Revenge - Recap: The War to Settle the Score

That said, I'm ultimately glad I did. "Ashes" is an engaging episode for how nimbly it weaves its way through all of its storylines, finding connective tissue between stories that don't seem to have a whole lot in common at the moment. The story is mostly centered on Victoria's plot to force David Clarke (James Tupper) to unknowingly bring down his own daughter, while Emily herself is on the hunt for Victoria, knowing it's the only way she's going to be able to find Charlotte. Immediately, the episode sets goals, and our two leads set about trying to achieve them, to some pretty interesting results. At the height of Season 1, Revenge was among the best soaps on primetime TV, not just because of the viscerally satisfying nature of its revenge plots, but because of the strength of its central conflict: Emily vs. Victoria just works, and it'll likely always work, because Stowe and VanCamp have such wonderful enemy-chemistry. Their stand-off in front of David Clarke's hideaway, with Victoria keeping Emily away at gunpoint while she dares her to pull the trigger, is just terrific. Victoria taunts Emily by saying she doesn't deserve a quick death, and because Emily is a resourceful gal, she deduces that this means Victoria knows something huge that she's hiding. Emily and Victoria are so well-matched that all of their storylines together simply feel momentous by virtue of the long, storied rivalry between the two characters. They elevate one another's game, which makes them the ideal yin and yang for the series to orient itself around. In turn, that makes "Ashes" a solid episode around which to base this renewed Emily vs. Victoria storyline, since this felt like the episode that really got the story rolling.

Credit: ABC

This is because the episode largely dispenses with the sorts of obnoxious, time-wasting details that we've gotten in previous weeks. Yes, we're reminded that Daniel (Josh Bowman) is in dire financial straits, and we're also reminded that he's having sex with Margaux (Karine Vanasse), and we even get a scene in which he meets Louise (Elena Satine), Victoria's jilted ex-roommate in the psych ward, who is herself a bitter child of privilege. And yes, we do have to check in briefly with Officer Ben (Brian Hallisay), who takes his crush on Emily to the next level by offering to accompany her on any future long walks in the woods she feels like taking, but Emily is about as interested in Ben as I am in a swift kick to the junk. Jack, however, fares a bit better with Emily, bringing her a framed photo he found in the burned wreckage of The Stowaway of the two of them together as kids on the beach. Emily is genuinely touched, and it leads to the most poignant moment of the season so far, as Emily and Jack reminisce about their childhood, and we get the sense that they truly were, and truly are, good friends. And the strength of the friendship feel as though it's because of, and not despite, everything they've been through together. Emily opens up to Jack about her mission to bring down Victoria, and her attempts to make things up to Charlotte. Jack knows that Charlotte sets the fire, but begrudgingly accepts Emily's decision not to reveal that info to the police. In turn, Jack reveals his decision not to use the insurance money to rebuild The Stowaway, admitting that owning a bar was always his father's dream, not his own. It seems like Jack is going into law enforcement full-time now, and that could create some interesting new story possibilities if Emily's actions continue to intersect with the sketchy side of the law. Then again, Jack could become a very valuable asset to Emily's plan, even if begrudgingly. It's hard to tell, at the moment. All I know for sure is that Emily and Jack are kind of wonderful together, particularly when the show plays up their simpler, more innocent history.

Credit: ABC

But back to The War to Settle the Score, as both women are bringing their A-game to the rivalry. For example, Victoria's plan is to manipulate David by using Charlotte. By introducing father to daughter, Victoria further sells David on the notion of "our family," so that when she later tells him that Emily is attempting to tear down the family they're building together, David will commit himself to her cause. It's a brilliant plan, and one that Victoria accomplishes with panache. But it's unlikely Victoria would have expected David to respond the way he does. Upon hearing Victoria's story about Emily's path of vengeance against herself and Charlotte, David decides to seek out Emily and finish her off himself. But since Emily is no slouch, she has security cameras set up everywhere, with Nola (Gabriel Mann) manning the surveillance station. Of course, Nolan is more of a techie than a security guy, so he misses David's entrance into Emily's home. This gives David just enough time to sneak into her bedroom and finish the job.

Credit: ABC

However, once up there, he looks into the sleeping Emily's face, and it's as if he experiences a pang of recognition. He searches her face, slowly piecing together that this is his daughter. Whether or not he made it all the way to the realization that Emily and Amanda are the same person is unknown, since Nolan interrupted with a gun shot to send David fleeing. Nolan didn't see the man's face, and Emily is equally puzzled about the break-in. I found it interesting that the show is seemingly pulling the trigger already on Emily and David discovering the other's continued existence, since this felt like something they'd save for midseason, at the very least. But I'm thrilled that we might be getting the reunion next week, since I'm not sure they had enough story to tease this out until midseason. That said, I do think the show could have gotten a little more out of the inversion of the show's premise that David's return presents. Emily began her quest for revenge believing her father to be dead. Now David Clarke is on a revenge mission, while believing that his daughter is dead. Neither knows the other is alive, but both are eerily similar in the goals they've set for themselves. Like father, like daughter.

"Ashes" is an episode that's well-worth checking out, primarily for the ongoing struggle between Victoria and Emily, two opposite sides of the same vengeful coin. Can Revenge maintain this sort of momentum for more than just an episode or two. We'll see soon enough. But for now, I'm really thinking the answer is yes. And that has me excited for what's ahead.