Revenge at its heart has always been a story about a woman trying to seek, well, revenge, and this time around, it’s never been more true. The only difference? It’s now Victoria’s turn. Let’s dig in!
The episode started with our first voiceover of the season, but this time around is was Victoria’s cool voice we heard. She’s talking about how she’s learned to make peace with those she has wronged, no one more-so than Emily Thorne..at least that’s the tale she’s telling those in her support group. However, her doctor isn’t really buying it, but the one friend she’s made, Phyllis, is hanging on to her every word.
In the outside world, we learned that Emily has purchased Grayson Manor although the house’s new name is still up-for-debate. Regardless of the name, one thing is for certain: it will still be the home to the first big party of the season. But will it be home to any murders, arrests, poisonings or poisonings? Nolan really hopes not. C’mon, Nolan! What kind of party is that?! We also learn that she won’t be unveiling herself as Amanda Clarke, much to Nolan’s disappointment. That’s pretty much where the disappoint ends though because he loves seeing this side of Emily, seemingly care-free and no red sharpie in sight. He tells her, the girl who gives up revenge, gets to live happily ever after…but because this is Revenge we know that that’s easier said than done. The proof? Cut to David Clarke telling a man that has been helping him out after all this time: it’s now or never. He’s headed to Southampton.
In another very exciting plot development, Jack is now a cop! Just take a minute to let the visual of him in a uniform sink in. His reasoning? Too many people have gotten away with murder, and it was finally time for him to do something about it. It’s. About. Time. His partner however, knows about his little kidnapping stint, and apparently Charlotte hasn’t let it go either. She decides to take Carl home from school without telling Jack (and after not talking to him for six months,) and pretty much gave Jack a taste of what Conrad must have felt when she was missing.
Someone she is still talking to..at least a little bit? Daniel. While still trying to master the art of manipulation like her mother and sister, she goes to Daniel for money to pay her rent. He wishes she’d just move in with him instead, but she insists she’s doing just fine. Daniel however, is not. He’s spiraling out of control after walking away from the company with Margot and has resorted to selling some of his most prized possessions to try and get the money.
Back inside the still-yet-to-be-named-manor, Emily and Nolan are joined by a couple who were the owners of The Jennifer, a yacht that was involved in an accident that killed an innocent man. As they’re reliving the moment, they’re interrupted by a phone call from a frantic Victoria hoping the new owner of the manor will help get her out of the institution she’s in. So you can imagine her shock when it’s Emily’s voice she hears on the line. She tries to essentially call a truce —whatever that means for Victoria— but Emily still isn’t having it. Victoria is later sent back to her room where she learns she has a new roommate: Louise Ellis. Louise’s mother put her in there for going a little crazy when her father died, and you can pretty much see Victoria smell the vulnerability: she’s found a new pawn to control.
Shortly after the call, Emily is enjoying the view from her new perspective (the Grayson balcony) when she sees the curtains move in her old house. So, naturally, like any young female would (not) do, she goes to see what it is. Upon entering she is instantly hit with a flashback of Aiden’s death and her emotions force her out of the house, but if she had just stayed a little longer, she would have seen her father lurking in the shadows.
The next day at the party, Emily is delighted to see her guest, Nancy, a woman whose car she accidentally hit arrive. However the look on her face when she hit her car earlier in the episode, leads you to believe it was the farthest thing from an accident. Turns out, the two have something in common: they both lost their fiancés. Another thing they have in common? They both apparently know Jennifer (one of the owners of the aforementioned yacht). Moments later, we see Charlotte is at the party and in the company of the not-so-gentlemanly Gideon, who is unfortunately still around. The two disappear into a room and are doing drugs when Southampton’s newest cop shows up. As his partner gets set to arrest Charlotte, Jack steps in and tells him she’s family. He tells her he only gets one pass with him and it looks like Jack’s using it to try to make amends—again. Another thing his partner wants him to make a pass at? Emily. His partner wants to know the deal between the two of them. Jack tells him it’s complicated. His partner’s response? Un-complicate it. Preach.
Back at the institution, Victoria and Louise have devised a plan. When the orderly comes to take Louise’s things, he moves it into a separate room. Apparently in this place, they don’t check what’s actually inside your things because out pops Phyllis from inside the trunk as she triggers the alarm. With the alarm sounding, Victoria makes her glamourous escape, but realizes too late that she left Louise behind. In other words: Victoria is still looking out for numero uno. Safe to say, some things never change.
Later on at the party, it’s time for the the couple to unveil their new yacht. Right as it’s about to be christened, the curtain drops unveiling ‘ The Valerie.’ The only problem, his wife’s name is Jennifer. Valerie is the name of his mistress…the one he was screwing the night an innocent man was killed. Any guess as to who the innocent man was? Yup, Nancy’s fiance. Clearly, this meeting was not coincidental, which Nolan quickly pieces together. Turns out, Emily is still up to her revenge-y ways…even if people didn’t ask for it. Nolan tells her she’s like an addict and tries to stage an intervention: he threatens to tell everyone that Amanda Clarke is alive and well, but she reminds him of one key fact: everyone she loves is gone and it’s because of the Graysons. Then she tells him to get the hell out.
Luckily for Nolan, he did get his point across to someone: Margot. He plants the seeds about the involvement Gideon had in Daniel basically walking away from their partnership and tells her to bring up the red head. So she does. Daniel finally comes clean about how the red head OD’ed and Gideon blackmailed him to be a part of Margot’s company. She tells him it’s time they do something about it but Daniel said he’s over it. That is, until she tells him that Charlotte is with Gideon right now.
The episode ended with Emily coming clean as well to Nolan about why she did that to Nancy: she wanted to save her from the pain of losing a loved one. She didn’t want Nancy to become like her. What she finally realized—nobody else is like her. She says that maybe she is an addict, like Nolan mentioned before. When it comes to revenge, she just has this thirst. Luckily this moment straight out of Twilight ended when the doorbell rings. Victoria is home. She tells Emily – or as she calls her, Amanda Clarke, that she knows now how she must have felt when she came back to the Hamptons. She says things could have been different if she hadn’t chose revenge when she came back, but now it’s her turn to choose it. Instead of freaking out, Emily jus tells her ‘welcome back’ and slams the door. Then, as Victoria is walking away all smug she’s grabbed by David Clarke. Just as the recognition of who it is comes over her face, he places a cloth over her mouth and she passes out. Welcome back to the Hamptons, indeed.
Some leftovers: Do you think jack will be able to last as a cop? Were you shocked Emily is still plotting and scheming? What do you think it means for Emily now that Victoria is back in the Hamptons? What do you think David is doing to do to Victoria?