2012-13 Season in Review: Revenge

It’s almost impossible to find a series that can conceivably combine multiple genres, and still come out with something that’s any bit cohesive. Then last season Revenge came on the scene. It was a soap, a drama, a romance, a thriller and a mystery all thrown into one. It even came with packaged mythology. Amidst all that, Revenge’s main plot thread was always easy to understand; a young girl out to destroy the people who essentially killed her father, and ruined her life in the process. There were complications, but we always remembered our main goal. Flashbacks were regular and meaningful, and there was a concerted effort to make Emily even just a tiny bit sympathetic. I don’t think all that was lost in season 2, I just think all the extras were magnified so much that the show’s original mantra was buried underneath political campaigns, financial scandals and family secrets. [Major Spoilers Ahead]

It started out well enough. Emily watching her mother reaching out to Amanda, and having to sit back and hear the truth about who she really was drove this season’s opening stretch. But between the Initiative, the new bout of characters, and the silly side-plots (Declan and Charlotte anyone?), things just got cluttered and overly complicated. There were even times when I completely forgot where this show started out. It’s a shame that the writers squandered the prime opportunity to gain the show major traction (the new Sunday 9pm prime slot) by throwing way too much into the mix, when they could just have stuck with what worked in the first place; a broken young woman trying to get even.

I think the show’s original plan was put back on track by season’s end. ‘Truth’ was pretty great, and it did feel like it was trimming the fat; if this show is anything, it’s a little top-heavy. Now, thanks to Emily’s confession, and Conrad’s reveal as the true big bad of the show, I think we have all the right ingredients to make this show at least part of what it once was. We have a villain to focus on, the identity issues are back in focus and there’s a game-plan again. I just hope the new show-runner remembers that, and doesn’t spend too much time trying to wow us with flashiness. It’s a little disappointing that Mike Kelly wasn’t given the 13 episode run he wanted, because if Revenge needs to learn one thing, it’s that less is more.

5/10

Best Episode: Truth

Best Character: Emily