Revenge 3.03 Review: Confessing is Good for the Soul

Anyone that has yet to watch last night’s episode of Revenge, titled ‘Confession’, or are simply not caught up in the series, I urge you to do so now. This is not a spoiler free blog. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

This week’s episode was actually a pretty good one. The revelation that Aiden is not actually betraying Emily was quite welcome. In that last scene where she touches his scar, it was heart wrenching, she so obviously wants to be with him, but she can’t, not if she wants her vengeance wrought upon the guilty people. Still, it almost makes me want her relationship with Aiden to be who she ends up with, despite being someone who thought she belonged with Jack.

And Jack, the way he was looking at her this week, at the point right before Margo walked in, was so subtle but perfect. Obviously he wants to protect his son, but he also does still care about her, and I’m just glad he does. Though, he is awfully short, compared to Emily in heels. But I digress.

Nolan as always was hilarious. I loved when he was telling the party planner he didn’t need SeaWorld, he just need an enclosed space with a few dolphins. It was probably my favourite line of the episode, and you’d find it below if it wasn’t so long and I really wanted to get to being finished my reviews for the night. Otherwise with Nolan, I felt kind of bad for him when he realized who Patrick was, though I’m not surprised if he’s the man Nolan will give his heart to at some point. It also makes me hope more that Patrick sticks around for a while.

Before learning that Aiden was really just helping Emily out, I was wondering why he hadn’t told Victoria that Emily is actually Amanda Clarke. I suppose that helped to cement in the back of my head that he wasn’t actually going after Emily. But at the same time, why had he searched through her house for the box (which had thankfully been hidden at Nolan’s)? That’s one point that now no longer makes sense.

I just loved the fact that Nolan was wearing a t-shirt with his mug shot on it, just something classic I would expect him to do. And boy is that Lorde song Royals making its rounds through television. Last week it was on The Vampire Diaries, this week it’s on Revenge. The girl does have a beautiful voice, especially being that she’s only seventeen. I expect a long career for her if she keeps up with this.

My one kind of minor issue with this episode was the whole Daniel trying to keep Margo from interviewing Nolan. What is up with that? I mean, doesn’t everyone know Nolcorp was owned by Grayson Global, so that can’t be the reason he’s trying to shield him from the magazine? I honestly just don’t get his problem.

All in all this was a very pleasant episode. I knew there was no way Conrad would be able to confess, but I’m wondering what killed (is he dead?) the priest. How did they crash? I’m curious to learn what happened next episode. I’m also curious to know why Emily would rather hurt Victoria more than Conrad, is it because Victoria betrayed her father more because she was in love with him?

My rating: 7.5 out of 10.

Best Line:

“Or flannel.” – Charlotte says to Jack about what he can’t wear to Nolan’s party.

All right, that’s all for tonight folks. I’m off to bed, maybe read a little more Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Check back in tomorrow for reviews of How I Met Your Mother, Bones, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist.

Revenge 3.02 Review: Sometimes it's Best to Forgive

Anyone that hasn’t watched last night’s episode of Revenge, entitled ‘Sin’, should go do so now, otherwise this blog may spoil the contents. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

I’m going to keep this review brief, as it’s five in the morning, and I’m exhausted. So, I’m going to just hit the highlights, and go from there.

Quite possibly my favourite character in this episode was Charlotte. Christa B. Allen has grown so much just in the evidence of the last two episodes. As a strong, young woman, she is appearing very empowered, and much deeper than the whiny brat of the last two seasons. I very much approve of this strong willed, quite better dress young woman. And just her confession that her guilt for Declan’s death is what she believes caused her miscarriage was rather breathtaking in execution.

For the first time in Revenge, I honestly felt bad for the gentleman being taken down in this episode. By all accounts, he appears to have tried to make as deep amends for his actions as he can, and when Emily struck him over the head I felt a sinking feeling in my gut. I so strongly wished she’d been able to detract her revenge scheme in time, but it was too late. I’m just glad she, though too late, felt that this red X was wrongfully enacted, and I look forward to her attempts to exonerate the man in future episodes, because I honestly liked this character.

The way they’re writing Jack this season, I’m not sure I’m happy about. I don’t really like how he’s reacted to finding out he did not marry his childhood sweetheart, and that she’s actually this revenge-seeking woman. It doesn’t feel genuine, it feels like his emotions keep getting tossed from one end of the spectrum to the other, as if he’s a hormonal woman. To me, it doesn’t feel like the writing is doing a good job of keeping Jack around in this series. I mean, what’s the point of keeping him here, if this is all he’s doing? I do hope he has more scenes with Charlotte, because those were good, but otherwise, he needs better development.

Patrick this episode was a little strange. I understood, but didn’t like the way he closed the door on Emily. I’m sure his mother has imparted her dislikes of the woman on him, but that’s a woman who tried to give him hush money to stay away. Why would he honestly take her opinion of people to heart? Also, what is with the incestuous vibes she often gives off to him? That relationship doesn’t seem like it’s going to end well, they’ve got a rather strange connection. It makes for interesting television, but it’s odd nonetheless. I did, however, like the dinner table exchange between them where he gets up to leave, and she puts shame on her family for their shortcomings toward Patrick.

One thing I really didn’t like about this episode was the way they’re writing Aiden, even more so than the way they’re writing Jack. I know the showrunner bumped him up to a regular last season, but there’s really no necessity in having him around. This is really just away to keep the actor, when it’s not at all genuine to the story, or the characters. Especially when the way he left last season gave me the impression he desperately wanted to get to Emily, not back at her. Remember Aiden, you’re the one that killed her mentor, and she’s not too handy with forgiveness.

Otherwise, the momentum of the episode wasn’t bad, as usual Nolan was awesome, I just almost wish there was a little more of him, and a little less Victoria. Please get rid of this Aiden scheme and I’ll be happy, as well as giving Jack an actual storyline. I really liked the guy in the first season, and as a fan of Roswell, I don’t want the actor gone.

My rating: 7 out of 10.

I’m off to bed now, to continue rereading the first Harry Potter book. Tune in tomorrow for reviews of Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist, not necessarily in that order.

Revenge 3.01 Review: A Dish Best Served Cold

Anyone that has yet to watch tonight’s season three premiere of Revenge, fittingly titled ‘Fear’, then now would be the time to back away from this review if you hope to watch devoid of spoilers. THIS BLOG MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! You’ve been warned.

As always, this series premiered with a flash-forward to a climactic event that it will now build up to, that being Emily on a boat in a wedding dress being shot and falling back into the ocean. I will say that I liked how this season opened, with the slow move into boat, although the voice over can be somewhat overdone. Every time I hear Emily VanCamp’s voice, it always sounds like she’s overdoing it just a bit. Like she’s trying to push the suspense of the series with just her words. The voice over isn’t terrible, but work could be done to tone down the intensity that comes across. I think we get that this is a series about revenge, it’s not integral to make that come through with just your voice.

I’m a little confused when it comes to Charlotte. She lost the baby? Then what was the point of her being pregnant in the first place? And does anyone else feel like she got over Declan pretty easily? She was under the belief she loved him last season, but now I don’t really see that. Now she seems all determined to have her half-brother suffer if her mother doesn’t do that to him already, if he doesn’t leave. What is with this seesaw momentum of character development? I’d almost think the writers were bipolar when it comes to Charlotte. Though I do have to say that I like her wardrobe this season, and the bangs. Her hair looks surprisingly good.

Then Ashley’s back, and wanting to blackmail Emily this season, but she eventually gets crossed off Emily’s list of people she needs to take care of. I question how these two women were ever friends in the first place. It’s like nothing but securing a position of power matters for Ashley. I saw that yearning in the beginning of the series, but I don’t see any of that knowledge of past friendship when she interacts with Emily. This character has just seemed to have done a complete one eighty, like the writers had no idea where they were really going with her so they send her away. Although that is how I felt all of last season with everything.

Despite not having much dialogue, I do think Justin Hartley did a phenomenal job as Patrick in this season premiere. The man surprisingly came across as genuinely his character more so than the rest of the actors that have embodied their characters for over two seasons. I’m actually looking forward to seeing this character development, and if he’s any good, and got enough of a story, I sincerely hope he sticks around. Particularly more than Aiden.

Jack seems to be better this season, at least compared to most of last year. My specific note reads ‘This Jack is better than season two Jack, but not better than season one’. I think that’s because his complete lack of interaction with Emily last season and completely throwing himself into things with Amanda was just bad when compared to season one where he was so heavily revolving around Emily for a lot of it. Which is why I so desperately wanted Amanda to not be carrying Jack’s child last season because I enjoyed Emily and Jack’s back and forth romance, and then it’s also completely left out for Aiden in season two, and that just got a whole heck of a lot convoluted and messy. So basically what I’m trying to say is that I’m glad he’s kind of darker, or more emotionally charged this season, from the evidence of this episode. I want Jack to be more included in things.

Okay, I get that the smiles and the tone are fake between Emily and Victoria, but you’d think they’d be better at pretending to like each other more than that scene in Grayson manner with the horrendously fake smiles. If I can pick up that you’re being fake with each other, don’t you think the other woman you’re playing the scene against can pick up on that too? They play their teamwork much better on when they finally (and I say that as a heavy finally) get rid of Ashley, but not at this point in the episode. Also, is Victoria still that desperate to get rid of Emily, when Aiden comes to her door?

All right, I think I’m done. The episode was a solid opening, and I look much more forward to this season than I did last year after the second season’s premiere. I’m desperately glad that the whole Carrion, and Initiative storylines are over and done with. May the creators learn from last year’s mistakes.

My rating: 3 out of 5.

Best Line:

“Amen to that.” – Nolan says to Emily, about her nonchalant comment about forgetting about Carrion and the Initiative.

That’s all for tonight, kids. Check back in tomorrow night for reviews of How I Met Your Mother, Bones, Sleepy Hollow, and The Blacklist.