Wednesday, January 21, 2015

My Review of Revenge's 4x13: "Abduction"


Written by Christopher Fife
Directed by John Scott

Victoria (to Margaux): “Emily’s not worth your time. Besides, revenge is a dangerous game.”

Have we finally turned a corner with Victoria? Maybe. She did spend most of this episode in captivity with Emily and when she wasn’t sniping at her former daughter in law, she even went out of her way to try and save her from Malcolm Black. In some ways, I’m actually wondering if hell has officially frozen over.

Having Victoria and Emily forced into working together to survive Malcolm’s captivity might have been an obvious move but it was also a rewarding too. Even an episode ago, these two would’ve happily trampled on the other just for the fun of it but here they had bigger fish to fry and while Jack, David and Ben did their bit to save them, it was mostly the ladies own smarts that kept them alive.

I have to admit though, I am surprised about Malcolm. For all the hype he was given as a baddie, he didn’t even last three episodes and despite almost incinerating Emily, he didn’t particularly feel that threatening as a baddie. Mainly, I blame the accent but also the writing to a point.

I will also admit though that Malcolm’s death was the funniest we’ve had since Pascal’s in the previous season. Getting shot by David and then incinerated himself should’ve been horrifying but instead, it was actually fairly comical. Now how the hell the remaining nine episodes are going to work without him as a lingering threat, I don’t know but I will be intrigued to find out.

Surely the writers don’t think Margaux’s revenge mission against Emily is going to grip viewers for the remainder of the season? Margaux’s vendetta is even more misplaced than Victoria’s was at the start of the season and even if the latter is telling you to let it go, then perhaps it’s advice Margaux should take on board.

The problem is that even though I generally like Margaux as a character, this is not an interesting storyline to go with the character. I know the writers probably wanted to give her something to do other than be pregnant but this isn’t the best idea either. If Emily could outfox the Graysons for most of this show’s run, then Margaux hasn’t a hope in hell of taking Emily down. I’m hoping this plot is done with fast and not bled out for the remaining nine episodes of the season.

Speaking of plots – Nolan and Louise married? I didn’t see that coming but seeing as it was a ploy to ensure Louise could get her inheritance away from her awful mother Penelope (who actually appeared properly on the show), I can live with it. As for Penelope, it’s amazing how they managed to make her more of a credible threat in this episode than Malcolm was for the last two. As for the bombshell of Louise killing her father – the actual truth or more manipulation from Mommy Dearest? It’s kind of hard to tell really.

As for the rest of the episode – I liked that Victoria and David broke up and I even found Ben okay during this episode as well. He was mostly useful (except for the bit where he was bound and gagged by one of Malcolm’s thugs) but at the same time, I’m not exactly in love with the idea of a pairing with him and Emily. I still don’t really think they have any chemistry to be honest.

Also in “Abduction”

Ed Quinn is a good bit of casting for this show. I just hope he’s not wasted in his role as Margaux’s lackey though.

Emily: “It’s not about us. It’s about everyone whose going to suffer if we don’t get out of here alive, including my father.”
Victoria: “”Your words hold no meaning for me anymore.”

If someone with all the media connections, it really shouldn’t be that hard for Margaux to find other ways to ruin Emily without her hired help, right?

Penelope: “You need those pills to stay sane.”
Louise: “Those pills you tricked me into taking had horrible side effect, including seeing more of you than I wanted to.”

Victoria: “Love is complicated.”
Emily: “He doesn’t love you.”

I wonder if Courtney Ford got any payment for a voice credit for this episode, given that Jack, David and Ben tried to trick Malcolm into thinking Kate was alive.

Victoria (to Malcolm, re Kate): “”I killed her. She murdered my son and I shot the bitch in cold blood. You know the best part? I loved it!”

Standout music: “Grizzly Bear” by Angus & Julia Stone.

Louise: “Guess who got married?”
Penelope: “You did what?”
Nolan: “And that makes me her conservator now which means that Louise is finally free of you.”

Chronology: Actually a year and a half since the events of “Truth” but also from where “Madness” left off.

With some tweaking, “Abduction” really could’ve been a series finale. Malcolm Black is dead, Victoria and Emily have buried the hatchet and Victoria and David have broken up and I’m not sure if the other subplots are enough to keep the remaining episodes going but I’ll keep an open mind though.

Rating: 7 out of 10

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