Blogs:
Follow Us:
Get Instant Alerts

All More Options
Boards
TV Predictions Game

Film Festival

Full Coverage

'Revenge' - 'Pilot': The countess of the Hamptons?

What did everybody think of the new ABC soap opera?

By Alan Sepinwall Wednesday, Sep 21, 2011 11:00 PM

'Revenge' - 'Pilot': The countess of the Hamptons?

Emily Van Camp may be registering her own online comments about "Revenge," but what did you think?

Credit: ABC

Too many new shows this week, and not much time to review them all. Fienberg published his review of ABC's "Revenge" earlier today, and all I have the time or energy to say is that I found this chilly, humorless update of "The Count of Monte Cristo" - and the lightweight lead performance by Emily Van Camp (whom I've liked in the past) - too dull to even qualify as a guilty pleasure.

Now it's your turn. For those who watched, what did you think? Are you setting the season pass now? 

Related Searches: revenge, Emily Van Camp, Henry Czerny, Fall TV 2011, Madeleine Stowe

Comments

  • Option 1

    Comment instantly as a guest Guest

  • Option 2

    Connect

  • Option 3

    Login or create a HitFix account Login Signup
  • Default-avatar

    Will

    I got to be honest. I didn't watch the whole thing, but I switched over a few times while I was watching SVU. I thought the sort of 'Revenge of the week' idea looked kind of fun in the way Emily Van Camp was fucking around with the blonde woman. All of the stuff about the poor family and whatshisname going to Haiti struck me as really boring. The 'good' characters will always be less fun. But again, this is just me watching it in snapshots.

    September 21, 2011 at 11:08PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    KS

    I really enjoyed it. I think it has good potential to be a juicy nighttime soap. Its not trying to be anything it isn't, its a soap. There is room for improvement of course but I'd like to see it stick around and see where it goes.

    September 21, 2011 at 11:20PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Chrissy

    I liked it. Not sure if vengeance will get boring in a few weeks, but I'm in for the short term.

    September 22, 2011 at 12:09AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Guesty

    I really enjoyed it; I'm not sure what your complaint was with Emily VanCamp.

    I've had to interact with the people that this show is skewering, so this is especially enjoyable for me. And I think the theme of getting back at some of the people who play fast and loose with the stability of our financial markets will resonate with an awful lot of viewers these days.

    You and Dan seem really burned out this year...I think you are being too hard on some of these shows. Yes, you are critics and you should hold shows to a high standard, but this was an entertaining show. I think you need some interns to dump work on.

    September 22, 2011 at 12:40AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Summer09hitfix_talkback_profile

    gregel

    I actually thought it was a good set up. The guys are too bland and too white and model-esque, but I thought Emily Van Camp had her moments. Madeline Stowe? Good lord, she's TERRIBLE.

    September 22, 2011 at 2:00AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Swearin

    I don't think this show has staying power, but I'm giving it another week. Three things about the pilot:

    1) Why was Amanda in jail? The father was convicted, and last I checked they don't toss kids in jail, they go to foster care. If we're to believe Amanda turned to a life of crime as a teenager, they could've been clearer about it.

    2) Seems to me that Hamlet is just as apt a comparison for this story as Monte Cristo; Victoria was married to David, betrayed him then married his best friend, and Amanda is then seeking revenge for her father.

    3) I can ignore many plot holes, but c'mon, she moves into the EXACT SAME HOUSE, sports a tattoo of her dad's favorite symbol, and mingles with most of the people she grew up around with the same hair color, face, and demeanor she had as a child and expected no one to figure her out? Really, Revenge, really?!

    September 22, 2011 at 3:33AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Archie

    Here's my two issues with this show that (to be honest) I only watched peripherally:
    1. Too many cliches. Really? The local small-business owner is amazing and of course he's knee depth in debt and of course it's all coming to a head. And of course he has an amazing son, unspoiled by all that wealth and riding off to Haiti who will now sell off that dream to help his father and stay back and therefore, eventually figure out that the girl his dog seems to recognize right away is the one he named his boat after. Wow. Contrived, much???

    2. You name a show "Revenge" and then put just enough plot on it to last what? Maybe 2 seasons? Do none of these writers think beyond a second or third season? What happens when all the faces in Emily's photograph are now crossed out/burned through with a cigarette?

    I liked it ... slightly. I watched it mainly because Wednesday night has too many reality contestants and nothing else was competing.

    Maybe that's why this show may even survive.

    September 22, 2011 at 9:49AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Vickie

    Actually enjoyed it! Will watch for at least a couple more episodes.

    September 22, 2011 at 10:22AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Ed Fick

    I found the first half a bit slow. But started getting into it more the second half hour. I ended up watching it twice, and liked it more the second viewing. Will definitely be watching next episode.

    September 23, 2011 at 12:09AM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Cassie

    I decided to watch the pilot after reading some summaries - girl getting revenge on rich people in the Hamptons? Why not! Perfect escapism.

    I thought it was entertaining enough, though I'm not sure I liked how they showed the Labor Day/engagement party(?) at the beginning of the episode and then flashed back to Memorial Day. Would have been a bit more suspenseful if they had just started out with Amanda/Emily moving in to the Hamptons near Memorial Day.

    It wasn't really clear why Amanda was in prison but I'm assuming that she was a troubled teen - she thought her father had been a murderer and all that and probably didn't adjust to that well (I mean, who would?).

    And it's a bit ironic because I just started reading a book that analyzes what Shakespeare teaches us about justice - the first chapter is about revenge and how revenge is never equal. You know, eye for an eye is never just an eye - it's always an eye and then some. So with that in mind, this show will be interesting to watch.

    September 24, 2011 at 9:16PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Default-avatar

      steph so late, but... is that the new kenji yoshino?

      December 13, 2011 at 3:54AM EST
  • Default-avatar

    Teklanika

    I loved this show. I thought it was the best new show I've seen by a landslide. It's the only new show I've seen that I couldn't wait for the next episode.

    I thought Pan Am was okay and I'll watch Terra Nova again. Up All Night is decent, but should be funnier.

    But Revenge? Once I watched the first ep I went right to OnDemand and watched episode 2. Can't wait for episode 3. I've set my DVR to record the series.

    October 3, 2011 at 2:01PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Default-avatar

    Ellie3

    SO CONTRIVED and the casting/acting is terrible. Glad to see I'm not the only one who feels that way. First couple of episodes were fun but they jumped the shark with "Duress" episode. i was laughing and rolling my eyes the whole time. Last night's episode was my last.

    January 13, 2012 at 1:17PM EST Reply to Comment

News From Our Partners

Alan Sepinwall

About This Blog

All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 15 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com

Get Instant Alerts on What's Alan Watching

HitFix Poll

Will you still watch Community without Dan Harmon behind it?

Latest Posts
More Posts
Recent Activity on Facebook
Most Popular on Facebook
About HitFix

HitFix provides breaking news and insider analysis on what's next in Movies, Music, TV and Local Events. Our localized event calendar lets you personalize and plan your entertainment life, while our instant alerts and mobile apps make sure you never miss out on your favorite entertainment.

Advertise on HitFix
Subscribe to HitFix

Get the latest headlines & updates in your inbox

Popular Topics

© Copyright HitFix.com. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy