Revenge. Is. Back. Season three kicked off last night, and set the tone for what should be an eventful season. Emily is more focused than ever on taking down the Graysons and it’s something she’ll have to do quickly. Why? Well within the first minute, we see her getting shot and falling overboard a boat in her wedding gown. So, yeah, lets’ dig in.
In typical Revenge fashion, the episode started with a flash forward that started with Emily telling someone she’s sorry. It ended with her getting two gunshots to the chest. Whoever Emily pissed off — they sure as hell mean business. Cut back to the present we learn that Emily and Daniel are still enjoying their post-engagement-fake-bliss, but Emily has yet to set a date. One event she is prepared to celebrate? The annual Memorial Day BBQ. An event that she is hosting, because Victoria has been MIA all winter and by MIA I mean riding off into the sunset with her other son, Patrick. And yes, it is a creepy as it sounds.
We thought her relationship with Daniel was weird, but that’s because we hadn’t seen her with Patrick yet. First, let me start by saying thank you to the Graysons for having phenomenal genes. Like seriously, well done Conrad and Victoria. You may be the two most manipulative people in the Hamptons, but you have some extremely good-looking sons — both of whom were shirtless in this episode. Anyway, Patrick is still in honeymoon bliss with his mom, and Victoria is putting on a good show of being caring, kind, and considerate. That is until Charlotte makes her return and complains about their property in Paris being sold. The poor thing had to drive all the way from Brussels to find out –seriously Charlotte? Let me find you a small violin.
So what we learned: even after Declan’s death and spending some time abroad, Charlotte is still as spoiled as ever. Someone else who hasn’t changed or learned ANYTHING ? Ashley. Lady is still trying to manipulate and sleep her way to the top. Every time she is on the screen I want to be like: You don’t even go here! Regardless, she ends up threatening Emily and says that if she doesn’t set her up with an eligible man in power at the BBQ, she’ll tell the Graysons everything she knows. Classy, Ashley, so very classy.
Elsewhere, we see Nolan doing his walk of fame out of prison and guess who is there to pick him up? Emily, of course! Ten years later and she’s finally returning the favor. Not only did she give Nolan a ride home, she got him a really comfortable place to sleep in — a brand new house. The two quickly return to scheming, but after his history with the internet notoriously getting him in trouble, we are introduced to Nolan 2.No. Luckily for Emily, he has some other tricks up his sleeve. Before Emily can protest, Nolan gets a call because somebody is back in town. Who might that be? A Mr. Jack Porter.
Naturally, Emily feels like it’s a good idea to go to the Stowaway. To her surprise, Jack is completely understanding. His winter alone with Carl gave him time to figure out why she would lie to him. Then one night it clicked. He was looking at baby Carl and realized the love that can happen between a child and their father. He understands that she wasn’t trying to save Conrad that night, she was trying to save him. Clearly, this warrants a kiss — and not the kind of kiss that happened when Sammy died, but the kind that is all ‘damn’ and passionate. Looking in her eyes he tells her that he didn’t know how he felt about her until this moment — and with Emily as hopeful as we’ve ever seen her, let’s her know exactly what he feels for her: nothing. Ouch. He vows to keep her secret, but he wants no part of her. It’s safe to say Emily did NOT like the taste of her own medicine — but it didn’t look like Jack was all that happy about feeding it to her either.
At the BBQ everything is going as planned. Daniel is shocked to learn that his whole family is there together. Everyone that is, but Patrick. Patrick has packed his bags and hit the road again after Charlotte took a page out of her mother’s playbook and basically told him it was time to leave. This was of course after accusing him of being her mother’s boy toy before learning it was her brother. No matter though, Charlotte still wants him gone. Nolan decides to drop into the day’s festivities and when I say dropped, I mean he literally dropped in. Via parachute. Meanwhile, Ashley is flirting and throwing herself at Dr. Valez, the handsome gentleman Emily set her up with. We also get to spend some more time with Margot. A woman from Daniel’s past who takes not only an interest in Daniel, but also this woman who stole his heart. Upon meeting Emily she asks her what she does for a living, “besides throw lovely parties.” Emily’s answer in a nutshell: I give people what they deserve. Sure, she was referring to charity work, but we know better.
It’s soon time for Emily to unveil Conrad’s portrait. As he begins his speech, he collapses to the floor. Cut to the hospital where the same Dr. Valez that Emily set Ashley up with, tells the family the diagnosis: Conrad has Huntington’s disease and it’s progressing quickly. Victoria goes straight into Grayson mode and has Daniel tell the press that he’s suffering from dehydration (because isn’t that what all high-profile people suffer from when they are in the hospital?) Unfortunately, the damage is already done. The information has been leaked to the media, but it raises a question: who did it? As Emily so eloquently relayed to Victoria, it was only the family and the doctor who knew about it. The same doctor who was chatting up Ashley, who hasn’t made her hunger for power a secret. All it takes is Emily dangling the bait, and it’s hook, line and sinker. Later Emily and Victoria (yes, together) send Ashley on her way after she makes some pitiful attempts to make her claims look credible, naturally it all backfires. “You two are evil” she tells them, “What we are..like or not..is family” Victoria replies and off Ashley walks to board a plane banished from the Hamptons forever. Imagine the damage these two could do if they actually liked each other!
With the news of Conrad’s diagnosis in the press, Emily returns home to see Jack on her porch. He asks Emily if she had anything to do with what happened to Conrad. What does he mean? Well, who do you think is responsible for all that happened! It’s amazing the things you can see when you actually open your eyes, right Jack? Emily tells him that Conrad is getting what he deserved. But Jack isn’t buying it — he’s lost too many loved ones who didn’t deserve to die. Jack gives her until the end of the summer to do what it is she has to do or he is exposing who she truly is to the Graysons.
So we now have a deadline, which means Emily needs to get her plans in motion even quicker. Her first item on the agenda? Setting her wedding date. How’s a nice and symbolic August 8th (double infinity signs) for you all? Perfect! The scene is now all set for the wedding of the century. That is, until Victoria steps out onto her porch hoping to find out Patrick has returned, but instead finds Aiden. He makes his reason for being there very clear: “I’m here to help you destroy the girl next door. ” ..and with that, let season three begin!
Some leftovers: Were you shocked when Jack kissed Emily? Did you think it was real? What do you think Margot’s motive is? Is Aiden really turning against Emily? And of course: who do you think shoots Emily Thorne?