By Lauren Kirkwood
OK Revenge, I’ll admit it – you brought it up a notch this week. Is it because I condescendingly suggested you could be “a great little thriller” in the last review?
No revenge scenario this time, which meant we could spend valuable minutes getting to know recurring characters, instead of meeting Emily’s victim-of-the-week and counting down to his or her downfall.
Time also got even less linear than usual. It started with the end – Lydia Davis buying the farm by hitting a New York yellow cab from 10 storeys above – then went back to the beginning of the events leading to her death, with pit-stops along the way in the Sad Yesteryear of Amanda Clark, before she became “Emily”.
Throughout the initial episodes of Revenge, I’ve been interested in the Lydia character. Instead of the two-dimensional villain she could have been, Lydia was smart and ruthless, but also sad and vulnerable. Her death is therefore a complicated event for the viewer – she was prevented from exposing Emily’s real identity (good!) when her head hit the ‘taxi’ sign, but only because Victoria Grayson cruelly out-maneuvered her (bad!).
Meanwhile, Emily made up with Daniel, foiling Daniel’s dastardly best friend and his scheme to break them up. Alternative eligible male, Blue-Collar-with-Heart-of-Gold Jack (of course he’s called ‘Jack’), made his usual obligatory, wistful appearance. I haven’t found word count to cover either of these love interests in my previous reviews, because, compared to the roll call of interesting cads and divas appearing each week, these two guys kind of make me snoozy.
Daniel is a well-meaning pushover; his personality (if any) outshone by the rest of his family, and Jack is somehow even less interesting than Daniel. I actually had to Google for his name, 5 episodes in – something I would never have had to do for Nolan or Victoria. Or even Emily’s unsuspecting best friend and often-patsy, Ashley. Also, it’s a little ridiculous that Jack loved Little Amanda enough to name a boat after her, but he doesn’t show any hint of recognising her as an adult.
The highlight of this episode for me, other than the drama of Lydia eating chrome, was a handful of delicious Emily moments – personifying “butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth’ – playing the well-intentioned and clueless stranger who accidentally ruins everything for the Hamptons elite. And possibly, Victoria giving her daughter a $200,000 Mercedes, just to shut her up.
I think this was the best episode so far – for the first time there was an actual threat of exposure for Emily, I also think they’re making a great use of Lydia’s character. Who would’ve thought she’d still play an important role after episode 1?
And what is up with that despicable Tyler guy? Is he in love with Daniel?
The major weakness of the show for me is the whole Charlie/Declan story. Beyond pointless.
Yes! What IS going on with Tyler? I was wondering if it was an unrequited love thing as well.
He’s so over-the-top evil though – I was joking to someone that all he needs is one of those long, thin moustaches like an old-school villain.
Having now watched the next episode I’ve realised that Lydia didn’t actually die, which I’ll have to correct in the next review. Should have known they wouldn’t kill her off so easily.
Agreed re Charlie and Declan, and I also don’t understand why Declan suddenly has an accent.