Revenge 1x18 "Justice"
Last week was a nightmare in terms of deadlines for all the papers, so all I wanted to do throughout the weekend is a) remember what it's like to sleep and b) NOT write, lol. However, since Revenge is still the show that gives me all the feelings and had another great episode last week, I just can't move on with my life until I've talked about it. This review is brought to you by a blissfully sunny day out on the deck until it got chilly & I had to go inside. Summer is just around the corner here, but it's winter in the Hamptons...
Sometimes I wonder whether it's wise to invest so much in a show which is only in its first season, I mean, so many things could go wrong & leave me a heartbroken mess questioning whether I want to feel that way about any show ever again... but it's so good and it's so much more fun going all in that I can't help it. So.
First things first - how about that reveal in the end?! Just when I thought that Conrad couldn't possibly be any more of a bastard, it turns out that he was responsible for David's death in prison. Ngl, I did consider that possibility when flashback!Ems came to flashback!Ryan to accuse him of not going through with David's appeal, that he had to stay in prison & was stabbed to death in a fight. Mostly because given the man's infamy as a terrorist who killed hundreds of people, I saw him more as someone influential among the inmates, someone who'd have a crew having his back, someone who you wouldn't just come at with a knife like it's nbd. Therefore, it had to be arranged. My suspicions were reinforced by the conversation present day!Emily had with Ryan when we find out they are actually in cahoots... he tells her David didn't want her to testify as a kid because he feared the Graysons might do something more radical to her than locking her up.
That said, the way it was revealed/confirmed by the show was very awesome. Emily's whole plan setting up Lee as a pawn was genius up until then, and then she realises she basically sent the man to his death at Conrad's hand... just like her father was dealt with all those years ago. I take it it's a prison guard, then, the same one who turned a blind eye on David's beating, although the thought of him getting Lee to write a confession & then hang himself (or knocking him out to hang him) is probably even more spine-chilling.
Anyway, I liked how Emily asked Nolan to come over in the middle of the night for support, and he found her in a state we very rarely see her - barely holding it together, a tremble in her voice - and he had this concern in his face which just...
... be still my heart.
I just wanted him to give Em a hug so much in this scene, I can't even. :( I really felt for Nolan, too - they never showed his reaction to her saying it, but he must have been just as devastated because David was the one person who mattered to him just as much as her. My poor bbs, I suppose they both agree on the fact that the Graysons deserve to go to a special kind of hell for this one. IT'S ON.
Since we're on the subject, I really loved the rest of their scenes as well, like the other one where he casually invites himself into her unlocked house without her even twitching, sits down beside her in his over the top festive sweater propping his feet on the table and then fetches an apple from her kitchen like it's the most natural thing:
"Evening, Countess. Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled plotting."
Why hello there, The Count of Monte Cristo reference! I actually had a riveting conversation with butterfly, who loves TCoMC, about its similarities to Revenge, and found out something relevant to my interests in terms of how it ends...
[it's good, but a spoiler warning in case you're planning on reading yourself]
Edmund finds happiness with his accomplice rather than childhood sweetheart-turned-enemy, let me die!
... so BONUS points for being in a Nolan/Emily scene.
Also, that signature smile they share when he actually gets up to express his amazement at the fact that she bugged "the Queen's house" is the best, especially on Emily's end because I think she's flat out flirting with him actually enjoying his approval this time around. See also: the playful way he offers her Shamu cam. ♥
I really dig all the parallels they're drawing between how the Graysons handled David's trial and are currently handling Daniel's as far as the jury is concerned. When Nolan comes by the first time around, Emily is watching an old video clip about the member of the jury who had to step down due to losing a loved one in a car crash, and after the scene where they spy on Lee threatening the present day!juror's son, it all clicks together. Only now Team Scheming Blondes are on top of this:
They are so precious together, I have no words. Only feelings.
I love how she's the one sitting in his seat, Nolan, ever the gentleman. <3
Oh, and Nolan's genuine concern for little Matthew was a nice touch. "You don't think he'll hurt him?" That guy Lee has no excuse, threatening a kid's life like that. Nolan issuing an AMBER alert (for kidnapping) on his car after Emily planted Jack's hoodie in it (using the key whose impression she got after beating him up in the previous ep, it all comes together!) felt VERY emotionally satisfying, ngl.
Nolan taking care of his bro Jack & his baby bro by association Dec was also my favourite. I loved the scene at the beginning of the episode where Nolan is checking the yearly NolCorp balance (look at that 6 figure profit the company made on 10/07 alone, lol, a little insight into just how many generations of Nolan & Emily's fair haired offsprings will not have to work a day in their lives) and making sure Jack remains on his wild goose chase for as long as possible:
... all while keeping an eye on the Stowaway! #flawless multitasker tbh
Somewhere between all these commitments, he apparently also finds time to help Dec with his calculus, which validated my headcanon of Nolan explaining Dec his homework when Jack left him in charge last ep. SO MUCH LOVE.
The scene where Nolan sat down to talk to Declan about the trial and how family should come first was also very touching. I'm so glad they've bonded in a way that allows Dec to open up to Nolan like that... and Nolan gave him solid advice. Declan siding with Charlotte that there was a hooded man after all would have sent Jack right to prison.
Wonderful.
Although my favourite Nolan/Porters scene had to be when Emily asked Nolan to get Jack out of the house, and he came back into the Stowaway and did a flawless segue from the lawyer issue to being concerned about Dec & offering Jack to go for a ride. Seriously, watch it back, it's AMAZING. Nolan obviously gets his unparallelled acting skills from the brilliant Gabe Mann.
I do feel sorry for Charlotte, though, it seems that NO ONE is on her side. My heart was breaking for her when they showed her reading "Mason Treadwell's definitive nonsence on David Clarke", as Mike calls it, because that's the only way for her to learn something about her father. She's really losing it with her pill addiction, hooking up with her douchey ex for drugs, and no1curr because they've all got a bigger fish to fry. D: I wonder what's going to happen to her.
Daniel seems to have gone off the rails as well, I guess between Conrad's taking down Victoria's lover & threatening to do the same to Dominik and Daniel's behaviour after he suspected Emily was sneaking off with Jack goes to show that violent spells run in the family. Granted, his ~doubts regarding her weren't completely unsubstantiated, I did find it kind of strange that she'd just invite Jack over when all Daniel can do to pass his time is stare at her house 24/7 from his mother's balcony because he can't leave the perimeter. :| She did cop out of it quite masterfully later with Victoria, telling her that she only hung out with Jack to find out stuff about Amanda... I wonder if Victoria bought it? Probably not, what with her "give the PERFORMANCE of your life on the stand", lol.
It didn't escape me how utterly pissed off Daniel seemed looking down at her house, as if he actually saw the J/E hug happen right through those walls! Which, okay, I did appreciate the fact that Emily finally got a hug from someone who truly matters to her, she needs all the hugs she can get lately. But then the show did one louder and showed us how self-destructive Daniel can be when he's drinking, and how he's generally not the happy-go-lucky boy next door he tries to come across all the time. "I would have fired all three bullets if I had the chance", "I shot Tyler because he made me doubt you" (totes a valid excuse for attempting to kill someone, amirite) + the way he pushed Emily! DANGEROUS DUDE, TBH. #STAY AWAY FROM MY HOMEGIRL #DEALBREAKER It's a good thing the authorities came rushing in & dragged him away to sober up a bit in jail... where he decided to confess to the whole thing because... he felt sorry for himself?? OMG, when did his character become so compelling, I hope they go interesting places with this.
Speaking of Connie's troubled relationship with Vic's exes, I actually really liked his alpha-male showdown with Dominik. I find it interesting how he loves her in this obsessive way even though she doesn't return his feelings, and is ready to ~eliminate all the competition the second it appears. It was nice to learn another bit of Victoria's backstory & how Conrad & her met when she brokered Dominik's forged paintings & he bought one from her. Picturing Victoria as a con artist makes for a very funny mental image, ngl.
Right, that's just about it. Here, have a gif of Burberry!Nolan enjoying the snow as he's talking to Ems on the phone:
How is it possible to be this dashing and adorable? It's one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
In related news, I believe Nolan's flashback ep is finally coming up? IT'S ALREADY MY FAVOURITE OF THE SEASON AND I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN IT YET. I just want to know his life so much, let's do this, Wednesday.
P.S. HOT:
Gorgeous. Life. Ruiners.
Sometimes I wonder whether it's wise to invest so much in a show which is only in its first season, I mean, so many things could go wrong & leave me a heartbroken mess questioning whether I want to feel that way about any show ever again... but it's so good and it's so much more fun going all in that I can't help it. So.
First things first - how about that reveal in the end?! Just when I thought that Conrad couldn't possibly be any more of a bastard, it turns out that he was responsible for David's death in prison. Ngl, I did consider that possibility when flashback!Ems came to flashback!Ryan to accuse him of not going through with David's appeal, that he had to stay in prison & was stabbed to death in a fight. Mostly because given the man's infamy as a terrorist who killed hundreds of people, I saw him more as someone influential among the inmates, someone who'd have a crew having his back, someone who you wouldn't just come at with a knife like it's nbd. Therefore, it had to be arranged. My suspicions were reinforced by the conversation present day!Emily had with Ryan when we find out they are actually in cahoots... he tells her David didn't want her to testify as a kid because he feared the Graysons might do something more radical to her than locking her up.
That said, the way it was revealed/confirmed by the show was very awesome. Emily's whole plan setting up Lee as a pawn was genius up until then, and then she realises she basically sent the man to his death at Conrad's hand... just like her father was dealt with all those years ago. I take it it's a prison guard, then, the same one who turned a blind eye on David's beating, although the thought of him getting Lee to write a confession & then hang himself (or knocking him out to hang him) is probably even more spine-chilling.
Anyway, I liked how Emily asked Nolan to come over in the middle of the night for support, and he found her in a state we very rarely see her - barely holding it together, a tremble in her voice - and he had this concern in his face which just...
... be still my heart.
I just wanted him to give Em a hug so much in this scene, I can't even. :( I really felt for Nolan, too - they never showed his reaction to her saying it, but he must have been just as devastated because David was the one person who mattered to him just as much as her. My poor bbs, I suppose they both agree on the fact that the Graysons deserve to go to a special kind of hell for this one. IT'S ON.
Since we're on the subject, I really loved the rest of their scenes as well, like the other one where he casually invites himself into her unlocked house without her even twitching, sits down beside her in his over the top festive sweater propping his feet on the table and then fetches an apple from her kitchen like it's the most natural thing:
"Evening, Countess. Sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled plotting."
Why hello there, The Count of Monte Cristo reference! I actually had a riveting conversation with butterfly, who loves TCoMC, about its similarities to Revenge, and found out something relevant to my interests in terms of how it ends...
[it's good, but a spoiler warning in case you're planning on reading yourself]
Edmund finds happiness with his accomplice rather than childhood sweetheart-turned-enemy, let me die!
... so BONUS points for being in a Nolan/Emily scene.
Also, that signature smile they share when he actually gets up to express his amazement at the fact that she bugged "the Queen's house" is the best, especially on Emily's end because I think she's flat out flirting with him actually enjoying his approval this time around. See also: the playful way he offers her Shamu cam. ♥
I really dig all the parallels they're drawing between how the Graysons handled David's trial and are currently handling Daniel's as far as the jury is concerned. When Nolan comes by the first time around, Emily is watching an old video clip about the member of the jury who had to step down due to losing a loved one in a car crash, and after the scene where they spy on Lee threatening the present day!juror's son, it all clicks together. Only now Team Scheming Blondes are on top of this:
They are so precious together, I have no words. Only feelings.
I love how she's the one sitting in his seat, Nolan, ever the gentleman. <3
Oh, and Nolan's genuine concern for little Matthew was a nice touch. "You don't think he'll hurt him?" That guy Lee has no excuse, threatening a kid's life like that. Nolan issuing an AMBER alert (for kidnapping) on his car after Emily planted Jack's hoodie in it (using the key whose impression she got after beating him up in the previous ep, it all comes together!) felt VERY emotionally satisfying, ngl.
Nolan taking care of his bro Jack & his baby bro by association Dec was also my favourite. I loved the scene at the beginning of the episode where Nolan is checking the yearly NolCorp balance (look at that 6 figure profit the company made on 10/07 alone, lol, a little insight into just how many generations of Nolan & Emily's fair haired offsprings will not have to work a day in their lives) and making sure Jack remains on his wild goose chase for as long as possible:
... all while keeping an eye on the Stowaway! #flawless multitasker tbh
Somewhere between all these commitments, he apparently also finds time to help Dec with his calculus, which validated my headcanon of Nolan explaining Dec his homework when Jack left him in charge last ep. SO MUCH LOVE.
The scene where Nolan sat down to talk to Declan about the trial and how family should come first was also very touching. I'm so glad they've bonded in a way that allows Dec to open up to Nolan like that... and Nolan gave him solid advice. Declan siding with Charlotte that there was a hooded man after all would have sent Jack right to prison.
Wonderful.
Although my favourite Nolan/Porters scene had to be when Emily asked Nolan to get Jack out of the house, and he came back into the Stowaway and did a flawless segue from the lawyer issue to being concerned about Dec & offering Jack to go for a ride. Seriously, watch it back, it's AMAZING. Nolan obviously gets his unparallelled acting skills from the brilliant Gabe Mann.
I do feel sorry for Charlotte, though, it seems that NO ONE is on her side. My heart was breaking for her when they showed her reading "Mason Treadwell's definitive nonsence on David Clarke", as Mike calls it, because that's the only way for her to learn something about her father. She's really losing it with her pill addiction, hooking up with her douchey ex for drugs, and no1curr because they've all got a bigger fish to fry. D: I wonder what's going to happen to her.
Daniel seems to have gone off the rails as well, I guess between Conrad's taking down Victoria's lover & threatening to do the same to Dominik and Daniel's behaviour after he suspected Emily was sneaking off with Jack goes to show that violent spells run in the family. Granted, his ~doubts regarding her weren't completely unsubstantiated, I did find it kind of strange that she'd just invite Jack over when all Daniel can do to pass his time is stare at her house 24/7 from his mother's balcony because he can't leave the perimeter. :| She did cop out of it quite masterfully later with Victoria, telling her that she only hung out with Jack to find out stuff about Amanda... I wonder if Victoria bought it? Probably not, what with her "give the PERFORMANCE of your life on the stand", lol.
It didn't escape me how utterly pissed off Daniel seemed looking down at her house, as if he actually saw the J/E hug happen right through those walls! Which, okay, I did appreciate the fact that Emily finally got a hug from someone who truly matters to her, she needs all the hugs she can get lately. But then the show did one louder and showed us how self-destructive Daniel can be when he's drinking, and how he's generally not the happy-go-lucky boy next door he tries to come across all the time. "I would have fired all three bullets if I had the chance", "I shot Tyler because he made me doubt you" (totes a valid excuse for attempting to kill someone, amirite) + the way he pushed Emily! DANGEROUS DUDE, TBH. #STAY AWAY FROM MY HOMEGIRL #DEALBREAKER It's a good thing the authorities came rushing in & dragged him away to sober up a bit in jail... where he decided to confess to the whole thing because... he felt sorry for himself?? OMG, when did his character become so compelling, I hope they go interesting places with this.
Speaking of Connie's troubled relationship with Vic's exes, I actually really liked his alpha-male showdown with Dominik. I find it interesting how he loves her in this obsessive way even though she doesn't return his feelings, and is ready to ~eliminate all the competition the second it appears. It was nice to learn another bit of Victoria's backstory & how Conrad & her met when she brokered Dominik's forged paintings & he bought one from her. Picturing Victoria as a con artist makes for a very funny mental image, ngl.
Right, that's just about it. Here, have a gif of Burberry!Nolan enjoying the snow as he's talking to Ems on the phone:
How is it possible to be this dashing and adorable? It's one of the greatest mysteries of the universe.
In related news, I believe Nolan's flashback ep is finally coming up? IT'S ALREADY MY FAVOURITE OF THE SEASON AND I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN IT YET. I just want to know his life so much, let's do this, Wednesday.
P.S. HOT:
Click to viewGorgeous. Life. Ruiners.