Don’t you just hate it when you haven’t seen a family member for over 10 years and then find their number one hobby is trying to kill you? If you do, then you have an idea what a bummer Emily’s sort of reunion with her mother has been. Emily has been working hard to find her mother, but it doesn’t look like the relationship will involve a mother and daughter tea. On the other hand, Emily closely observes the Graysons, and they are the greatest example of why families may be overrated.

The Truth About Mom

In one of the few times of actual truth telling, Victoria reveals to a pre-tumble over the balcony Amanda that mommy dearest was permanently locked away because she has a passion for trying to kill her daughter. You just can’t get good technology these days, and Emily’s phone malfunctions right before she can hear this revelation. Lucky for her, her mind decides to provide her with a flashback about her mother attempting to drown her as a child. It seems flashbacks of attempted murder occur when you see your mother stroking the hair of your coma-induced doppelganger.

I’m not sure how Emily completely forgot about her mom’s violent tendencies or why she suddenly is trusting a long forgotten memory. I am even less sure how Aidan knows Emily had this flashback or even that she saw her mother in the hospital. Maybe this is a power Aidan acquires after getting a taser in the back of the neck.   

It does seem that Kara, Emily’s mother, wasn’t trying to kill Amanda at the hospital. This show has definitely taught us that no one is who they seem, and a hero can turn into a villain before the next commercial break. Kara may not be the next wicked witch, and maybe we’ll still get a nice hug between family members. Plus, we still have the dangling mystery of why Victoria pawned Kara off to the white haired assassin, Gordon Murphy.

Amanda Takes a Plunge

The mother revelation is huge, but the possible death of a major character is pretty huge, too. Victoria appears to unintentionally send Amanda on a trip from the balcony to the floor, and she’s visibly shaken from the event.  For one of the few times on the show, Emily is emotionally distraught. The Emily and Amanda relationship is an anomaly, but the tragedy proves she has some feelings for her protege.

The almost death of Amanda has opened up some interesting future developments. Victoria may actually feel like she has got rid of the Clarks now and put her guard down.  Or there may be a small chance that we will see a whole 10 minutes of a sympathetic Victoria who is remorseful for her deed. Jack will likely spiral even further and become more mopey than usual. The one good thing from the accident is the possible reuniting of Charlotte and Declan.  Declan has been insufferable this season, but it’s nice to see the couple together briefly.

The Robbed Man Becomes the Robber

Please allow me to brag for a moment, because I totally predicted that the robbed man was going to end up being trouble. He orchestrated the robbery of his own home, and had Declan’s classmate set him up. It appears to be a rather elaborate scheme just to get a bar that Jack was likely going to have to sell anyway. The writers decided Jack hasn’t experienced enough trauma this season, and needed just one more person to wreck his life. This storyline may lead to the events that caused the opening scene of this season with Jack’s wrecked boat and the mysterious floating body.

Nolan Does Like Girls

This episode packs a lot of crazy and tons of plot twists. It’s nice to have a straight romantic storyline between Nolan and Padme. The scene where Padme shows Nolan how much he meant to his dad is sweet, and it’s nice she allows Nolan to say his final goodbyes. In the crazy world of Revenge, a sincere and innocent kiss is worth more than gold, and their quick kiss is special. Of course, next week we’ll find out that Padme is secretly working with the evil Initiative.

Daniel Has Brains

We’ve gone an entire episode without Daniel being tricked by his parents. He is even savvy enough to figure out Ashley is a spy for Conrad. Daniel is likely to stumble upon the Initiative, and find out his dad is working with them. Will Daniel end up helping Emily find the whole truth or will he be the mysterious floating body in the lake instead? Finally, we don’t need to feel like fools cheering for Daniel. Then again, do we really believe Ashley quit working for Conrad, or is the confrontation a performance to lure Daniel in again? 

This week buried us with massive plot twists and some shocking revelations. It also will be remembered as the week where Victoria and Emily displayed real emotion. It is clear Victoria really loved David, and Emily feels responsible for Amanda. I’m sure they will all remember to be sadistic and cruel in the next episode.

(Image courtesy of ABC)

Chris Spicer

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV