not what the show is about. Government conspiracies and shadowy agencies are made for spy shows like Alias, but not small-town dramas like Revenge. Yes, Emily Thorne is a formidable enough protagonist to go up against a full-blown agency, but it just doesn't feel very organic to me. Maybe when Emily finally meets up with her mother, things will fall into place and I'll begin to embrace this arc. In the meantime, I'm trying to enjoy the ride, but I'm not terribly engrossed by it.

While the Grayson family exploits are becoming increasingly convoluted, and I'm really losing track of who's working with who and how the White-Haired Man fits into everything, I can't say I wasn't entertained by Victoria's rise from the ashes during that pretty fantastic press conference. It was great watching her reveal the truth regarding Charlotte to the whole world and it was even better watching her call Amanda on stage. They really are torturing us and dragging out Emily revealing the truth regarding her identity, so I really hope it happens this season. It will undoubtedly signal a new era for the show.

I will admit that I'm also enjoying Aiden's addition to the show as Emily's equal. It was fascinating to uncover that he actually had a relationship with Emily at one point. Here's hoping they rekindle their romance because he's infinitely more interesting than Jack (and Daniel is currently busy with charisma-vacuum Ashley).

Vengeful Bits

- Emily knocking out Aiden swiftly with a vase was a badass moment.

- Is there anyone on earth who enjoys the Ashley character? Seriously, if you're out there, I'd like to know.

- So Declan's robbing homes now? Fascinating... not.

- Loved Aiden finding himself in the dumpster with a Sky Japan plane ticket. Ems sure has a sense of humor.

- I really don't see the point of Padma on the show. As far as I'm concerned, she can hook up with Declan and disappear for good.

- White-Haired Man and Emily's mom were a couple? That's not creepy at all.

Devious Delights

Daniel: (To Victoria) You're going public?
Conrad: She's going nuclear.

Nolan: (To Emily) I love it when you're bossy. It means something hot's going to happen.

Conrad: Someone please pass the pain de mie.
Daniel: It's toast.

- An effective hour, but not up to the mind-blowing standards of season one.

3 out of 5 dumpster deaths.

Previously posted at Nad's Reviews.

4 comments:

  1. I'm with you, Nadim, about the Initiative. Not loving the idea, but willing to see where it is all going to go.

    The press conference was gold. The looks on all the faces were simply priceless. But, Jack reacting as strongly as he did felt odd to me. Something tells me he is going to be more than willing to commit when the baby is born.

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  2. I'm thinking if they expand it to include the Initiative it will explain Takeda's involvement... why else would he be helping these people with their Revegendas? And so Aiden's sister's story must also fit into the Initiative.

    I think they might go there because for the story to last more than a couple of seasons it has to be more than Emily against the Greysons, after all she took them down pretty well last year and we know she has a copy of the stuff Victoria was taking to Washington.

    Anyone else want to know how she really got off that plane?

    I for one don't care much for Em's mom! Although the idea of her with the "white haired man" = creepy!!!

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  3. I like Declan up to a point, but I find nothing interesting about Ashley apart from that she's a Brit. On that note, does anyone else notice when Josh Bowman's accent slips a bit and his English accent emerges for a split second?

    I only just realised that Lydia is actually, well and truly dead.

    Does anyone else prefer Nolan's hair this season?

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  4. I guess they had to include the Initiative to stretch out the show. I just wish it felt more organic!

    And yes I want that plane flashback already! A proper explanation please!

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