Episode Report Card Kelsea Stahler: A | 51 USERS: A- YOU GRADE IT So, We're Supposed to Turn on Emily, Right?
By Kelsea Stahler | Season 3 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.06.2013
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Emily Thorne is starting to look a lot more like a villain in this Hamptons scheme, while even Conrad is seeing the light. Perhaps that bullet-riddled wedding flashback wasn't some trick; perhaps Revenge is looking to kill our image of the impeccably-dressed heroine.
After all, Aidan, the eternally beguiling Brit, was quick to call out Emily for "betrayal" and team up with Victoria. Aidan has already given Victoria the intel that Nolan stole the Grayson's millions and by episode's end, he's got his hands on the deed to Nolan's new digs, which actually belong to Emily. Just like that, he's tied his former true love to the missing millions. Looks like there are more mimosa brunches on yachts in Aidan's future.
And while Nolan owes the roof over his head to Emily, he's starting to question his bestie's motives. When Em brings out the trusty old red marker and starts taking down the next player on her revenge roster, a priest named Father Paul, Nolan presents one of David Clarke's journals. Emily's father wanted her to find peace and forgiveness, but apparently, she no longer cares what her father actually wanted. Em has gone too far, she quickly threatens to ditch Nolan if he continues to question her, heightening her quest to become the villain of her own show.
Charlotte is the next one to turn on Emily, telling her soon-to-be sister-in-law (and also actual half-sister) that she knows she betrayed her trust. Charlotte only told Emily about Victoria's affair and somehow Ashley found out. True, it wouldn't have been that hard for Ashley to figure it out, but Charlotte's right; her buddy has betrayed her.
But Charlotte's misfortunes aren't limited to her brother's fiancé. She's been taking care of Conrad, alarmed by his clear depression and proclivity for early morning scotch. However, Charlotte's also been taking care of Jack and Carl in the wake of Declan's death. When she tells Jack that she blames herself for Declan's death, he tells her the truth about Conrad's hand in the explosion that killed Declan. Just like that, Charlotte leaves her fake father completely alone.
Still, it's not that no one tried to reach out to Conrad. After Emily and Daniel enlist Father Paul as their wedding officiant, the former Grayson Global employee visits Conrad to offer his soul-cleansing services. It turns out that Paul isn't as evil as Emily thinks; he's since changed his ways and he's actually a good person. But that doesn't stop her from luring him to a shady apartment, hitting him over the head, and posing photos that make it look like he slept with a prostitute. See what I mean? Villain territory.
And that's not all. After pouring "sugar" on old wounds, Em convinces Victoria to bring Patrick back into the family. It only opens up a world of pain for Victoria because when Patrick strikes to defend himself from the verbal onslaughts of Daniel and Conrad (who believe Patrick is just some golddigger), the truth about Victoria sending a thug after Patrick to keep him away from the family comes out. The final straw comes when Emily's second dose of poison sends Conrad into another fit. Suddenly, you almost start to feel bad for these people.
Daniel sure does. He's the only one who still seems to be good. When Margaux offers him the job as the publisher of Voulez magazine, she also offers up her semi-naked body. Daniel returns her dress, goes home to Emily, considers not taking the job, and then eventually takes it as long as he gets some serious control over the magazine. He wants the headquarters to be in the Hamptons so he can stay close to his father and Emily, business sense be damned. If only some of Daniel's goodness would rub off on Emily.
She does see some sort of light while talking to Father Paul about the wedding. He touches on the fact that she's missing her parents and the unconditional love they were never able to give her, then takes her to a soup kitchen where she can see the simple beauty of humans helping other humans. Unfortunately, her change of heart comes too late and her photo scheme gets Paul fired.
Her second dose of emotional reality comes when she encounters Conrad at the church, looking to take Father Paul up on his offer only to find that his last potential confidant is gone. Rather than seeing that even Conrad is capable of seeking forgiveness, Emily sees one shining revenge possibility: if she finds Father Paul, he can get Conrad to confess everything.
So, she's not exactly reformed. But hey, at least she made up with Nolan by episode's end, right?
Want more? The full recap starts right below!We open week two with Victoria indulging in mid-day booze and sunbathing while Aidan does his best to convince her of his allegiance. Why does this have to be done on a boat where Victoria is scantily clad? Privacy, duh. No one can catch them scheming on a boat, they definitely won’t have to disembark from that boat on a dock, where people can see them. Anyway, Victoria is no dummy (about other things). She figures out that Aidan is in love with Emily and that his vengeance comes from scorn. He tries to steer her away from that conclusion by spilling some seriously heavy beans: Emily and Nolan are the reason Victoria’s broke. Cool, except for the fact that he’s the third musketeer in this treacherous equation. He acts as if he was cast out of the plan before it happened, allowing him to choose to team up with Victoria. She wisely decides to get proof before shaking hands on any deals.
Back on land, Charlotte is still playing dutiful daughter, trying to keep Conrad from moping in the dark away from prying paparazzi who aim to catch him in a downward spiral. She’s so concerned about her non-father, she’s actually considering moving back in to keep him from drinking. Conrad is actually touched by this gesture and it turns out he might have a shred of a functioning heart after all.
Nolan still has a heart, but he’s nursing it back to health by sleeping around – a practice Emily says could get them into some deep trouble. (Do Tyler and Padma ring a bell?) Clearly not too concerned with Nolan’s sexual leniency, Emily reveals her return to her red marker and revenge roster. Next on the list: Paul, a smooth-talking former Grayson Global employee who helped condemn David Clarke. There’s just this tiny issue wherein Paul has become a priest and has completely renounced his former life. But Emily continues her plot anyway.
This is where she starts to look more like a villain than a hero. After she and Daniel enlist Father Paul to officiate their wedding, we find that Father Paul quit the firm because he wanted to cleanse his soul and the souls of others. He knows he upset the Graysons by leaving the company and he holds a particularly low opinion of them. He’s basically the best person ever.
That good person-hood continues when Father Paul delivers the news about his role in Daniel’s wedding to Victoria and Conrad. They greet him coldly, though he sees the wedding as opportunity to make things right. Conrad tries to make him leave, reminding Paul of the hefty silence severance package he received, but Paul is simply there to help bring Conrad to peace. After all, confessing his sins made Paul an honest soul and perhaps Conrad could do the same. He says he’ll always be there for Conrad, even as the former governor practically kicks him out of his home. See: absolute best person ever.