REVENGE

REVENGE
SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

Emily Thorne A.K.A. Amanda Clarke (Emily Vancamp) has a past that she wants to keep secret, not because she is all that ashamed, but because it will suit her plan to inject herself into the lives of people who have done her family wrong.  As she maneuvers her way into these high society groups of people, she will begin to make their lives unbearable and hopefully expose them for what they have done to her family.

It is clear from the onset that Emily and her father David Clarke (James Tupper) have had a strong bond since her childhood.  This makes the revenge so much sweeter, as these are the people who destroyed her family.  

Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) looks down on the little people and lives a rich ($$$) existence.  She loves her husband and at first glance they seem happy but Conrad Grayson (Henry Czemy) has been having an affair with his wife's best friend, Lydia Davis (Amber Valletta) for some time.  Conrad becomes ill while getting some afternoon delight in a hotel room with Lydia, who is forced to call the paramedics but quickly flees the scene.  When Conrad's wife realizes where he was she takes fast action to let him know she will not tolerate his wandering ways.

When Emily moves back to her old town she rents the house she grew up in while still trying to stay unnoticed. There are a few people who have taken an interest in her and some who may have recognized who she really is.  Young Amanda Clarke (Emily Alyn Lind) is often seen frolicking with her dad in an atmosphere every child would want to have growing up.   

Daniel (Joshua Bowman) and Charlotte Grayson (Christa B. Allen) seem to have everything they need in life as the children of Conrad and Victoria.  Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann) puts the puzzle together, and realizing who Emily really is, sets a plan in motion to join her in her plot for revenge.  Other players are Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler), Declan Porter (Connor Paolo), Ashley Davenport (Ashley Madekwe), Frank Stevens (Max Martini) and Adam (Robbie Arnell). Which one of these characters will draw the revenge card?    

The opening scene with the waves rolling along the ocean at night with a narration by Amanda Clarke really sets the tone for the show.  The concept is great because wouldn't everyone like to get a little revenge on someone who has done them wrong?  The writing is mysterious as they choose to give the audience information on a need-to-know basis.  This gives the show some darkness as long as they drop information that may not be useful at the time but will tie in at a later point in the story.  

The show moves around in time, keeping the audience on their toes.  For people who could not handle "Lost" when the writers story-boarded in many different years, this will not be a show for you.  The viewers must love a mystery with revenge overtones and smart dialogue.  

It does not seem like ABC is going all-out for this show, as the actors have been cast more on the fly.  The web site designated for the show gives very little information, which hopefully will be a good thing as these characters will evolve and what you see may not be what you get.  If this is the case, then the show can only get better and that is what we hope for in all the shows we follow.  

The ability of Emily Vancamp to switch gears from the soft sensitive character into the vengeful manipulating darker side will carry the series through season one.  It should get the attention of viewers as she does a remarkable job handling both Emily and Amanda.