Actors: Emily VanCamp, Madeline Stowe, Gabriel Mann, Henry Czerny, Connor Paolo, Ashley Madekwe, Joshua Bowman, Nick Wechsler
Summary: Emily Thorne returns to Southampton and rents the seaside home she shared with her father, David Clarke, 17 years ago. With the help of her only friend, Ashley, she sets her sites on her first target, and puts her carefully organized plan in motion.
***
[NOTE: This review may contain spoilers, so please watch the show before reading, or don't.]
I was kind of on the fence about Revenge when I first saw Emily VanCamp drive past me everyday on the side of a bus. But I was intrigued enough to give it a chance because I was such a fan of VanCamp in Everwood. And I'm glad I did!
The Count of Monte Cristo (read it!), a classic story of payback and long range revenge plots, is one of most sampled stories in literature, and Revenge takes the main plot from the book and puts a modern twist on it. Instead of a ship, it's the financial industry. And instead of Europe, it's the Hamptons.
VanCamp plays the role of the Count, or Emily Thorne (formerly Amanda Clarke), but instead of being the one who was screwed over, she's the daughter of the person back stabbed by his co-workers, and branded a terrorist sympathizer.
The travesty is revealed to her by her father's one confidant, Nolan Ross, played smoothly by the underrated Gabriel Mann. She is left a great fortune, which by the way would be impossible to get without leaving a trail, but thus is TV. She plots her vengeance for years, and decides to start the plan when the opportunity comes to rent her childhood beach house for the summer. One last thought on the money, they never specify exactly how much she has or how she has been able to maintain it (hopefully we learn later), but I guess when she nonchalantly buys a $10,000 ticket to a charity event, we're suppose to assume she's SUPER LOADED.
Despite the minor problems with her character backstory, VanCamp is brilliant in the pilot, her expressions can instantly go from cheery to evil without much effort. She showcases the fire that burns inside Emily, and still allows her to be vulnerable when needed. Especially when she meet childhood friend Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler), who has raised her puppy that was left when her father was arrested.
The show really shines when Victoria Grayson (Madeline Stowe) appears on screen. Stowe steely look is perfect for the vindictive "Queen Victoria". The guts of the show lies in the performance of Stowe and VanCamp when they talk on screen. If VanCamp can keep up with Stowe, the series could be one of the best in a while, but if she falters, then the illusion that Emily can best Victoria is lost. We need to believe that Emily is smarter than Victoria or the story doesn't work.
Opening with what looked to be the final scene of the series is a ballsy move by the creators, but exciting at the same time. This show is tailor made for a one and done series, like Harper's Island and The Killing. If ABC tries to milk more seasons out of this show, they water down the effect the show could have. But then again, Desperate Housewives is still on the air
Monte Cristo is one of the best revenge stories ever written, and if the writers can keep Revenge on track and follow that template with some deviations here and there, ABC will have a monster hit on its hands. But if the try to make a second season, it will be a grave mistake.
The pilot from the outside has the look and feel of a CW show, but the writing and the direction is basic cable level. I believe this show could have played well on an A&E or FX, but I'll hold judgement on if it is right for ABC until a few episodes in.
A stellar cast of known actors, but not too known, will make this the breakout show of the season, and definitely the best pilot so far. Only a little slip up at the end with Amanda Emily's backstory, kept this from being one of the best pilots in a while.
Keep an eye on Connor Paolo, last seen as a Van Der Woodsen, in his first role since Gossip Girl. His performance on that show was greatly undervalued and I hope he gets to shine in this series
Rating: 9/10. Only a small mistake kept this pilot from being a 9.5 or 9.75.
Interest: Very high. Season long mystery arc suck me in each week (Miss you, Veronica Mars). Plus, VanCamp lights up every scene she's in, and even if this gets dragged down by plot, I will still tune in for her.
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