With New Year's resolutions in full swing, now might be an apt time to talk about Revenge. (The tv show, I mean).
The saying hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, should really be changed to, hell hath no fury like a child betrayed, if this tale's anything to go by...
Some might say time and money are integral elements of a truly devastating, multi-tiered revenge. Luckily, the protagonist of this series has both in SPADES (I so want to work in some kind of Marie Antoinette "let them eat cake" joke, but my humour's not savvy enough):
Revenge is a strange concept (the feeling, I mean, not the show). We're taught at a young age that it leads to bitterness and ashes, but when truly wronged, the desire for payback can be a dominating emotion. Let's face it, there's almost something primal about the (occasionally) reflexive, thirst-for-revenge response to perceived injustice.
Likewise, Revenge (the show, not the feeling) is a strange little drama. Many dismiss it as a simple soap, but I think the overarching theme makes it a tad too complex for obvious labelling.
Sure, this saga has enough petty power plays, beautiful people, glamorous parties and luxurious locations to keep the average viewer happy. But for those who like a little more (intellectual) meat to chew on, scattered throughout each episode like little chicken nuggets for the brain (can you tell I'm hungry?) are quotes from ancient philosopher's and classic literature that ponder the nature of revenge and its myriad, inevitable repercussions.
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
Confucius
Here's the basic story:
An uber-rich young woman called Emily Thorne rocks up at the Hampton's one summer to party the season away (elegantly, mind you). Quiet, confident, beautiful and sophisticated, she catches the eye of the local pretty boy bachelor... and it's game on.*
(*This is all just surface fodder. The backstory is WAY more relevant.)
Emily Thorne is actually Amanda Clarke, who lived in the Hamptons with her father until he was framed for a terrible crime. Daddy's since died in prison, and now Amanda (slash Emily) is back, ready to exact her meticulously planned revenge on his enemies, via a sequence of devastating strikes culminating in an end game we, the audience, can't quite imagine just yet...!
One by one, our (sort of) protagonist destroys every person involved in the framing of her father, and god DAMN is this chick thorough. She decimates her targets personally, professionally and financially, dismissing battered innocents along the way (ie husbands, wives and children) as little more than collateral damage.
Keep in mind, she has one woman in her sights at all times. Through Emily's carefully timed machinations, her father's married mistress Victoria is slowly and irrevocably alienated from her best friend, husband, trusted security liaison, therapist, and children.
As a viewer, you can never quite decide at what point Emily crosses the line. She's been so brutally wronged that you're kind of cheering her on at first... but at the same time, is it truly okay for the aggrieved party to transform from persecuted, to persecutor?
Just to clarify- she is UTTERLY focused on revenge. No matter what happens, the character steadfastly refuses to change her path, which makes you wonder sometimes what's going on behind her guarded gaze, and if she just might be one diamond short of a tennis bracelet? (Or something like that. Cut me some slack, I'm trying to speak Hampton-ese here!).
Let's not forget, while Emily's been dealing with the terrible repercussions of what was done to her family, the guilty rich have lived with tortured consciences eating away at their souls, and occasionally (it would seem), their sanity. Almost every character in the show is written in a way that makes the audience perceive them as intensely flawed, and often conflicted.
So, yeah, the baddies aren't always a hundred percent, well, bad. But don't get me wrong- they're still, you know... bad. (Yes, pretty soon we, the audience, are as conflicted as the characters!).
The show not only looks at the ripple effect these acts of revenge are having on community members closest to the guilty parties, but also at the impact carrying out ongoing, staggered revenge is having on our (pseudo) protagonist Emily. In a way, it's both her greatest strength, and her greatest weakness.
Hardcore, much?
The important casting is impeccable. The actress in the lead role, Emily VanCamp, plays the part superbly, an understated portrayal that is so much more powerful onscreen than raging hysterics could ever be. Her emotions are heavily internalised (which let's face it, is the opposite of standard soapie practice).
Madeleine Stowe kicks ass as Victoria, the evil matriarch and Emily's arch nemesis. She knows something's off when it comes to Emily (no shit, Sherlock!), but since she's losing allies left, right and centre, Hampton's Wicked Witch is not at the top of her game right now...
Gabriel Mann puts in a great performance as billionaire computer programmer Nolan, a character integral to the story because he knows Emily/Amanda's secret.
Nolan is the angel on her shoulder, albeit a flawed one. He alternates between a) dabbling in Emily's 'games' because he's bored, hyper intelligent and socially inept, and b) trying unsuccessfully to lure her away from the lesser-worn, prickly path of revenge.
I also like Nick Wechsler as Jack, Amanda's childhood sweetheart and constant (emotional) thorn in the side of her Emily persona. (Thanks to Nolan's machinations, Jack is regularly thrown in Emily/Amanda's path, as a possible deterrent).
Don't get me wrong. A lot of the storylines, especially the sub-plots, still unfold in dramatic, soapie-esque style... but the motivation behind the overall series is quite unique, which helps hold audience interest.
And while it doesn't appeal to me, maybe some Americans kind of like the idea that fellow citizens rich enough to holiday in the Hampton's achieved their wealth through nefarious means? Morals and ethics seem in short shrift among the richies on the show. Is it possible that watching the monied up getting their asses karmically kicked (metaphorically speaking) appeals to the middle class psyche somehow? Who knows.
By halfway through season one, Emily's schemes are already unravelling. Unforeseen variables (ie the arrival of unexpected characters she hadn't anticipated and can't quite control), threaten to ruin everything.
Man, the vagaries of human nature really can mess with the best laid plans... it's true, Murphy's Law is a bitch.
Just ask Emily. Or is it, Amanda?
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