A Juicy Nighttime Soap Opera Proves Money Can't Buy Happiness, But It Can Buy Revenge
After the almost instant success of "Modern Family," ABC has struggled for a couple of seasons to find a suitable companion that could hold onto the ratings of its Wednesday night comedy line-up. In 2011, they struck gold in the most unlikely of places and made "Revenge" into one of the year's biggest new hits. Pulpy and over-the-top, this soap opera is structured as a neo-noir mystery set in the upscale environs of an elite Hamptons community. It owes a lot to the classic tales of excess that populated the airwaves in the eighties (Dallas, Dynasty, and the like) but updates traditional conventions in a fun and modern way. And "Revenge," while not exactly perfect, is just that--FUN. It is the TV equivalent of a good page-turning beach read, an unapologetic potboiler designed to provide escapism and adventure. With an attractive cast, gorgeous locales, stunning costumes and lush melodrama--the show proves the old adage that money can't buy happiness. But in this case, it just...
Interesting show that transforms from one-off revenge plot per episode to a more complex overall theme
Emily Thorne is coming to town and revenge is coming with her. What starts out as a checklist of payback slows to a melodic dish best served cold as Emily works to get payback for misdeeds done to her father. Over 16 episodes she pushes her way all over the board, passing pawns in the first episodes and bigger pieces later on, trying to get to the bigger fish - the Graysons. We open at an engagement party filled with guests, moving through the people, when a body appears and everyone turns out to find Victoria Grayson crying. Her son is dead. We then go backward, detailing what happened in all its intricacy and who was involved, until we catch up and go a little bit beyond, showing what the show can become in Season 2. It gets a whole lot more complex as the piece move around.
While the show seems like a soap at night in large part, the pieces being moved around are interesting. Everyone i knew liked the way it started and some wandered after more people and faces popped...
Best served cold!
Revenge is the kinda show I never imagined I'd like. I'm not a big fan of TV soaps or romance novels, but little by little I got drawn into Emily's web of intrigue and deception. I found it very satisfying watching the bad guys get a taste of their own medicine. And trust me, they deserve it. I may not really like Emily, but I really like what she does and how she does it. Can't wait for the second season.
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