Revenge 2x06 - "Illusion", 2x07 - "Penance" & 2x08 - "Lineage"
Hi, LJ. It's been ages, I know, but the good news is, I'm doing a bit better concerning my senioritis & time management, which means, LJ quality time! A proper update is on the horizon, but for now, I have three weeks' worth of my show to get off my chest, so bear with me. :D
I've contemplated doing a separate reaction post for "Lineage" since it's a flashback ep, but a lot of it tied into the previous two so nicely that I've decided it would be better to address them all as a whole. I do love my show putting things into perspective via valuable background info!
It may come as a surprise to you, but Nolan/Emily continue to be EVERYTHING to me as far as this show is concerned. ;) Having other people in their lives is actually bringing out a lot of interesting things in both of them, which I've been dying to discuss.
"America will devour the salacious tale of the felonius (...) blondes
and their vendetta against one of the wealthiest families on the planet." - Mason
Seriously, remove one word from Mason's words of wisdom, and suddenly they're entirely about my OTP. :D
First of all, I've found Emily's wanting to protect Nolan from being cornered by Daniel at all costs & his reaction to it pretty damn amazing because it seemed like an inversion of the who Nolan/Emily usually are to each other. This time, it was Emily storming into Nolan's place (well, his office) full of very active concern, and Nolan acting completely calmly in the face of it all:
- If she helps prove that my father invested in Nolcorp, they will come after you with everything they have, DANIEL WILL NOT STOP.
- I can handle Daniel Grayson.
I love that Nolan stands up & closes the distance between them to say it, which results in this hilarious impromptu stare down between them:
Okay, you win with the steely eyes.
JUST. HOW ARE YOU SO ADORABLE.
Like many other Nolan/Emily scenes, this one is laced with Nolanisms & Nolan's unparalleled facial expressions, yet what strikes me about it is Emily's reaction to them, or rather the mere PRESENCE of a reaction out of her. She usually ignores his quips, but here you can tell he's driving her crazy b/c she can't help shaking her head or rolling her eyes every single time. See also: the glance she throws him when he addresses Aiden as "Mr. Bond" at the Grayson wedding (pfft, Bond would have been NOTHING without Q, Nolan). My take on her heightened responsiveness is that she's genuinely worried for Nolan/NolCorp & it annoys her that he dismisses the clear & present danger.
I found the following exchange VERY interesting as well:
- I want to confirm [Padma is exchanging information with Daniel] for myself before I do something that I'll regret. Not that I expect you to understand.
- No, what I don't understand is why you're willing to risk your entire company for this.
First of all, once again, Nolan poses here as her full-fledged partner who isn't just going to sit there & take orders - he has every right to make decisions for himself - which is the evolution of what their relationship once used to be that I'm always pleased to see reinforced. Secondly, Nolan basically says that he wouldn't do it because Padma actually matters to him & he doesn't want to screw up a seemingly good thing he's got going with her, something he doubts Emily would understand - and he's right, she doesn't. I think both of them recognize a subconscious jealousy factor at play here since for once, Nolan cares for someone else besides Emily enough not to take Emily's word for their guilt. That's new territory for both of them!
All of which becomes even more meaningful because as of Lineage, he's known for sabotaging his intimate relationships by choosing Emily over them. I mean, it took him exactly 5 seconds to fire Marco when he (rather reasonably) questioned Nolan's life choices concerning releasing all $500 mil* worth of Emily's NolCorp shares to her.
"There wouldn't have been a company w/o David, and I wasn't about to screw over his daughter after everything she'd been through. If you don't get that, then I don't think we have a future together."
Again, very interesting parallel where all Nolan asks of the person he cares about is understanding. My soul was crying for Nolan here b/c he loved Marco enough to tell him the truth, but didn't give him enough time to take the information in, or explained WHY David & his daughter meant to him so much he was choosing them over the well-being of his company (AS IN EMILY >>> EVERYONE & EVERYTHING ELSE ALWAYS EVEN THEN, BE STILL MY NEMILY HEART - it's fascinating how present they were in this episode despite not having a single scene together for the first time in the show's history) before burning all bridges with him. So yeah, it makes a lot of sense that this time with Padma, Nolan makes sure he isn't too quick to sever.
* In case you were wondering just how LOADED Emily is, lol.
What's even more curious, when Mason calls to ask for help...
lol, Nolan, you are my favourite.
Nolan is basically talking to Emily during this conversation (which is the best) & using this call to get the upper hand on her. He establishes that Padma & him are most definitely going to the wedding, and Emily caves because she needs her Mason master plan to work out.
GO TEAM BLONDIES.
Fast forward a little, and goodness, just how HOT were they at the party? Ngl, I am forever disgruntled @ the writers that we didn't get a Nolan/Emily dance out of this ep since that opportunity hardly ever presents itself in the Hamptons (seriously, you'd think there'd be more with those neverending parties), but I guess that's still something to look forward to in the future. For now, we got them all dressed up & precious & talking to each other in that intimate way again as only they do:
Conrad arrested for murder at his own wedding - now that's a revenge all-star opportunity!
SIDEBAR: Guys, is it just me or was this one of those awesome allusions to The Count of Monte Cristo? This time around, with Emily being the bad guy framing the ~innocent Count on his wedding day at that! I love this show, I really do.
The following episode drove ALL of my NEmily feelings home, tho.
Just. What was this Nolan/Aiden scene, it was GLORIOUS:
- It wasn't enough to pilfer my only friend? Now you want my office, too?
That is some badass croc courtesy of Nolan. Your presence is NOT welcome within my OTP, Aiden.
I have to say, it's interesting that Nolan refers to Emily as his only friend when we know he also has Jack. Seems that deep inside, it all comes down to Emily being his one true friend, and he misses her.
Now, I'm not going to lie, Aiden's reply, "On the contrary, I'd say Emily belongs to you" did win him some major points with me because IT IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH (& also one of the very few truths Aiden has said all season, lol), not to mention that it contributes to my favourite S2 theme of Nolan being Emily's & Emily being Nolan's which I've brought up in my previous reaction post. However, let's face it, Aiden also said it for manipulative purposes. Emily gave him a task with a looming deadline, and he took a shortcut by throwing her best friend under the bus AGAIN. (Which, I'm convinced she has no idea he was the one who tipped Daniel off in the first place, hence her anger at Padma.)
"This might be your last chance to save Emily."
Knowing how Nolan feels about Emily, after those words, how could he ever say no? Gabe's performance here GAVE ME ALL THE EMOTIONS, you guys, because we could clearly see how it was tearing up Nolan from the inside to give up his life's work which he put A LOT of heart & effort into to his gratest enemies, the Graysons, and yet he was prepared to do that in a heartbeat if it was the only way to help his girl Ems. The sound of that picture frame shattering was the sound of Nolan & my own hearts collectively breaking, ngl. Also, wow, we NEVER get to see Nolan lose his temper like that.
Just when I thought my OTP couldn't possibly get any more perfect, Nolan had to go & see RIGHT THROUGH Aiden:
HOT.
Just. THANK YOU, NOLAN. All that persistent attention Aiden pays to Em & meaningful staring into her yes telling her things like, "I know everyone you've ever trusted has betrayed you"? PLEASE, Aiden. The only one who betrayed her was YOU. I'm so glad I'm not the only one not convinced that Aiden is working in Emily's best interests here (albeit he knows less of their backstory than I do) and makes sure he knows that Em has someone watching over her. It's also very awesome to see Nolan on the delivering end of a threat for once, and the way he says it? For all your superior ninja skills, be afraid, Aiden. Be very afraid.
The only thing I don't get is how handing Daniel the check prevents his team of forensic accountants investigating into NolCorp's past & stumbling upon Emily's fortune anyway.
Anyway, the scene where Nolan breaks it to Emily that he's given up NolCorp BECAUSE SHE IS HIS LIFE AND SHE WILL ALWAYS COME FIRST is a thing of beauty & I cannot. I CANNOT WITH THESE TWO. I love the stark contrast in which he presents his arguments in favour of the decision to Aiden (your standard issue "Keeping my promise to David to protect Emily") and to Emily herself b/c that reason is nobody elses' business but theirs:
She means the world to him and he will give up his life twice for her in a heartbeat b/c she's his only real family
Just. Look at her reaction, like she doesn't believe anyone could love her that deeply-
I CANNOT
BRB CRYING OVER THEIR PERFECTION
Now, I do have issues with Nolan sacrificing his company, but I truly believe that Emily won't just let it rest and will figure out a way to get NolCorp back for her bff via Aiden's help. There's just no way she'll be fine with Nolan being out on the street just so her plan could work given how much he means to her by now.
What I find very interesting is that Emily still wouldn't talk to Nolan about Aiden. She is very honest about other aspects of her past with him, so why not this? Nolan has tried everything to get her to open up, including my favourite:
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, NOLAN. CARRY ON.
... and still no go. Emily talks to Aiden about Nolan, so it pains me to admit that Aiden seems to have his own special place in her heart, one where all that irresistible attraction to him stems from because they share a unique connection of their own - as per Lineage, both Aiden's sister & Emily's father fell prey to the Initiative's plot to down that plane. Aiden's sister was kidnapped in order to blackmail his baggage handler dad to overlook the bomb & David Clarke's story we know.
I found their backstory very engaging, especially the fact that Emily was the one who recruited Aiden for Revenge camp. Although something tells me it was Takeda's plan all along to have them meet & bond over their hatred for the Initiative - he's known to be quite the puppet master! It's entirely possible he found Emily to be too emotional & needed someone else around to keep her in check. Anyway, ties or not, I still believe her opening up to Aiden the way she did at the end of the episode was a mistake. I don't think it's a coincidence that Emily repeatedly failed Takeda's lesson NOT to trust Aiden b/c at the end of the day, he has his own agenda - and history has a funny way of repeating itself. I keep thinking that sooner or later, Nolan will have to make good on his threat... UNLESS, as someone pointed out to me, Emily is actually playing Aiden this time, which (as much as I like the idea of Emily missing having Nolan around & needing to confide into somebody) is a storyline I'd definitely like to see.
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Okay, now storyline-specific thoughts in no particular order:
✍ I see what you did there with Padma getting cut on the broken glass from the smashed David Clarke check frame, Revenge. The very object she (unassumingly, or?) used to set in motion the series of unfortunate events that lead to the end of NolCorp & Nolan as we know him. That is DEEP & another reason I love this show.
Also, Nolan's insecurity that surely people only like him because of his money presenting itself again made my heart ache. "Will you still want me if I'm no longer Nolan Mitchell Ross?" Poor bb. Come into my loving arms.
Hearts in Nolan's eyes made sure he was alarmingly quick to forgive her - he just wants to believe the best in people he cares about in general, I guess - but I'm still on the fence when it comes to her. Hopefully, that was the end of her going behind his back. VERY interesting if there's going to be a follow-up to Nolan's, "How far are you willing to go to protect us from being stung..." - she seemed pretty unsettled at that.
MOSTLY I'M VERY EXCITED AT THE BATTLE OF THE CFOs THAT WILL ENSUE WITH MARCO'S RETURN. There's A LOT of unfinished business between Nolan & him, and he actually knows things about Emily, not just David's investment. We've been so suspicious of Padma... could we have been barking up the wrong CFO?
Seriously, it makes all the sense now that Nolan chose to be his own CFO after Marco left. Bitches just can't help getting all up in Nolan's David Clarke biz. Still, Marco seemed far more straightforward with Nolan, so I'm (for better or for worse, probably worse) inclined to trust him more than Padma.
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✍ ... and then there's the fact that Nolan/Marco were completely ADORABLE in that flashback. Seriously, I went on a screencapping spree watching their scenes because OH MY GOD HOW CUTE WERE THEY WITH THEIR IPO ANNOUNCEMENT:
"I couldn't have done it without you." :')
OMG YOU GUYS I THINK I SHIP IT BECAUSE ALL THE FEELS
It's so interesting how different Nolan is in this flashback from the Nolan we know now. He seemed... cheerful, happier somehow. Look at the playful way he made the announcement & sent everyone home with a bottle of champagne! No sarcastic remarks and no popped collars, either, although I was glad he was wearing that vest (I love a vest on Gabe, yes I do).
So what happened between 2006 & 2011 that changed him so much? Is it just losing Marco that jaded him, or is there a bigger story waiting to be told? Nolan's character is easily my favourite character on TV right now, and I love how they find new ways of making him more & more compelling.
Seriously, tho, look at his joyful glee getting that present from Marco which meant everything to him, I can't:
BEST BOYFRIEND EVER Y/Y
... and now look at Nolan's heartbroken little faaaace when he fired Marco DDD:
A PART OF ME DIED WHEN I LET YOU GO
I've been waiting for someone I could ship Nolan with while I wait for Nolan/Emily to happen, and this just might be it. They have a lot of chemistry and are the kind of a complex ship I like. I realise how screwed up this sounds coming from an ardent Nolan/Emily shipper like myself because let's face it, Marco presents an even bigger danger to Emily than Padma, and yet I can't help feeling excited for all of it to unravel & Nolan's loyalties being tested between a ship I love & a ship I LOVE. I guess I hope Marco chooses Nolan & Emily (who matters to Nolan) in the end when he finally hears more of the David Clarke story. Tl;dr these two have to make up STAT and give me more complicated emotions.
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✍ How cool was the Mason Treadwell takedown? Framing Conrad first just to frame Mason for framing him is one impressive long con on Emily's part, not gonna lie. You can tell the girl has issues with framing. ;) It's funny how easy it is for her to break into the Grayson Manor for all their security. I also loved that Nolan played an active role in that plan, especially the final part with rearranging the board (very cleverly at that!). His whistle at observing it, by the way? PRICELESS. I heard the whole board will appear on the official ABC website, and I can't wait to inspect it.
Anyway, I found two things very interesting in this storyline Emily-wise. First, the way she kept talking Fauxmanda out of ending Mason: "Doing this will destroy your family. Choose your family." Now, we know it must tear Emily up from the inside that Jack is marrying Fauxmanda, but she said it anyway... because yes, she needs Mason alive as a first-hand witness of the David Clarke conspiracy, but also because I kind of feel like she lives vicariously through Fauxmanda while realising that she can't have that life with Jack AND continue her mission.
By the by, it was pretty funny how "handling Mason her way" meant exactly what we thought it meant - with a tire iron to the head, lol.
Another thing was Emily's ultimate argument for why Mason should take the fall. Not only will she give him rights to her life story once her revenge is complete, but she is also prepared to give a "full confession of her own" to exonerate him. It's a huge contribution to the idea that Emily is a tragic character (often seen in Emily's monologues) - a full confession would mean admitting to breaking 99 state & federal law in exercising her revenge, which means she sees no future for herself beyond completing her goal.
Also, she clearly judges herself in her words to Mason:
"Everything that I've become & everything that I've given up is because of what they did to my father. And what you failed to do for him."
Once again, it's clear that she's not proud of her life choices. Have I told you how much I love this show for not glorifying Emily's revenge? She is aware of how self-destructive it is, and everything she's done so far has come back to bite her, but she's made her life revolve around her mission to the point that it's the only thing that keeps her going anymore.
Finally, what I really loved about Emily's shocking revelation of her identity to Mason (OF COURSE his dirty mind was too busy with the juicy idea of a Fauxmanda/Emily love affair & missed the obvious, l o l) is that she finally got to call him out on deceiving her as a child. I was so sad for her when she shared the story with Nolan in S1 - there was a lot of residual bitterness there - and this scene provided some closure.
They have a deal now, but Mason has been so fickle in the past that I'm sure we'll hear from him again.
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✍ Emily tells Fauxmanda she got rid of her burn scar in September 2006 - right around the time she cashed out of NolCorp, so she'd definitely have the means! I love how this tracks.
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✍ The Kara Clarke (Emily's mum) story definitely took an unexpected turn. It was interesting to see Victoria quiver in fear before her on the balcony even though she wasn't responsible for Gordon's death. It's hard to figure Kara out. I wonder why she was so quick to leave to Colorado Springs the morning after she learned of Gordon's demise & what changed her mind, making her not to board her plane & what was the burn on her hand & why it changed MASON's mind, prompting him to tell Kara all.
Dude, how screwed up is it that the love of her life Gordon murdered her first love David, tho? Seems that Kara truly believed Gordon was an undercover FBI agent, but turns out, he's from the very Initiative which brought on David's downfall. Enough even for a sane person to go trigger happy on her enemies, ngl. Guess it's thing Aiden came to the Grayson reception chloroform in hand suitcase lol although was he seriously gonna kidnap that Initiative operative, Helen, in the light of day? Seems a bit far fetched to me.
In any case, I'm sure it's not the last we've seen of Kara this season, either. I wonder if she'll be back for Fauxmanda's wedding!
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✍ Speaking of the White Haired Man, I'm so glad the Initiative pretty much established that Gordon Murphy is only something people "like" to call him - I KNEW that being a professional assassin he couldn't have possibly been carrying his real ID with him, lol.
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✍ Still can't believe Jack proposed to Fauxmanda! They are so perfect for each other! And make such an adorable family together with baby Carl! FLAIL! Now, can they get married & go on a honeymoon until the end of the show season please, that would be the best.
Although it's more likely than not that the wedding won't take place. The flashback provided us with important information on why the Ryan brothers from different mothers (tell me I'm wrong!) are after the Porters - Papa Porter's friend killed off their wannabe mobster Papa Ryan with Papa Porter's gun, and they want REVEEENGE.
I am now fully convinced the Ryans will be responsible for wrecking the Amanda on the Fauxmanda/Jack wedding day which they flashed forward to in the first episode of S2. Especially since the wedding is set to take place on the boat... but who will die?
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✍ Ashley used to be a hooker with an MFA in Art History, WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED, lol. I loved how Emily helped her anonymously so that she ended up getting the gallery job she wanted (Metropolitan, anyone?) where she later met her formally. It tallies!
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✍ Apparently, Emily was supposed to commence her revenge in the Hamptons as early as 2006 (when she was what, 22?), but was side-tracked with the introduction of Aiden & his Colleen mission... for five years. OIC OIC.
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✍ Victoria's flashback & flashback-within-a-flashback were seriously UNSETTLING. Mama Harper is a scary bitch for making her (loved the young actress!) 15 year old daughter dead-check her lover & take responsibility for killing him (scarred for life, y'all!), but man, Victoria's scheme to pay her back for it 30 Thanksgivings later definitely made Vic her mother's daughter! Hiring that actor to pretend to take an interest in her mother & making him ~leave upon hearing the horrible truth about her~ only to toss her out on the street one hour later... baddes bitch in town, y'all.
I found it interesting how Conrad was in cahoots with Victoria on this & did it for her: "Has the darkness finally been lifted?" His undying love for her after everything is said & done is fascinating tbh.
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✍ Finally, I love my show for being cool enough to have one of the screens in the Russian club say "REVENGE" in Russian:
(Russian is my mother tongue fyi)
МЕСТЬ \o/
ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY THE DETAIL ON THIS SHOW, ALWAYS.
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Woah. This took me a while. Remind me to slap myself across the face when I decide that skipping a couple of weeks & writing a reaction post on 3 episodes at once is a good idea, no matter how busy I am. :D I'm glad I was finally able to talk about my show, tho, and if you made it this far, you must be a fellow passionate revenger, which I'm always happy to celebrate together in the comments as well as any & all Revenge feelings you'd like to share!
"Seems like old times!"
Can't believe this week's episode is the winter finale. HDU LEAVE ME FOR SO LONG, SHOW. /o\
I've contemplated doing a separate reaction post for "Lineage" since it's a flashback ep, but a lot of it tied into the previous two so nicely that I've decided it would be better to address them all as a whole. I do love my show putting things into perspective via valuable background info!
It may come as a surprise to you, but Nolan/Emily continue to be EVERYTHING to me as far as this show is concerned. ;) Having other people in their lives is actually bringing out a lot of interesting things in both of them, which I've been dying to discuss.
"America will devour the salacious tale of the felonius (...) blondes
and their vendetta against one of the wealthiest families on the planet." - Mason
Seriously, remove one word from Mason's words of wisdom, and suddenly they're entirely about my OTP. :D
First of all, I've found Emily's wanting to protect Nolan from being cornered by Daniel at all costs & his reaction to it pretty damn amazing because it seemed like an inversion of the who Nolan/Emily usually are to each other. This time, it was Emily storming into Nolan's place (well, his office) full of very active concern, and Nolan acting completely calmly in the face of it all:
- If she helps prove that my father invested in Nolcorp, they will come after you with everything they have, DANIEL WILL NOT STOP.
- I can handle Daniel Grayson.
I love that Nolan stands up & closes the distance between them to say it, which results in this hilarious impromptu stare down between them:
Okay, you win with the steely eyes.
JUST. HOW ARE YOU SO ADORABLE.
Like many other Nolan/Emily scenes, this one is laced with Nolanisms & Nolan's unparalleled facial expressions, yet what strikes me about it is Emily's reaction to them, or rather the mere PRESENCE of a reaction out of her. She usually ignores his quips, but here you can tell he's driving her crazy b/c she can't help shaking her head or rolling her eyes every single time. See also: the glance she throws him when he addresses Aiden as "Mr. Bond" at the Grayson wedding (pfft, Bond would have been NOTHING without Q, Nolan). My take on her heightened responsiveness is that she's genuinely worried for Nolan/NolCorp & it annoys her that he dismisses the clear & present danger.
I found the following exchange VERY interesting as well:
- I want to confirm [Padma is exchanging information with Daniel] for myself before I do something that I'll regret. Not that I expect you to understand.
- No, what I don't understand is why you're willing to risk your entire company for this.
First of all, once again, Nolan poses here as her full-fledged partner who isn't just going to sit there & take orders - he has every right to make decisions for himself - which is the evolution of what their relationship once used to be that I'm always pleased to see reinforced. Secondly, Nolan basically says that he wouldn't do it because Padma actually matters to him & he doesn't want to screw up a seemingly good thing he's got going with her, something he doubts Emily would understand - and he's right, she doesn't. I think both of them recognize a subconscious jealousy factor at play here since for once, Nolan cares for someone else besides Emily enough not to take Emily's word for their guilt. That's new territory for both of them!
All of which becomes even more meaningful because as of Lineage, he's known for sabotaging his intimate relationships by choosing Emily over them. I mean, it took him exactly 5 seconds to fire Marco when he (rather reasonably) questioned Nolan's life choices concerning releasing all $500 mil* worth of Emily's NolCorp shares to her.
"There wouldn't have been a company w/o David, and I wasn't about to screw over his daughter after everything she'd been through. If you don't get that, then I don't think we have a future together."
Again, very interesting parallel where all Nolan asks of the person he cares about is understanding. My soul was crying for Nolan here b/c he loved Marco enough to tell him the truth, but didn't give him enough time to take the information in, or explained WHY David & his daughter meant to him so much he was choosing them over the well-being of his company (AS IN EMILY >>> EVERYONE & EVERYTHING ELSE ALWAYS EVEN THEN, BE STILL MY NEMILY HEART - it's fascinating how present they were in this episode despite not having a single scene together for the first time in the show's history) before burning all bridges with him. So yeah, it makes a lot of sense that this time with Padma, Nolan makes sure he isn't too quick to sever.
* In case you were wondering just how LOADED Emily is, lol.
What's even more curious, when Mason calls to ask for help...
lol, Nolan, you are my favourite.
Nolan is basically talking to Emily during this conversation (which is the best) & using this call to get the upper hand on her. He establishes that Padma & him are most definitely going to the wedding, and Emily caves because she needs her Mason master plan to work out.
GO TEAM BLONDIES.
Fast forward a little, and goodness, just how HOT were they at the party? Ngl, I am forever disgruntled @ the writers that we didn't get a Nolan/Emily dance out of this ep since that opportunity hardly ever presents itself in the Hamptons (seriously, you'd think there'd be more with those neverending parties), but I guess that's still something to look forward to in the future. For now, we got them all dressed up & precious & talking to each other in that intimate way again as only they do:
Conrad arrested for murder at his own wedding - now that's a revenge all-star opportunity!
SIDEBAR: Guys, is it just me or was this one of those awesome allusions to The Count of Monte Cristo? This time around, with Emily being the bad guy framing the ~innocent Count on his wedding day at that! I love this show, I really do.
The following episode drove ALL of my NEmily feelings home, tho.
Just. What was this Nolan/Aiden scene, it was GLORIOUS:
- It wasn't enough to pilfer my only friend? Now you want my office, too?
That is some badass croc courtesy of Nolan. Your presence is NOT welcome within my OTP, Aiden.
I have to say, it's interesting that Nolan refers to Emily as his only friend when we know he also has Jack. Seems that deep inside, it all comes down to Emily being his one true friend, and he misses her.
Now, I'm not going to lie, Aiden's reply, "On the contrary, I'd say Emily belongs to you" did win him some major points with me because IT IS THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH (& also one of the very few truths Aiden has said all season, lol), not to mention that it contributes to my favourite S2 theme of Nolan being Emily's & Emily being Nolan's which I've brought up in my previous reaction post. However, let's face it, Aiden also said it for manipulative purposes. Emily gave him a task with a looming deadline, and he took a shortcut by throwing her best friend under the bus AGAIN. (Which, I'm convinced she has no idea he was the one who tipped Daniel off in the first place, hence her anger at Padma.)
"This might be your last chance to save Emily."
Knowing how Nolan feels about Emily, after those words, how could he ever say no? Gabe's performance here GAVE ME ALL THE EMOTIONS, you guys, because we could clearly see how it was tearing up Nolan from the inside to give up his life's work which he put A LOT of heart & effort into to his gratest enemies, the Graysons, and yet he was prepared to do that in a heartbeat if it was the only way to help his girl Ems. The sound of that picture frame shattering was the sound of Nolan & my own hearts collectively breaking, ngl. Also, wow, we NEVER get to see Nolan lose his temper like that.
Just when I thought my OTP couldn't possibly get any more perfect, Nolan had to go & see RIGHT THROUGH Aiden:
HOT.
Just. THANK YOU, NOLAN. All that persistent attention Aiden pays to Em & meaningful staring into her yes telling her things like, "I know everyone you've ever trusted has betrayed you"? PLEASE, Aiden. The only one who betrayed her was YOU. I'm so glad I'm not the only one not convinced that Aiden is working in Emily's best interests here (albeit he knows less of their backstory than I do) and makes sure he knows that Em has someone watching over her. It's also very awesome to see Nolan on the delivering end of a threat for once, and the way he says it? For all your superior ninja skills, be afraid, Aiden. Be very afraid.
The only thing I don't get is how handing Daniel the check prevents his team of forensic accountants investigating into NolCorp's past & stumbling upon Emily's fortune anyway.
Anyway, the scene where Nolan breaks it to Emily that he's given up NolCorp BECAUSE SHE IS HIS LIFE AND SHE WILL ALWAYS COME FIRST is a thing of beauty & I cannot. I CANNOT WITH THESE TWO. I love the stark contrast in which he presents his arguments in favour of the decision to Aiden (your standard issue "Keeping my promise to David to protect Emily") and to Emily herself b/c that reason is nobody elses' business but theirs:
She means the world to him and he will give up his life twice for her in a heartbeat b/c she's his only real family
Just. Look at her reaction, like she doesn't believe anyone could love her that deeply-
I CANNOT
BRB CRYING OVER THEIR PERFECTION
Now, I do have issues with Nolan sacrificing his company, but I truly believe that Emily won't just let it rest and will figure out a way to get NolCorp back for her bff via Aiden's help. There's just no way she'll be fine with Nolan being out on the street just so her plan could work given how much he means to her by now.
What I find very interesting is that Emily still wouldn't talk to Nolan about Aiden. She is very honest about other aspects of her past with him, so why not this? Nolan has tried everything to get her to open up, including my favourite:
I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, NOLAN. CARRY ON.
... and still no go. Emily talks to Aiden about Nolan, so it pains me to admit that Aiden seems to have his own special place in her heart, one where all that irresistible attraction to him stems from because they share a unique connection of their own - as per Lineage, both Aiden's sister & Emily's father fell prey to the Initiative's plot to down that plane. Aiden's sister was kidnapped in order to blackmail his baggage handler dad to overlook the bomb & David Clarke's story we know.
I found their backstory very engaging, especially the fact that Emily was the one who recruited Aiden for Revenge camp. Although something tells me it was Takeda's plan all along to have them meet & bond over their hatred for the Initiative - he's known to be quite the puppet master! It's entirely possible he found Emily to be too emotional & needed someone else around to keep her in check. Anyway, ties or not, I still believe her opening up to Aiden the way she did at the end of the episode was a mistake. I don't think it's a coincidence that Emily repeatedly failed Takeda's lesson NOT to trust Aiden b/c at the end of the day, he has his own agenda - and history has a funny way of repeating itself. I keep thinking that sooner or later, Nolan will have to make good on his threat... UNLESS, as someone pointed out to me, Emily is actually playing Aiden this time, which (as much as I like the idea of Emily missing having Nolan around & needing to confide into somebody) is a storyline I'd definitely like to see.
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Okay, now storyline-specific thoughts in no particular order:
✍ I see what you did there with Padma getting cut on the broken glass from the smashed David Clarke check frame, Revenge. The very object she (unassumingly, or?) used to set in motion the series of unfortunate events that lead to the end of NolCorp & Nolan as we know him. That is DEEP & another reason I love this show.
Also, Nolan's insecurity that surely people only like him because of his money presenting itself again made my heart ache. "Will you still want me if I'm no longer Nolan Mitchell Ross?" Poor bb. Come into my loving arms.
Hearts in Nolan's eyes made sure he was alarmingly quick to forgive her - he just wants to believe the best in people he cares about in general, I guess - but I'm still on the fence when it comes to her. Hopefully, that was the end of her going behind his back. VERY interesting if there's going to be a follow-up to Nolan's, "How far are you willing to go to protect us from being stung..." - she seemed pretty unsettled at that.
MOSTLY I'M VERY EXCITED AT THE BATTLE OF THE CFOs THAT WILL ENSUE WITH MARCO'S RETURN. There's A LOT of unfinished business between Nolan & him, and he actually knows things about Emily, not just David's investment. We've been so suspicious of Padma... could we have been barking up the wrong CFO?
Seriously, it makes all the sense now that Nolan chose to be his own CFO after Marco left. Bitches just can't help getting all up in Nolan's David Clarke biz. Still, Marco seemed far more straightforward with Nolan, so I'm (for better or for worse, probably worse) inclined to trust him more than Padma.
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✍ ... and then there's the fact that Nolan/Marco were completely ADORABLE in that flashback. Seriously, I went on a screencapping spree watching their scenes because OH MY GOD HOW CUTE WERE THEY WITH THEIR IPO ANNOUNCEMENT:
"I couldn't have done it without you." :')
OMG YOU GUYS I THINK I SHIP IT BECAUSE ALL THE FEELS
It's so interesting how different Nolan is in this flashback from the Nolan we know now. He seemed... cheerful, happier somehow. Look at the playful way he made the announcement & sent everyone home with a bottle of champagne! No sarcastic remarks and no popped collars, either, although I was glad he was wearing that vest (I love a vest on Gabe, yes I do).
So what happened between 2006 & 2011 that changed him so much? Is it just losing Marco that jaded him, or is there a bigger story waiting to be told? Nolan's character is easily my favourite character on TV right now, and I love how they find new ways of making him more & more compelling.
Seriously, tho, look at his joyful glee getting that present from Marco which meant everything to him, I can't:
BEST BOYFRIEND EVER Y/Y
... and now look at Nolan's heartbroken little faaaace when he fired Marco DDD:
A PART OF ME DIED WHEN I LET YOU GO
I've been waiting for someone I could ship Nolan with while I wait for Nolan/Emily to happen, and this just might be it. They have a lot of chemistry and are the kind of a complex ship I like. I realise how screwed up this sounds coming from an ardent Nolan/Emily shipper like myself because let's face it, Marco presents an even bigger danger to Emily than Padma, and yet I can't help feeling excited for all of it to unravel & Nolan's loyalties being tested between a ship I love & a ship I LOVE. I guess I hope Marco chooses Nolan & Emily (who matters to Nolan) in the end when he finally hears more of the David Clarke story. Tl;dr these two have to make up STAT and give me more complicated emotions.
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✍ How cool was the Mason Treadwell takedown? Framing Conrad first just to frame Mason for framing him is one impressive long con on Emily's part, not gonna lie. You can tell the girl has issues with framing. ;) It's funny how easy it is for her to break into the Grayson Manor for all their security. I also loved that Nolan played an active role in that plan, especially the final part with rearranging the board (very cleverly at that!). His whistle at observing it, by the way? PRICELESS. I heard the whole board will appear on the official ABC website, and I can't wait to inspect it.
Anyway, I found two things very interesting in this storyline Emily-wise. First, the way she kept talking Fauxmanda out of ending Mason: "Doing this will destroy your family. Choose your family." Now, we know it must tear Emily up from the inside that Jack is marrying Fauxmanda, but she said it anyway... because yes, she needs Mason alive as a first-hand witness of the David Clarke conspiracy, but also because I kind of feel like she lives vicariously through Fauxmanda while realising that she can't have that life with Jack AND continue her mission.
By the by, it was pretty funny how "handling Mason her way" meant exactly what we thought it meant - with a tire iron to the head, lol.
Another thing was Emily's ultimate argument for why Mason should take the fall. Not only will she give him rights to her life story once her revenge is complete, but she is also prepared to give a "full confession of her own" to exonerate him. It's a huge contribution to the idea that Emily is a tragic character (often seen in Emily's monologues) - a full confession would mean admitting to breaking 99 state & federal law in exercising her revenge, which means she sees no future for herself beyond completing her goal.
Also, she clearly judges herself in her words to Mason:
"Everything that I've become & everything that I've given up is because of what they did to my father. And what you failed to do for him."
Once again, it's clear that she's not proud of her life choices. Have I told you how much I love this show for not glorifying Emily's revenge? She is aware of how self-destructive it is, and everything she's done so far has come back to bite her, but she's made her life revolve around her mission to the point that it's the only thing that keeps her going anymore.
Finally, what I really loved about Emily's shocking revelation of her identity to Mason (OF COURSE his dirty mind was too busy with the juicy idea of a Fauxmanda/Emily love affair & missed the obvious, l o l) is that she finally got to call him out on deceiving her as a child. I was so sad for her when she shared the story with Nolan in S1 - there was a lot of residual bitterness there - and this scene provided some closure.
They have a deal now, but Mason has been so fickle in the past that I'm sure we'll hear from him again.
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✍ Emily tells Fauxmanda she got rid of her burn scar in September 2006 - right around the time she cashed out of NolCorp, so she'd definitely have the means! I love how this tracks.
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✍ The Kara Clarke (Emily's mum) story definitely took an unexpected turn. It was interesting to see Victoria quiver in fear before her on the balcony even though she wasn't responsible for Gordon's death. It's hard to figure Kara out. I wonder why she was so quick to leave to Colorado Springs the morning after she learned of Gordon's demise & what changed her mind, making her not to board her plane & what was the burn on her hand & why it changed MASON's mind, prompting him to tell Kara all.
Dude, how screwed up is it that the love of her life Gordon murdered her first love David, tho? Seems that Kara truly believed Gordon was an undercover FBI agent, but turns out, he's from the very Initiative which brought on David's downfall. Enough even for a sane person to go trigger happy on her enemies, ngl. Guess it's thing Aiden came to the Grayson reception chloroform in hand suitcase lol although was he seriously gonna kidnap that Initiative operative, Helen, in the light of day? Seems a bit far fetched to me.
In any case, I'm sure it's not the last we've seen of Kara this season, either. I wonder if she'll be back for Fauxmanda's wedding!
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✍ Speaking of the White Haired Man, I'm so glad the Initiative pretty much established that Gordon Murphy is only something people "like" to call him - I KNEW that being a professional assassin he couldn't have possibly been carrying his real ID with him, lol.
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✍ Still can't believe Jack proposed to Fauxmanda! They are so perfect for each other! And make such an adorable family together with baby Carl! FLAIL! Now, can they get married & go on a honeymoon until the end of the show season please, that would be the best.
Although it's more likely than not that the wedding won't take place. The flashback provided us with important information on why the Ryan brothers from different mothers (tell me I'm wrong!) are after the Porters - Papa Porter's friend killed off their wannabe mobster Papa Ryan with Papa Porter's gun, and they want REVEEENGE.
I am now fully convinced the Ryans will be responsible for wrecking the Amanda on the Fauxmanda/Jack wedding day which they flashed forward to in the first episode of S2. Especially since the wedding is set to take place on the boat... but who will die?
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✍ Ashley used to be a hooker with an MFA in Art History, WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED, lol. I loved how Emily helped her anonymously so that she ended up getting the gallery job she wanted (Metropolitan, anyone?) where she later met her formally. It tallies!
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✍ Apparently, Emily was supposed to commence her revenge in the Hamptons as early as 2006 (when she was what, 22?), but was side-tracked with the introduction of Aiden & his Colleen mission... for five years. OIC OIC.
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✍ Victoria's flashback & flashback-within-a-flashback were seriously UNSETTLING. Mama Harper is a scary bitch for making her (loved the young actress!) 15 year old daughter dead-check her lover & take responsibility for killing him (scarred for life, y'all!), but man, Victoria's scheme to pay her back for it 30 Thanksgivings later definitely made Vic her mother's daughter! Hiring that actor to pretend to take an interest in her mother & making him ~leave upon hearing the horrible truth about her~ only to toss her out on the street one hour later... baddes bitch in town, y'all.
I found it interesting how Conrad was in cahoots with Victoria on this & did it for her: "Has the darkness finally been lifted?" His undying love for her after everything is said & done is fascinating tbh.
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✍ Finally, I love my show for being cool enough to have one of the screens in the Russian club say "REVENGE" in Russian:
(Russian is my mother tongue fyi)
МЕСТЬ \o/
ALWAYS IMPRESSED BY THE DETAIL ON THIS SHOW, ALWAYS.
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Woah. This took me a while. Remind me to slap myself across the face when I decide that skipping a couple of weeks & writing a reaction post on 3 episodes at once is a good idea, no matter how busy I am. :D I'm glad I was finally able to talk about my show, tho, and if you made it this far, you must be a fellow passionate revenger, which I'm always happy to celebrate together in the comments as well as any & all Revenge feelings you'd like to share!
"Seems like old times!"
Can't believe this week's episode is the winter finale. HDU LEAVE ME FOR SO LONG, SHOW. /o\