Revenge: season 3 finale: "Execution."

May 11, 2014 11:07 PM - Season 3, Episode 22

Hooooooooo boy. Conrad's in jail, Emily's celebrating, Victoria's on Emily's trail. Nothing lasts forever, though.

Key points of the episode:
* David Clarke is exonerated entirely.
* Victoria confirms that Emily is Amanda.
* Victoria kills Aidan and leaves him on the couch in Emily's beach house for her to find. Buffy fans will relate.
* Conrad gets a jailhouse rescue.
* Emily hits Victoria over the head with a shovel. SATISFYING!
* Emily has Victoria committed to a mental institution.
* David Clarke is alive, looking un-aged, and he just killed Conrad.

Mind. Blown.

posted by jenfullmoon (13 comments total)

Yeah, I had a feeling lately that David Clarke was coming back to life based on...well, having seen TV, and particularly a lot of OTT soapy TV, before, and I did not like it one bit. Likewise, I had the feeling that Conrad was going to get offed because he was pretty much written into a corner after his (amazing, awesome) confession. And I did not like that either because Henry Czerny is just so perfect in the role.

But having David Clarke come back come back so that he could fairly-brutally stab Conrad was the best thing that could happen out of both of those situations. Like punch the air good. Not as satisfying as the shovel, of course, because nothing will ever compare to that.

Buffy fans will relate.

Oh my god, that's why that was so upsetting. Duh. I mean it was upsetting in its own right, but it triggered such an emotional response for me and that's totally why.

I've always been pretty meh on Aiden - don't dislike him as much as some seem to do, don't think of he and Emily as Revenge's OTP. But they did something near the end of this season to make he and Emily's relationship seem much more real to me (probably sold, like a lot of this show, by Emily Van Camp) so the implication of what it meant to have him literally killed by Victoria's hand was amazing.

I also was thrilled with the return of Victoria's therapist because it reminded me of just how bad the Graysons were to young Emily at just the right time. Not that framing your dad as a terrorist supporter and all that happened afterwards aren't reason enough for REVENGE, but the whole psychological manipulation (and being convinced that your father was guilty such that his "death" was that much more upsetting once you realized he was innocent) is pretty much justification for all the more-morally questionable things Emily has done.

Speaking of, Charlotte realizing Jack was involved with the kidnapping was neat turn, but also God, Charlotte, can you not ruin everything for like one second? With David back to life, I am pretty certain the answer to this next season is going to be a resounding "no."

And I can't wait.

(Revenge thoughts, I have them.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 7:50 AM on May 12, 2014

Except for David Clarke coming back, that would have been a perfectly enjoyable, perfectly final series finale. Conrad's dead and his name has been dragged through the mud, Victoria's betrayed, locked in a mental institution and hilariously incoherent with rage (seriously, that was great), Emily suffers the requisite Pyrrhic victory by losing Aidan before her plan can wrap itself up.

Unless they do some kind of shocking swerve™ on David's resurrection, though, I'm kind of expecting to wish the show had ended there. Not a promising sign, even with how soap-opera-y the show already was.

(One thing that didn't get teased but I expect to bite Emily in the ass before too long – the only thing keeping Mason quiet is the promise of an exclusive on the whole sordid affair. As soon as Emily is publicly unmasked, Victoria gets set free. Whoops!)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:20 AM on May 12, 2014

I figure Henry Czerny will still be back occasionally in flashbacks. Who knows, maybe he's not dead.

Second best part of the night (first was the shovel) was Victoria waking up in the psych ward thinking she was in heaven and saying a soft "Pascal?"

Aiden didn't really do anything for me so I don't care if he's gone. Was surprised to see Michelle pop up again, wasn't she completely ruined by Emily broadcasting her sessions? How'd she get trust back? David reappearing, eh I dunno how to feel about that. Unless it's all a dream. At the rate this episode was going I would have not been surprised to see Lydia, Eli, and Kara reappear.
posted by daninnj at 10:38 AM on May 12, 2014

I've never cared much about Aidan one way or the other, but that death was a hell of a blow. Plus the couch scene. Kicks off Round Two Of Revenge, at least. Though by this point I was thinking next season would be about Victoria getting back at Emily--still could happen, though. I do not, however, look forward to "Shall we put Jack and Emily together as a couple now," though. Bo-ring.

I was all "Shouldn't David Clarke be a lot older-looking by now?" Anyone else or is that just me?
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:14 PM on May 12, 2014

Yeah, it looked a great deal like "possible series finale, minus a few scenes that were filmed two ways just in case". (David might not have come back and Jack or Nolan or even Margaux might have killed Conrad, Charlotte might not have figured out Jack, end of story.)

I mean, I'm happy enough it's coming back, especially since they got back on the game this season. Everyone else now needs to figure Emily out.

(Aidan+Emily isn't my OTP, but at least it blocked Jack+Emily. I hope that one doesn't return. I'd even prefer Emily+Nolan, though they aren't at all a couple I want.)
posted by jeather at 3:13 PM on May 12, 2014

Emily can end up with Jack, fine, whatever. Just keep that shit to the finale. It's not remotely interesting enough to actually play out on screen. My OTP is Nolan + smugness.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 3:18 PM on May 12, 2014

SCREAM I'M ONLY 3 EPISODES AWAY FROM CATCHING UP ok no one say anything interesting for the next 2.5 hours
posted by elizardbits at 8:00 PM on May 12, 2014

okay this is my favourite telenovela ever

im mad about aiden tho
posted by elizardbits at 11:45 PM on May 12, 2014

Just think of the shovel.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 3:06 AM on May 13, 2014

i watched the shovel about 10 times, it was glorious
posted by elizardbits at 8:36 AM on May 13, 2014

I'm just going to post this here because it's not really worthy of a FPP but I just have to put it somewhere:

Marvel Comics First Look: "The Secret Origin of Emily Thorne"

posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:48 PM on June 26, 2014

All I want is one scene where she meets Sharon Carter. They don't even have to talk.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 2:21 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

Retroactively making the Initiative an arm of HYDRA has just improved Season 2 by at least 40% in my brain.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:09 PM on June 26, 2014