Only a few episodes left! Emily/Amanda steps up her game to more direct involvement this week when the author of a tell-all book about her supposedly terrorist father comes to town. We also get the first few tidbits of how the “shocking” ending will come about. I put shocking in air-quotes because we saw the first episode, revealing what happens on the beach.

Emily/Amanda continues to be intriguing. We get some insight into what she was like as a child, and how her hatred of her father originally developed. Given everything she went through, and the “proof” she had of her father’s evil acts, I can’t say I blame her. This behavior undoubtedly helped to form her into the cold, calculating person we see on the show now. It makes me wonder if she would be as driven in her acts of vengeance if she hadn’t despised her father at all, and were instead seeking justice.

Her doppleganger, Amanda/Emily, the bad girl from the prison that she exchanged lives with, starts getting a lot more involved in the schemes, too. Not only do we have someone’s house burning up in flames, but we have new evidence falling into the right hands to get back at the people that framed David Clark.

One episode left??? Can it be??? Next week we’ll finally find out if this show can really get to a second season. I also really, really, really want to know if Daniel was the who that got shot on the beach and who shot him.

Looks like Emily can kick a little ass. She’s training with her mysterious Japanese benefactor, who apparently took her under his wing at some point. She learned more than just business sense during her travels, and I feel bad for whoever tried to tangle with her. It’s a nice addition to the character, showing that she’s physically strong as well as mentally.

Meanwhile, the evil-Emily/Amanda, who has returned to embrace her switched identity, puts more moves on Jack. Ironically, the supposed sense of true love that Jack thinks he’s experiencing is proof that he doesn’t have it. He thinks he’s falling in love with his long-lost childhood sweetheart, but as the viewers know, she’s not the real Amanda Clark. Thus, Jack’s inflated fairy tale of love reunited is only as true as he wishes it is.

The real Amanda (the fake Emily…try to keep up) has been walking a fine line when interacting with Nolan. She’s his one real friend that knows everything about her past, and she constantly keeps him at arm’s length. He does nothing but help her, including tossing in $20 million of his own cash to try and trap Tyler. However, she’s always threatening him. This week she even used Nolan directly in her plans against others.

A solid episode that didn’t start out so strong. I tune in every week because Revenge is more of a thriller than a drama. While it started to hit its familiar, and appreciated, stride after the first commercial break, the first act felt more like an episode of 90210 than the best drama on TV.

Emily/Amanda (Emily VanCamp) acted more like a spoiled rich girl who is swooning for the hot guy in the beginning of the episode than the vengeance-obsessed orphan we’ve come to know. The show found itself again quickly, but I found her conversation with her friend a minor irritation. Once she heard that Amanda/Emily (Margarita Levieva) had refused to leave town the show started to pick up again.

The one thing missing from the show is Emily/Amanda’s appreciation, or lack thereof, of the only friend she really has in life. The one guy that has stuck by her, and knows who she really is, is Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann). He consistently helps her in her revenge crusade, even though she treats him like garbage. Last week she actually showed some gratitude, but this week she was back to using and abusing him. You’d think she would be cool with the only guy that helps her week after week.

The good news is that when the show did pick up the pace this week, it REALLY picked up the pace. Now our heroine not only has the Graysons as antagonists, but her own doppleganger as well. There are only a few episodes left and someone still has to get shot like we were promised in the first episode.

The game is really getting out of control. Emily Thorn (Emily VanCamp) had created a delicate scenario to entrap each of the people that wronged her father. So delicate, in fact, that a rogue deviant has started to unmask her prematurely and may risk everything she’s worked for.

The bodyguard that aided in the hospitalization of another character on the show, Frank (Max Martini), is working overtime to get to the roots of Emily’s secrets. This week he makes a huge leap in his deductions, even showing up in Emily’s house wielding her own gun. His throats almost seem hollow, however, since we know from the first episode of the season that Emily hasn’t been revealed to the other characters.

Another thorn in Emily’s side (pun intended) is her “boyfriend’s” college roommate, Tyler (Ashton Holmes). He is the complete wild card here, mainly because Emily didn’t incorporate him into her plans. He came out of left field, with seemingly antagonistic tendencies toward nearly everyone he comes across. The actor, Holmes, isn’t very good, so he kind of comes off as the bad guy you love to hate, because he’s not enjoyable in any respect.

The high point of the episode was seeing CCH Pounder guest star as a juvenile detention center warden. She’s the kind of actress that is great in every role she plays, especially from when she was a supporting actress on The Shield. I wish that she would become a main character on the show, but that has less to do with the show itself and more of my enjoyment of her in general.

I’m really starting to wonder how Emily is going to keep up the façade. Frank and Tyler are gunning for her, and they’re getting very, very close. In fact, I’m wondering how the show will even manage a second season. It’s not that the show is bad; far from it. I think it’s the best show of the year. My point is that this concept seems limited to one season. Once Emily gets revenge on everyone, what’s next?

The show’s moniker has taken on a life of its own. As the main character, Emily Thorn (Emily VanCamp), has been driven to seek revenge against those who wronged her father, this week apparently vengeance started seeking out her enemies for her.

One character was catapulted to her death last week, and the odd thing is that the death wasn’t something that Emily weaved. She was surprised to learn and is now hopeful that the death will pit her enemies against each other, while she stands back and enjoys the show. I have to say that I’m in the same boat. No, I’m not watching my own enemies take bites at each other, but I am enjoying being a spectator. I’d go so far as to say that this is the best show of the year, and will pick up more than a few Emmys next year.

Victoria (Madeliene Stowe) is as cautious as ever, especially since her son’s college roommate is planting a few evil seeds in her ear. Stowe carries herself like the Wicked Queen from a fairy tale, the mistress of the Hamptons that controls everything around her. She was the perfect choice for the role and I’m sorry to say that I haven’t seen her previous work before.

The love triangle we’ve been waiting for since the flash forward scene that opened the entire series is finally forming. Emily, Daniel (Joshua Bowman), and Jack (Nick Wechsler) have finally begun to dance around each other, but as a viewer we really have no idea where Emily stands. We’re led to believe that she’s only using Daniel to get at Victoria…but there’s something in her eyes that makes me think that she really does have feelings for him. And Jack is her childhood friend, who during this episode she obviously carries a torch for.

I can’t wait to see how the whole thing plays out. As long as they keep the character dynamic as interesting as we’ve seen so far, I’m in for the long haul.

This is the best new show of the year. It has intense drama, intriguing characters, interesting character interactions, and an involved plot structure. This is the kind of show that I want to enjoy for years to come, however I’m not sure that the very premise that makes Revenge so awesome will really allow it to live past the first season.

I’ve just gotten caught up on the show and for those who haven’t bothered to look at this amazing piece of TV, the title pretty much says it all. Amanda Clark/Emily Thorn (Emily VanCamp) has returned to the Hamptons to find revenge against those who wronged her father and essentially ruined her life. Amanda is the real girl we rarely get to see beyond her Emily persona.

The witch of the Hamptons, and Emily’s main target for vengeance, is Victoria (Madeleine Stowe). While Stowe plays the character a little heavy-handed, she’s a great villain. This week the dynamic between Emily and Victoria increased as Emily was invited to attend Victoria’s weekly tea luncheon. The tension between the two perfectly describes the tone of the show; Emily is out to get these people and her targets are too caught up in their own wealth to realize what she’s doing.

…except for Lydia (Amber Valletta). She’s the only character on the show that seems to be on to Emily, thanks to her returning in this episode and demanded that Emily return her villa. I won’t spoil how this plays out, but it seems that the net is going to be tightened around Emily before long.

A great show, and a great episode as well. Out of all the shows I watch every week, Revenge is the one I’ll be looking forward to the most.