Episode Report Card 92 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT To Double Infinity and Beyond
By Kelsea Stahler | Season 3 | Episode 1 | Aired on 09.29.2013
But Emily should be more worried about a different European PTY. Daniel, who’s drinking away his lack of direction and money, is approached at a Manhattan bar by a wickedly flirtatious French woman named Margaux. She’s apparently an old friend who knows Daniel is spoken for (she did, however, pull the "Whoops, did I say girlfriend? I meant fiancé" card), but is rather brazen with her assertion that Daniel’s partners come and go. This girl wants in this unemployed, poor, handsome man’s pants worse than Jack wants Sammy back. And regarding Daniel, supposed ladies’ man: where is this Daniel? People constantly whisper of his rumored existence, but we’ve only ever seen Emily’s Little Lap Dog Daniel.
It seems Emily has acquired another Grayson for a lap dog. Armed with Charlotte’s whispers of Victoria taking a young lover, Emily visits Victoria, who doesn’t immediately kick her out. Crazy, I know. Instead, Victoria stops playing piano like an accomplished woman in a Jane Austen novel, and apologizes for not having Emily over for asparagus salad. (That’s okay, we’ll pass, V). After actually stating she wants to put their animosity behind them, Victoria agrees to come to the Memorial Day party, a.k.a. Conrad’s self-serving portrait unveiling extravaganza, to keep up appearances. While Em’s got Victoria like putty in her hands, she tells Victoria that Ashley, not Charlotte, was the one who told her about Victoria’s affair and that Ashley threatened to blackmail Emily to protect Victoria’s secret. Victoria says Ashley’s wrong; the person lifting V’s spirits is none other than her estranged son Patrick, who (to Emily and Charlotte’s credit) has an issue with creating sexual tension with his relatives. Victoria says she had "no doubt" Patrick was who he said he was when he arrived at the end of Season 2, which probably means he’s not who he says he is.
When Emily returns to her house -- where she and Daniel canoodle and giggle about Connie’s big, dumb presidential security plan -- we’re forced to pause a moment and remember the last thing that happened at Emily’s house last season: did Daniel kill Aidan? What happened? Where is that handsome man? But it’s not time for answers yet and my brow becomes thoroughly furrowed. There is, however, one small nugget of important information in this cozy, little moment: Emily is forced to find a new way to execute her anti-Grayson plan during the Memorial Day party. Luckily, "Nolan 2.No" (someone take away his Carrie Bradshaw pun chip, please) has a very practical solution, but more on that in a minute.