Life is so much more interesting in the Hamptons. At least, it is in the soap world of Revenge, where it’s a high-class hotbed for the exploits of the rich, beautiful, and irrevocably corrupt. Though it’s quite different for the beguiling Emily Thorne (née Amanda Clarke), who’s returned to the Hamptons of her childhood with a hefty agenda: to learn the truth about her past, and retribute those who framed her father for a heinous crime he didn’t commit. We’re keeping weekly score of Emily’s endeavors, and the many others of our favorite Hamptonians, by calling each episode’s winners and losers. Last night’s episode, which saw Ashley and Padma return – and with them, ulterior motives – was all business battles, parties and politics. Meanwhile, a couple of nifty twists were disclosed in the show’s ever-thickening (and perpetually mind-boggling) plot. As anyone watching Revenge knows, you can’t rely on anything, or anyone.
WINNERS
Emily: Emily’s hosting a charity wine auction this week in her new role at Grayson Global, and uses the event as a key opportunity for sabotage – the theme of the episode. After Aiden tells Emily about his encounter last week with Helen from the Initiative, she uses the gala to forge an elaborate hoax on Helen, with Aiden and Nolan as her accomplices. First, Aiden and Helen get stuck in an elevator together and pass out after gas fills the inside. Then, when they wake, they’re in a warehouse with bags over their heads, being taunted by a masked fellow with a machine-manipulated voice who’s trying to find out about Stone Haven – a company Helen is encouraging Daniel to invest in – before Aiden shoots their assailant, helping Helen free with him. A moment later, Nolan appears and removes the attacker’s mask: it’s Emily, and she’s wearing a bullet-proof vest, pleased with herself for pulling the operation off, and rattling Helen.
Helen from the Initiative: Helen from the Initiative has become something of a real character now, it seems. She even has a surname: Crawley (which can’t help but remind us of Downton Abbey). And this week, besides pushing Stone Haven to Daniel, she’s been urging him to look for gaps in Nolcorp’s financial records (as we know, Nolan gave money to Emily on her release from juvenile detention, at the request of her father before his death). Helen also made a breakthrough appearance in a – gasp – public place this week, at the charity benefit Emily hosts for Grayson Global. And, though it didn’t go too smoothly at the benefit for her, Helen remains in top form, with confirmation of some very important information about Nolcorp withholding a project from its records – the same missing record she’s pressing Daniel to find – from an inside source.
Padma: This week, Padma returns to Nolcorp – not for her old position as CFO at the company, but rather happy to settle for any job, to be close to Nolan. Or so she says. Getting herself rehired by Nolan, and invited to the benefit as his date, Padma devises for Marco to take the fall for leaking information to Daniel about the company’s missing record, telling Nolan that she overheard Marco on the phone to Daniel. Marco’s fired, though he swears he didn’t send any information to Grayson Global. It was, in fact, Padma, as we see her report the success at the end of the episode in a phone call to Helen. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?
Ashley: Speaking of surprises, Ashley’s also back in the Hamptons after her indiscretion with Conrad. She even has the guts to face the lothario directly at Grayson Manor, and wants to work there again. We’re not quite sure what’s in it for Ashley, but we’re sure she’s orchestrated some sneaky plan to get Victoria back after that humiliating sex tape scandal – that, or she can’t bear not being at the center of drama.
LOSERS
Conrad: Though it’s revealed that Conrad will be running for public office (just what politics needs: a Conrad Grayson), he’s out of a watch this week, as Amanda steals it on her visit to Grayson Manor with Charlotte, to ask her dad for help with Jack’s bail — which Conrad ends up providing, taking Ashley’s advice to boost his reputation, as though he cares about justice. Also, Conrad’s nemesis, Jason, is in town, and he’s flirting with Victoria at the auction and, in losing the bid against Daniel, making Conrad’s CEO son look better. Oh, and Conrad actually says the words “baby daddy,” which might be the most alarming thing to happen in the entire episode.
Nolan: Nolan thinks he’s winning this week; Padma’s back, and he has a reason to fire Marco. But poor Nolan has no clue that Padma’s out to destroy him and his company.
Marco: Nolan fired his ass for something he didn’t even do. It’s like David Clarke all over again!
Aiden: Aiden can’t stand being fake-broken-up with Emily, and watching her “feign” an interest in Daniel. Plus, he’s still on edge from last week’s news about his sister from Helen, and he’s worried about how much the Initiative knows about him.
Amanda and Jack (and Declan and Charlotte): Jack’s out of prison for now, thanks to Conrad, but the Ryan brothers are still lurking about the Stowaway. Oh, and Jack doesn’t know that his baby mama just went and bought a gun from the city (using Conrad’s watch to pay for it) to threaten the Ryans – no doubt, the gun will soon go off, and with it more problems. Meanwhile, Declan’s lumped with looking after his screaming baby nephew, and he and Charlotte aren’t doing too great. Life is just generally balls for this lot.
Daniel: Daniel may have won at Emily’s charity auction, but the bloke wound up paying a million dollars for a bottle of wine only to discover, when he opened it later at Emily’s place, that it was ruined. Much like the mood, when Aiden pays Emily an impromptu visit to collect his things while Daniel’s there. And indeed, like an episode of Revenge, where nothing ever is quite as it seems, and events can turn just as sour.