One of the biggest surprises of the 2011-2012 season was the debut of the old-school deliciously wicked soap Revenge. Just like the beautiful people of Melrose Place offering a fantasy escape during the doldrums of the recession of the early 90s (when I jerked espresso with my college degree), now comes another guilty pleasure where it is a delight to escape from reality of a struggling economy and instead and watch the beautiful people destroy each other’s lives. What is not to love about cattiness among the privileged?
Revenge tells a tasty tale of, well, revenge. See, 20 years earlier, a young girl’s family was destroyed by the rich and beautiful. Young Amanda Clarke’s (Emily VanCamp) father David was killed in prison after being wrongly framed, but now that she is an adult, oh, yes, she will wreak revenge in the name of her poor dad. Changing her name to Emily Thorne, she worms her way into the lives of the Grayson family, who were responsible for her father’s fate. The Graysons, who live in the uber-elite community of The Hamptons, have no idea of the schemes behind the sweet round face of Emily as she slowly uncovers all of their dark secrets…
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Revenge is the triumphant return of Madeleine Stowe (The Last of the Mohicans). As Victoria Grayson, the matriarch of the target family, she becomes the bitch you love to hate. The relationship between the secretly scheming Emily and her match, the refreshingly smart villain Victoria is totally transfixing, and alone makes the show worth watching. Revenge is one of those dishy shows that just makes you want more, week after week. Now hand me the bowl of popcorn and scoot over on the couch…
DVD NOTES
The DVD release of Revenge: The Complete First Season has a bunch of intriguing featurettes that fans will enjoy. “Nolan Ross Exposed” has an in-character interview of Nolan (Gabriel Mann) as a reporter (Stephanie Maura Sanchez) grills him on his past. In “Roadmap To Revenge” Emily VanCamp, along with writers, producers and other cast members, gives a peek behind the show. Get to know the fancy parties and houses in “At Home In The Hamptons” (it’s all a set!), and learn about the fashion in the show in “Haute Hamptons: Femme Fatale Fashion”. Other extras include deleted scenes, bloopers/outtakes, commentary on the pilot episode by creator Mike Kelley and VanCamp, and music videos.
