Inside TV+Movies with Daniel Fienberg

TV Review: ABC's 'Revenge'

Revenge, it turns out, is not a dish best served dull

By Daniel Fienberg Wednesday, Sep 21, 2011 5:18 PM

Emily VanCamp of ABC's "Revenge"

Credit: ABC

In the classic "Simpsons" episode "Day of the Jackanapes," Sideshow Bob is released from prison with only one thing in mind: Revenge [in this case, against Krusty for erasing all of the tapes from their classic shows together].

Sideshow Bob is monomaniacal and in one scene, he plunks himself down on a TV studio catwalk and observes, "Ah, the catwalk. The perfect vantage point... for revenge."

He then pulls out a bag of savory snacks and opines, "Ah, kettle chips. The perfect side dish... for revenge."

Finally, as a brainwashed Bart moves in the direction of Krusty with a bomb strapped to his chest, Sideshow Bob caps the joke.

"Well, Krusty, this is your Waterloo. Soon, you'll be Napoleon Blown-apart," he says. A crew member objects, but Bob adds, "It was the perfect pun... for revenge."

In its perpetual and near-infinite wisdom, "The Simpsons" was poking fun at the convention that when fictional characters determine that it's time for revenge, they almost never go out and just get revenge. Instead, they talk about it endlessly and portentously. They won't freaking shut up about their need for revenge. And finally, you're all, "Oh my God. Just get your revenge already!"

"Day of the Jackanapes" and kettle chips came to mind several times while I watched the first two episodes of ABC's new drama "Revenge," in which the main character spends so much time talking about her need for revenge that an "Oh my God. Just get your revenge already!" reaction is almost inevitable. And while the character does, indeed, slowly begin to get said revenge, it's an almost joyless endeavor.

Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but there's a difference between "cold" and "emotionless and dull," a distinction "Revenge" is unable to make in the early going.

Click through for a full review...

"Revenge" launches with an in medias res opening that lets us know that before five months of adventures are up, Emily VanCamp's Emily Thorne will be on the verge of marrying into one of the Hamptons' most powerful families, but that one of our regular characters is going to be murdered.

Murdered... for REVENGE? Dunno. We'll find out.

Anyway, flash back and we discover that Emily is the mysterious new girl in the Hamptons. She's beautiful, rich and looks great in any outfit.

And Emily has decided that the Hamptons is the perfect summer spot... for REVENGE.

You see, Emily Thorne wasn't always Emily Thorne. Once upon a time, she was a little girl with a perfect life and an adoring father (James Tupper), until her dad was accused of a pretty heinous crime and sent away for good. But Emily's dad apparently wasn't guilty and he was set up by a vast criminal conspiracy including basically every single person in the Hamptons. After a respectable period of absence spent going through puberty and memorizing the "revenge" section of "Bartlett's Quotations," Emily has returned. Nobody recognizes her, but they recognize that when slender blonde white girls show up at in the Hamptons with inexhaustible bank accounts, they're a welcome addition to any event.

Soon, Emily is rubbing shoulders with Victoria "Queen Victoria" Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), belle of the Hamptons ball, plus her husband Conrad Grayson (Henry Czerny) and studly son Daniel Grayson (Josh Bowman), but not Lord Greystoke, because that would be Tarzan. Also moving around within the upper crust, but on the periphery, is tech billionaire Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann), the one man possibly perceptive enough to see through Emily's different name.

Although most of the story in "Revenge" is spent on the "Upstairs" side of things, there's a "Downstairs" element as well, featuring townies Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Declan (Connor Paolo), who are essentially good people, because as everybody knows, rich people all want to set your father up for murder (and deserve... revenge), while blue collar people are all the salt of the Earth.

"Revenge" is extraordinarily loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo," but the basis is so loose that acknowledging it would be giving the Mike Kelley-scripted pilot way more literary credit than it deserves. There's zero point in my going through the major plot changes that impact and undo the entire nature of the Dumas story, so let's just say that this series is every bit as much "Secret Revenge Millionaire" as it is "Count of Monte Cristo."

"Count of Monte Cristo" is a tremendously satisfying book and it prolongs that satisfaction across 1000+ pages in its unexpurgated version. It's the construction of the story that makes "Monte Cristo" so great and fittingly, but unrelatedly, it's the construction of "Revenge" that makes it so unsatisfying.

The show has to lose the voice-over. It's horrible. Emily VanCamp has a sweet and soothing voice, but she doesn't have a voice-over voice, especially not when all she's doing is reading cliches about revenge or twisted nonsense like "Two wrongs can never make a right, because two wrongs can never equal each other." I'm sorry. That sentence may seem profound if you don't give it an iota of thought, but it doesn't have any meaning whatsoever in the story of a twentysomething girl trying to destroy the people who ruined her childhood. Or "When deception cuts this deep, someone has to pay." These are just words. Bland. Empty. Words. I know that thanks to Shonda Rhimes, ABC has an in-house style that says that having your female lead narrate nothingness at the start of every episode is a worthy strategy, but delaying, pontificating and obfuscating sets a very poor table for... REVENGE.

The show also needs to lose the unenlightening episode closing revelation for how Emily got her revenge-of-the-week. Usually accompanied by the aforementioned voiceover, both of the episodes I've seen have ended with the revelation that Emily's revenge was gained... exactly in the most obvious way one would have expected.

Oh yeah. Did I mention that "Revenge" is a revenge procedural? So many flipping people scorned Emily Thorne, that she's got a picture and she's able to check off one piece of revenge per week (at least thus far). This isn't a strategy I would mind, except that the structure forces the methodical to become formulaic in a way that also renders the revenge all the more bloodless.

"Revenge" isn't a good show, but it also isn't a satisfying guilty pleasure, because nobody's having nearly enough fun for viewers to catch the fever.

VanCamp, who I loved on "Everwood" and had no troubles with on "Bothers & Sisters," is too passive a leading lady for this role. As I see it, Emily can have two responses to all of this revenge she's taking: She can either be loving it or it can be tearing her apart inside (or, in a perfect world I guess, both of these things should be true). The response that VanCamp is taking is closer to "robotically efficient." That left me neither rooting for her nor against her and having no real interest in how any of this is impacting her soul. On the other hand, VanCamp looks marvelous throughout, donning one gorgeous gown and hairstyle after another. She's Genteel Revenge Barbie.

Of the slew of potential love interests, I'm not sure there's a prize-winner. Bowman looks like a pumped up version of Bret Harrison, but doesn't convey much other than a square jaw. Wechsler is broody, but forgettable. And Mann is being held back either by the costumes or the writing, flattening a character who ought to eccentric enough to boost the energy level of everybody around him. But Mann, like most of the cast, is so patrician as to just be anemic. ["Gossip Girl" vet Paolo is both woefully miscast and stuck in a D-story that trips "Revenge" up whenever it appears.]

I'm not sure what show Madeleine Stowe is on, but she gets it. When she's onscreen, "Revenge" gets a pulse. Sometimes she goes a little into camp, but "Revenge" could use more of that sort of extreme and if everybody were on that page, this would be a more enjoyable show. But Stowe usually doesn't even resort to that broadness. She plays "Queen Victoria" as cold and calculating and dangerous. By the end of the second episode, the Emily vs. Victoria battle lines were drawn and I was firmly Team Victoria in a way that the producers couldn't possibly want. Maybe you're supposed to have emerging sympathy for Victoria, but you're definitely not supposed to want her to turn the tables and crush Emily. But Stowe is good enough that that's what I was rooting for. [You may recall that I had the same issue with ABC's "V" reboot, taking sides with Morena Baccarin's Anna against humanity.]

If you call your pilot "Revenge," you've chosen a brazen emphasis that almost demands a little exploitation and trashiness and I don't doubt pilot director Phillip Noyce, a tremendous crafter of top-notch genre B-movies, could have gone in that direction. But Noyce is stifling himself, using only the occasional Dutch angle or POV shot, when you can almost feel him waiting to go berserk. You've got the director of "Dead Calm" and "Blind Fury" here. Why wouldn't you let him go nuts?

But "Revenge" is restrained at all times. Nobody's enjoying their lifestyle. Nobody's enjoying the excess. And nobody's enjoying the payback. And that's probably why I didn't enjoy "Revenge."

"Revenge" premieres on Wednesday (Sept. 21) at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.

Related Searches: TV, review, ABC, revenge

Next 54 Comments

Dave

I don't think you can call a season 12 episode of "The Simpsons" a "classic."
September 21, 2011 at 5:44PM EST Reply to Comment
- Dave - I'm not a "Simpsons" snob. The show has had classic episodes every season, even if the overall quality isn't what it was in Season 4 (or whatever your favorite season happens to have been).
  
  -Daniel
  September 21, 2011 at 5:50PM EST
- I agree with Dave, that show hasn't been good in 3 decades.
  September 21, 2011 at 5:52PM EST
- FINE. We can all agree that "The Simpsons" will never equal those early days in the '50s when episodes were shot live, Rod Serling wrote all the scripts and a young George C. Scott played Homer.
  
  -Daniel
  September 21, 2011 at 6:16PM EST
- George C. Scott Ahh! My groin!
  September 22, 2011 at 9:30AM EST
ChampSkins

For all the advertising ABC has done for this show, I am just happy its finally airing. And the advertisements definitely didn't get me to watch, but it has convinced some friends of mine. Just looks bad to me.
September 21, 2011 at 5:49PM EST Reply to Comment
M

Other than recasting Marc Blucas with James Tupper were there any other changes between the original and final versions of the pilot?
September 21, 2011 at 5:59PM EST Reply to Comment
- M - That was the only notable change. I'm sure there were tweaks here and there, but there was nothing where something in my original notes was missing or something new or exciting popped up...
  
  -Daniel
  September 21, 2011 at 6:15PM EST
nick_r

Watched a pilot screener a few months ago. Only got through about 8 minutes, and even that much was painful.
September 21, 2011 at 6:03PM EST Reply to Comment
- V2Blast I managed to sit through the 45 minutes of the first episode, though that was mostly because I wanted free stuff and because I didn't have improv until the next hour.
  
  It was better than expected, but only because I expected it to be completely terrible. (It was only *mostly* terrible, in my opinion.) The schadenfreude of the act of "mini-revenge" itself was entertaining, I guess.
  September 21, 2011 at 11:21PM EST
swearin

This sounds to me like ABC was TRYING to go for something visceral and timely - sweet All-American girl gets revenge on uncaring rich folk - while still tossing in enough designer dresses and sports cars to satisfy the product placement quota. Yet it seems like they pulled their punches and made everything just bland and uninteresting, beginning with casting Van Camp. I've never seen her in anything that would make me believe she can be a calculating sociopath with a furnace of rage below her prim & proper rich girl exterior.

Done the right way, this show wouldn't even be on ABC, cause Disney doesn't do controversy. This kinda show should be on FX, with a better cast.
September 21, 2011 at 6:29PM EST Reply to Comment
- Swearin - Agreed. ABC's target demo is upscale women 18-49, so the pilot tries to catch the "Let's beat on the rich" zeitgeist while simultaneously being aspirational. And it doesn't work...
  
  -Daniel
  September 21, 2011 at 6:36PM EST
- Joyce Obviously your two brain cells are just about dead.
  
  October 20, 2011 at 1:01PM EST
briguyx

Maybe they could borrow Jeff Donovan from "Burn Notice" to narrate: "When you're out for revenge..."
September 21, 2011 at 7:21PM EST Reply to Comment
- V2Blast At least Mike Westen says exciting stuff like how to make a bomb or how to escape a hostage situation.
  September 21, 2011 at 11:22PM EST
- Ed G. She should learn how to make thermite! That'll get the revenge job done in a hurry.
  September 22, 2011 at 11:12AM EST
DAG

I actually watched this on a plane to Argentina last week. It kind of made me think they were trying to be "Damages" first season.. the first seen is in 'end' and they go back and start at the beginning of the story.

It wasn't great -but not as bad as many others.

One thing - Madeline Stowe does not look old enough to have a son that is old enough to date Emily van Camp
September 21, 2011 at 7:37PM EST Reply to Comment
- She's 53, easily old enough to have a son old enough to date Emily VanCamp... She's just ridiculously great looking...
  
  -Daniel
  September 21, 2011 at 10:14PM EST
- That's probably the point. She's not supposed to look old enough to have a son in his early 20s.
  
  Between Botox and cosmetic surgery, there's no body she couldn't afford to buy.
  September 25, 2011 at 9:05PM EST
War Chief Shake Zula

I feel obligated to mention this again. Ms. VanCamp has some serious "dead eyes", by which I mean she doesn't seem to have any charisma and/or screen presence invested in this. If I can see that just from some pictures, that's going to be a major issue going forward.

Incidentally, Minka Kelly has the same thing, only worse (somehow), on Charlie's Angels.
September 21, 2011 at 7:58PM EST Reply to Comment
alamble

Damn, where was my Genteel Revenge Barbie when I was kid? I would have loved one of those!

-alyson
September 22, 2011 at 12:00AM EST Reply to Comment
Byron Hauck

I actually really enjoyed it, but I was jonesing for a nighttime soap. I guess I found the structure more interesting than you guys, but how much better would this show be with Dollhouse's Fran Kranz playing the tech billionaire role?
September 22, 2011 at 3:14AM EST Reply to Comment
- a Yes, much better.
  September 23, 2011 at 2:54AM EST
Jean

All wrong in your evaluation of Revenge. I found the characters intriguing, the plot compelling, and a welcome reprieve from the glut of criminal series. Can't wait for the next episode. Lots of interesting characters and sub-plots.
September 22, 2011 at 7:20AM EST Reply to Comment
- No no, the word you're looking for is "disagree."
  September 22, 2011 at 12:28PM EST
- nancy I agree with Jean ... looking forward to the next episode as well!
  September 24, 2011 at 12:15PM EST
- Paul Sorry Dan, she used the correct word.
  October 26, 2011 at 10:20PM EST
Dor

I liked it. I actually was looking forward to watching next week's coming attractions. I just hope it stays true to its premise, and doesn't get "LOST" along the way, like my now defunct favorite LOST!!
September 22, 2011 at 8:08AM EST Reply to Comment
DW

Couldn't agree more, Dan. I'm perhaps the world's biggest fan of campy nighttime soaps, and as I patiently wait for the genre to be revived I have to sit through boring, self-serious "soaps" like Revenge. Showrunners for things like this and Ringer don't have the talent to write serious drama, nor do they have the courage to embrace camp. Between the two lies nothing but mediocrity.
September 22, 2011 at 11:31AM EST Reply to Comment
Michelle

FYI the term is "in medias res" roughly meaning "into the middle of the situation"
September 22, 2011 at 2:05PM EST Reply to Comment
- Michelle - I know the meaning of the term and used it correctly. What I don't know is how to convince my fingers to type "medias" instead of "media."
  
  Fixed... Thanks!
  
  -Daniel
  September 22, 2011 at 2:30PM EST
donofpa

What a let down. I really had high hopes and stayed up way after my bedtime to watch. Madeline Stowe and Gabriel Mann were horrible. I also find it ironic that almost everything is relatable to the Simpsons. Should have watched an episode of that instead would have made staying up late worth while.
September 22, 2011 at 2:06PM EST Reply to Comment
- El Knid Any idea you have ever had has already been done in an episode of the Simpsons, only more cleverly.
  September 22, 2011 at 9:22PM EST
- a Simpsons did it!
  September 23, 2011 at 2:55AM EST
Neeek

It's too bad they aren't going whole hog on the camp with this. A comedy called "Revenge" with a similar premise could be hilarious. Every episode the revenge-seeking character could be stymied by accidental actions of the completely oblivious people upon whom she is trying to get her vengeance on. At some point there would have to be a 4th wall breaking scene where the Emily character screams "KAAAAAAAAHN!
September 22, 2011 at 8:08PM EST Reply to Comment
El Knid

In the show's defense, this show's premise is almost impossible to pilot. In the source material (that ABC doesn't seem to want people to know about) Dumas, pere has the luxury of being able to start telling the story at -- of all places -- the beginning. You spend the first quarter of the book going through the betrayal, imprisonment and escape of the wronged character, so you're more on board when the revenging starts, allowing any moral handwringing to be set aside, so that we can just sit back and vicariously enjoy what amounts to a pulpy revenge procedural. Good times.

The general aim for network pilots is, of course, to lay whatever groundwork is necessary while still managing to give the viewer an idea of what a typical episode is going to be like. So the show's creators are in the awkward position of having to cram some revenge business in before the 3rd act break, and rely on everybody's favorite narrative devices, voice over and flashback, to provide those incidental things like character development, coherent motivations and emotional resonance.

Maybe they'll be able to play enough catch-up in the next couple of episodes to be able to sit back and luxuriate in the frothy vindictive fun of a good revenge melodrama. Probably not, and instead, we'll be forced to endure countless call-backs to Van Camp's mistreatment, so nobody forgets why it's ok for us to root for the girl doing all the poisoning, when really, we don't *want* to have to feel sorry for her once the revenge starts, because it gets in the way of the fun of getting to tag along with someone who's been given a moral "hall pass" for some badass murder and intrigue.

I get why ABC wouldn't want to spend the first 6 episodes in prison on the Ile d'If, but they should definitely have given the show enough narrative rope to start things off a little different. I'd have scrapped the pilot, and instead, made Van Camp's character a total cipher for pretty much the entire pilot. No voice-over, and only the faintest hints at a backstory -- instead, we'd be unable to get quite a fix on her, but watch as she assumes a couple different personas while scheming her way towards her first act of revenge. And only after the cruel deed is done, in the very last scene of the show, we're teased with the first reveal of who she is, and why she's doing what she's doing.

September 22, 2011 at 10:24PM EST Reply to Comment
maxxo

loved it ! REVENGE is such a fascinating subject especially when one has the means to carry it out .great late night soap very entertaining memories of dynasty
September 23, 2011 at 5:28AM EST Reply to Comment
ed_cidade

Watching the pilot, I'm reminded of the Raymond Chandler quote "They lead lifestlyes, not lives."
September 25, 2011 at 9:01PM EST Reply to Comment
Teklanika

I also loved it. By far my favorite new show of the season so far. Though I have high hopes for Homeland on Showtime.
October 3, 2011 at 2:16PM EST Reply to Comment
DL

I for one like this show. I think Emily is smokin' hot. I didn't see her in everwood or brothers - never watched those shows, but I hope this one stays on the air.
October 7, 2011 at 3:08PM EST Reply to Comment
Liz

I love "Revenge" and I totally disagree with your opinion of Emily's performance! I think she is fantastic. I hope "Revenge" stays around for a long time.
October 9, 2011 at 5:40PM EST Reply to Comment
gunstar

Well i can only hope we get to see the full story before so many would be show kilers put a end to it...
October 10, 2011 at 6:34PM EST Reply to Comment
jenk

Wow. I really like this show, look forward to it every week. Keeps me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next person she will get revenge on and why. I like the way Emily seems almost emotionless, it adds to the mystery of her character. I'm shocked at the bad review
October 13, 2011 at 9:54AM EST Reply to Comment
AleksanderR

I would like for once to sit in a room with the writers and to understand the process of writing a script. Is there no one to ask a question? No one to point out, that thinks don't make sense? That smart Emily would not keep all her documents in a box anybody can find. That makes no sense to treat such helpful and friendly ally Gabriel Mann, the way Emily does. That no way (in episode 6) this twenty-something Emily would be still in love and cry, that she cannot give her heart to a friend, whom she saw last when she was 10 years old. How is it possible, that such a cool man as Mann would let himself to be dragged away by Max Martini in the middle of a ball (why, would Max shoot him in front of all the people?) And after escaping, would he go straight to Emily and talk with her like two conspirators visible to everyone? Wouldn't he know, that Max is going to follow him? Would Joshua be really so easily persuaded by Ashton to drink, knowing what will this do to his relationship with Emily? Would Conrad Grayson dismiss so foolishly Max Martini, knowing that Max is a dangerous man who knows all their secrets?
How would those writers answer such questions?
I can see how:
" What is he talking about? Who will even pay attention to such unimportant details"

October 28, 2011 at 4:07PM EST Reply to Comment
James R. Boy

What a Piece of "@*&$". Homosexuality, Marriage Break-up's, Cheating, Pole Dancers, Murder, you got it!!! Yep, right on Prime Time. ABC sinks to new lows. I can take it if I wandered into a movie theater and watched a rated "R" showing. However, right in my living room. No.... I couldn't be paid to watch this silly show. Thumbs down.

All I can say, don't waste your time unless of course you are a degenerate as well. I say Boycott ABC until it cleans up it's act. Need I say more.
November 2, 2011 at 10:51PM EST Reply to Comment
JedyKnight

Yeap.. took me a minute to realize.. new Guilty Pleasure, all the way. It reminded me of the first episode of Desperate Housewives.. hope it doesnt go as bad as fast. =)
November 23, 2011 at 12:14AM EST Reply to Comment
kayla

wow. some people on here are small minded. this show is incredible. it gives you a whole new perspective and is amazing to watch every time. you need to have an open mind to be able to understand and appreciate a show like this. and for some reason horse sh*** like 90210 still seems to be going.
December 9, 2011 at 12:00AM EST Reply to Comment
Ben Thare

This is ridiculous show. The type of show that makes me want go to Mexico, drink the water, and catch ... Montezuma's Revenge.
December 17, 2011 at 7:44PM EST Reply to Comment
Yawn

...At least it's not a fake 'reality' show. I couldn't agree more with the review.
January 18, 2012 at 11:24PM EST Reply to Comment

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Comments

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Dave I don't think you can call a season 12 episode of "The Simpsons" a "classic."

Dave - I'm not a "Simpsons" snob. The show has had classic episodes every season, even if the overall quality isn't what it was in Season 4 (or whatever your favorite season happens to have been).-Daniel

I agree with Dave, that show hasn't been good in 3 decades.

FINE. We can all agree that "The Simpsons" will never equal those early days in the '50s when episodes were shot live, Rod Serling wrote all the scripts and a young George C. Scott played Homer.-Daniel

George C. Scott Ahh! My groin!

ChampSkins For all the advertising ABC has done for this show, I am just happy its finally airing. And the advertisements definitely didn't get me to watch, but it has convinced some friends of mine. Just looks bad to me.

M Other than recasting Marc Blucas with James Tupper were there any other changes between the original and final versions of the pilot?

M - That was the only notable change. I'm sure there were tweaks here and there, but there was nothing where something in my original notes was missing or something new or exciting popped up...-Daniel

nick_r Watched a pilot screener a few months ago. Only got through about 8 minutes, and even that much was painful.

Swearin - Agreed. ABC's target demo is upscale women 18-49, so the pilot tries to catch the "Let's beat on the rich" zeitgeist while simultaneously being aspirational. And it doesn't work...-Daniel

Joyce Obviously your two brain cells are just about dead.

briguyx Maybe they could borrow Jeff Donovan from "Burn Notice" to narrate: "When you're out for revenge..."

V2Blast At least Mike Westen says exciting stuff like how to make a bomb or how to escape a hostage situation.

Ed G. She should learn how to make thermite! That'll get the revenge job done in a hurry.

She's 53, easily old enough to have a son old enough to date Emily VanCamp... She's just ridiculously great looking...-Daniel

That's probably the point. She's not supposed to look old enough to have a son in his early 20s.Between Botox and cosmetic surgery, there's no body she couldn't afford to buy.

alamble Damn, where was my Genteel Revenge Barbie when I was kid? I would have loved one of those!-alyson

Byron Hauck I actually really enjoyed it, but I was jonesing for a nighttime soap. I guess I found the structure more interesting than you guys, but how much better would this show be with Dollhouse's Fran Kranz playing the tech billionaire role?

a Yes, much better.

Jean All wrong in your evaluation of Revenge. I found the characters intriguing, the plot compelling, and a welcome reprieve from the glut of criminal series. Can't wait for the next episode. Lots of interesting characters and sub-plots.

No no, the word you're looking for is "disagree."

nancy I agree with Jean ... looking forward to the next episode as well!

Paul Sorry Dan, she used the correct word.

Dor I liked it. I actually was looking forward to watching next week's coming attractions. I just hope it stays true to its premise, and doesn't get "LOST" along the way, like my now defunct favorite LOST!!

Michelle FYI the term is "in medias res" roughly meaning "into the middle of the situation"

Michelle - I know the meaning of the term and used it correctly. What I don't know is how to convince my fingers to type "medias" instead of "media."Fixed... Thanks!-Daniel

El Knid Any idea you have ever had has already been done in an episode of the Simpsons, only more cleverly.

a Simpsons did it!

maxxo loved it ! REVENGE is such a fascinating subject especially when one has the means to carry it out .great late night soap very entertaining memories of dynasty

ed_cidade Watching the pilot, I'm reminded of the Raymond Chandler quote "They lead lifestlyes, not lives."

Teklanika I also loved it. By far my favorite new show of the season so far. Though I have high hopes for Homeland on Showtime.

DL I for one like this show. I think Emily is smokin' hot. I didn't see her in everwood or brothers - never watched those shows, but I hope this one stays on the air.

Liz I love "Revenge" and I totally disagree with your opinion of Emily's performance! I think she is fantastic. I hope "Revenge" stays around for a long time.

gunstar Well i can only hope we get to see the full story before so many would be show kilers put a end to it...

jenk Wow. I really like this show, look forward to it every week. Keeps me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next person she will get revenge on and why. I like the way Emily seems almost emotionless, it adds to the mystery of her character. I'm shocked at the bad review

JedyKnight Yeap.. took me a minute to realize.. new Guilty Pleasure, all the way. It reminded me of the first episode of Desperate Housewives.. hope it doesnt go as bad as fast. =)

Ben Thare This is ridiculous show. The type of show that makes me want go to Mexico, drink the water, and catch ... Montezuma's Revenge.

Yawn ...At least it's not a fake 'reality' show. I couldn't agree more with the review.

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Dave

I don't think you can call a season 12 episode of "The Simpsons" a "classic."

Dave - I'm not a "Simpsons" snob. The show has had classic episodes every season, even if the overall quality isn't what it was in Season 4 (or whatever your favorite season happens to have been).

-Daniel

FINE. We can all agree that "The Simpsons" will never equal those early days in the '50s when episodes were shot live, Rod Serling wrote all the scripts and a young George C. Scott played Homer.

-Daniel

ChampSkins

For all the advertising ABC has done for this show, I am just happy its finally airing. And the advertisements definitely didn't get me to watch, but it has convinced some friends of mine. Just looks bad to me.

M

Other than recasting Marc Blucas with James Tupper were there any other changes between the original and final versions of the pilot?

M - That was the only notable change. I'm sure there were tweaks here and there, but there was nothing where something in my original notes was missing or something new or exciting popped up...

-Daniel

nick_r

Watched a pilot screener a few months ago. Only got through about 8 minutes, and even that much was painful.

Swearin - Agreed. ABC's target demo is upscale women 18-49, so the pilot tries to catch the "Let's beat on the rich" zeitgeist while simultaneously being aspirational. And it doesn't work...

-Daniel

briguyx

Maybe they could borrow Jeff Donovan from "Burn Notice" to narrate: "When you're out for revenge..."

She's 53, easily old enough to have a son old enough to date Emily VanCamp... She's just ridiculously great looking...

-Daniel

That's probably the point. She's not supposed to look old enough to have a son in his early 20s.

Between Botox and cosmetic surgery, there's no body she couldn't afford to buy.

alamble

Damn, where was my Genteel Revenge Barbie when I was kid? I would have loved one of those!

-alyson

Byron Hauck

I actually really enjoyed it, but I was jonesing for a nighttime soap. I guess I found the structure more interesting than you guys, but how much better would this show be with Dollhouse's Fran Kranz playing the tech billionaire role?

Jean

All wrong in your evaluation of Revenge. I found the characters intriguing, the plot compelling, and a welcome reprieve from the glut of criminal series. Can't wait for the next episode. Lots of interesting characters and sub-plots.

Dor

I liked it. I actually was looking forward to watching next week's coming attractions. I just hope it stays true to its premise, and doesn't get "LOST" along the way, like my now defunct favorite LOST!!

Michelle

FYI the term is "in medias res" roughly meaning "into the middle of the situation"

Michelle - I know the meaning of the term and used it correctly. What I don't know is how to convince my fingers to type "medias" instead of "media."

Fixed... Thanks!

-Daniel

maxxo

loved it ! REVENGE is such a fascinating subject especially when one has the means to carry it out .great late night soap very entertaining memories of dynasty

ed_cidade

Watching the pilot, I'm reminded of the Raymond Chandler quote "They lead lifestlyes, not lives."

Teklanika

I also loved it. By far my favorite new show of the season so far. Though I have high hopes for Homeland on Showtime.

DL

I for one like this show. I think Emily is smokin' hot. I didn't see her in everwood or brothers - never watched those shows, but I hope this one stays on the air.

Liz

I love "Revenge" and I totally disagree with your opinion of Emily's performance! I think she is fantastic. I hope "Revenge" stays around for a long time.

gunstar

Well i can only hope we get to see the full story before so many would be show kilers put a end to it...

jenk

Wow. I really like this show, look forward to it every week. Keeps me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next person she will get revenge on and why. I like the way Emily seems almost emotionless, it adds to the mystery of her character. I'm shocked at the bad review

JedyKnight

Yeap.. took me a minute to realize.. new Guilty Pleasure, all the way. It reminded me of the first episode of Desperate Housewives.. hope it doesnt go as bad as fast. =)

Ben Thare

This is ridiculous show. The type of show that makes me want go to Mexico, drink the water, and catch ... Montezuma's Revenge.

Yawn

...At least it's not a fake 'reality' show. I couldn't agree more with the review.

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