REVENGE
(Season 3)
**
Not such a hit anymore.
WHEN a TV series hits all the right notes with viewers, the pressure mounts with every sequel. While some creatives know when to pull the plug on their magnum opus – Brothers & Sisters being the perfect example of ending on a high – others continue to flog a dead horse, so to speak.
And that is, sadly, the fate of Revenge.
In season one – and even two – it was revered as a devilishly intriguing offering. And viewers loved seeing Emily Thorne/ Amanda Clarke (Emily VanCamp) take on the most Machiavellian of matriarchs, Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe). Their battle of wills and wits lent itself to so much tension, sweetened by betrayals all around.
But this large-scale vendetta launched by Emily ended up triggering boredom by the time it got to season three.
Yes, fans were completely invested in the characters – notwithstanding a grating Daniel – but the drama fast plummeted into a farcical soap.
The third instalment, for those still interested, focuses on finding the culprit responsible for shooting Emily on her wedding day.
While there is no dearth of suspects, there are plenty of pawns for Emily to manipulate on her road to recovery and insatiable quest for vengeance.
Instead of focusing on whodunit, I found myself asking: “Who cares?”
It’s a pity they just didn’t pull the plug after season two, when there was still some creative juice coursing through the storyline.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Bloopers, Table for Five, audio commentary and deleted scenes. – Debashine Thangevelo