Some television shows just seem to want to write their own obituaries, writes Emily Yahr
Revenge, a once-promising, deliciously drama-filled series about a woman avenging her father’s death by taking down the rich and famous of the Hamptons, is dying a slow and painful death. To the extent that it has already been buried in the US, after only four seasons. Causes of death include nonsensical plot lines, absurd character development, increased primetime television competition and very low ratings.
Debuting in 2011, the show was a surprise favourite among TV critics, many of whom were initially hesitant of a campy premise that hinted at lust, violence and anguished cries of “Reveeeenge!” But the series was stocked with compelling story arcs that The Washington Post dubbed “intelligently paced and acted” and “a solid primetime soap with a burnt-crisp soul.” The Wall Street Journal called it “spellbinding in its satisfyingly gaudy way,” while the Hollywood Reporter went with “intriguing and genuinely fun.” Gawker claimed the series was “the best new show on television.”
Many accolades were aimed at Madeleine Stowe, who played villain Victoria Grayson, the Hamptons society queen who never met a person she couldn’t terrify with an icy stare. She frequently went to battle with the show’s heroine, Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) — the young woman born Amanda Clarke until her father, David Clarke, was falsely accused of terrorism. Framing David was the brainchild of Victoria, even though she was also David’s ex-lover. So Amanda shed her true identity; resurfaced in the Hamptons as a wealthy socialite named Emily and went to work making life a hell for everyone who ruined her family, particularly Victoria.
Suffice to say: things got complicated.
Revenge was born around 2010, out of a meeting with ABC executives about terrible things happening to rich people, a tantalising idea in a post-recession era. According to executive producer Wyck Godfrey, his co-producer Marty Bowen went to ABC with the idea of a show set in the Hamptons.
“That world is a very rich place for a soap. And they rightfully said, ‘Yes, but what’s your story engine?’: Godfrey told the Television Critics Association in 2011. “Marty then came up with the idea of doing The Count of Monte Cristo. And then someone at the network or the studio said: ‘But do it female.’”
Using The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas’s tale of a wrongfully accused man’s quest for vengeance) as inspiration, the story started out strong. Taking down her enemies one by one, Emily used her red pen as a weapon, as she crossed out the faces who falsely accused her father. She saved her most burning hatred for power couple and main conspirators, Victoria and Conrad Grayson, getting engaged to their son, Daniel, as a way to move in and wreak havoc.
While the first season was wildly entertaining to watch Emily on her quest, the second went off the rails fairly quickly with muddled plots, pointless secondary characters and a murky terrorist organisation called the Initiative that we’re not even sure the writers understood.
“Season two has seemed, in comparison to its deftly (and magnificently) plotted first season, a convoluted mess,” the Daily Beast wrote. “Rather than further the central conceit, Emily’s quest for revenge against the Grayson clan… the show has meandered into all manner of narrative trouble.”
Original show-runner Mike Kelley left in season two, and executive producer Sunil Nayar took over to salvage the remaining seasons. The series rebounds a bit in season four (its last), though a cheap plot twist (we won’t give it away) doesn’t inspire confidence. As international viewers already know and South African viewers will soon witness, it’s clear Emily’s increasingly convoluted journey is over – there were only so many characters that could die and/or fake their own deaths. The writing was on the wall when the show started getting about five million viewers a week, a tiny number on Sunday nights where US ratings are concerned.
In late April, ABC confirmed this season would be its last: “Everybody understands that as much as we all adore the show, it has hit the mark it needed to, to end,” Nayar said.
Without giving the end away (though you could have just as easily watched the full season online already), let’s just say we see Emily declaring: “I know now that revenge brings only darkness. I couldn’t see the light until I considered my father’s advice to try and forgive. It’s not easy.”
Washington Post
l Revenge, season 4, premiers on M-Net (DStv channel 101) tonight, at 8.30pm.