TV REVIEW: Revenge’s Margaux Suffers a Devastating “Loss”

We saw the previews last week, so it was no surprise to anyone how Revenge’s latest offering would end. It’s all the machinations leading up to that loss that cause most of the jaw dropping scenes, complete with dramatic music cued to each surprise. Jack is at the forefront of Emily’s radar tonight with Ben taking a supporting role (just the way we like it). Margaux channels her inner mean girl, finally proving herself a worthy foe to Emily, but at what cost? And Victoria is fierce as a mama bear protecting her cub’s memory, hoping to forge some kind of a legacy for Daniel. She was almost, dare we say, sympathetic in her tunnel vision at getting the Daniel Grayson Research Wing off the ground. At its core, “Loss” was an emotional turn, giving us a feel around every corner. Let’s take a look at all the soapy, dramatic moments.

Don’t Mess with Jack and that Cute Baby

The opening scene hints at all that emotion coming our way. It shows an Emily flashback of her as a child being taken from her dad as he’s hauled away by the police. Flash to the present, and we see Ems and daddy now watching Carl, a stark reminder of how Jack was ripped away from his son during his arrest on bogus drunk driving charges.

Emily is on a Jack clearing mission all night, telling her dad, “I am done seeing terrible things done to my friends.” She’s ready to make someone pay for hurting her friend and his child. Is there anything better than Emily on a mission to save someone she loves? Nope. Revenge always hits some high notes when Emily gets that look, dons her hoodie, and goes stealth mode.

(ABC/Richard Cartwright)
JAMES TUPPER

Jack’s older sister, I mean lawyer mom, shows up ready to join in the fight to save her boy. In court, Emily and Margaux exchange verbal barbs with Ems telling her nemesis to get a heart, “Carl could be taken away.” Margaux says that Emily “started it.” Wait, is this 2nd grade?

Jack and team figure out that someone slipped something in his orange juice, video footage at the club confirms it was Margaux’s henchman. They can’t prove Jack was drugged because his blood sample is missing. Really? Emily takes matters into her own hands and breaks into the Margaux thug’s place to find evidence but bad guy shows up, and the two briefly fight. He’s a lightweight compared to Emily and she’s got a gun on him in a about three minutes.

Incredibly, to get away he throws the vial of Jack’s missing blood sample in the air, Emily catches it, but the guy is like Houdini, and – poof – he’s gone. Emily gives the sample to Ben and asks him to put it in the lab so it looks like a big mix up. So many loopholes, but if we squint our eyes just right we can make it work.

When the sample is found, the judge won’t allow it saying it could be contaminated. Stevie, Jack’s mom, goes ballistic and is held in contempt. It turns out the judge is on the Margaux take, doing everything she can to obtain a Jack indictment. Did you get all that? We needed a flow chart to keep up, but we think that about covers it.

Victoria Is on a Daniel Honoring Mission

Victoria spends much of the night moving forward in getting the Daniel Grayson Research Wing up. She tells Margaux about her grand plans and continues giving her advice about dropping the Emily vendetta. Victoria joins Margaux for her sonogram and the two are giddy at the picture of baby Grayson. It’s a sweet scene that makes us forget (sort of) how much we can’t stand either woman. Later, the high of seeing her grandbaby comes tumbling down when the wing is denied, one board member is opposed due to Daniel’s tarnished reputation.

(ABC/Richard Cartwright) MADELEINE STOWE

Margaux finally says she’s giving up on the Emily vendetta, but her hired gun isn’t letting go. He says they need to “take that next step” obviously holding a grudge at having a gun held to his head. Margaux seems to agree. What was she thinking with the whole dropping her revengenda? We’ll blame it on the pregnancy and hormones.

Meanwhile, Victoria is waiting for Emily in her house ready for a confrontation. “Why did you vote against the Daniel Grayson Wing?” Emily says she voted FOR it, “Daniel saved my life.” She also says she better get Margaux off her case. “Take care of her or I will.”

Victoria realizes that it was Margaux who voted against the wing. But why? Margaux says she wants to keep the pregnancy a secret until Daniel’s name is cleared. And she couldn’t have just told Victoria she didn’t want to make a big announcement? They clear the air pretty quickly with Margaux agreeing to change her vote so the research center can happen. It looks like Victoria’s tribute to her son will happen after all. It was a different look for the Grayson matriarch tonight, one of doting future grandmother and loving mom in search of honoring her dead son. Do we think this new look for Vicky will last? No way.

A Louise Confession

Last week we saw Louise watch her brother Lyman take a tumble off a cliff. Tonight was the cover up. We see her making a hangover cure for Lyman who she says is sleeping off a drunken night, but we all know he’s in a permanent sleep from a cliff jump. Officer Ben shows up bringing the news that brother is dead. He questions Louise as she tearfully recounts how they were mending fences.

Later, Louise tells Nolan the truth about Lyman, the brother snooping in Nolan’s laptop, the arguing, the “I didn’t push him, but I didn’t help him.” She says she hopes he doesn’t hate her. Nolan says no way, and keep your mouth shut. Good advice. Who else was happy she finally let hubs in on what really happened? If Nolan knows, you know nothing is going to happen to Red. Smart move Louise.

(ABC/Richard Cartwright)
GAIL O’GRADY

Possible New Loves?

A pit bull social worker shows up questioning Jack and not liking that Carl’s with David Clarke. He goes on to question and criticize Nolan who gets the last word, asking how it feels to take kids away from their parents. He hits a little below the belt by asking where a social worker was when his father kicked him out for kissing a boy. Aw, Nolan.

Social worker Tony shows up at episode’s end, affected by Nolan’s words. He says he’s there “not on business.” So, it’s something personal? They have a drink and maybe Nolan has a new love interest? Yes, he’s married, but it was all a ploy to help Louise retain her fortune, so this is okay, right? Red won’t be mad? Stay away from ledges Nolan just in case.

David got a little flirty with Jack’s mom even posting Stevie’s bail after she was thrown in jail for contempt. Wow, is this going to be another Clarke romance? Is it just me or does this guy get around? Victoria, Natalie, now maybe Stevie.

The Bad Judge Gets Served

In a classic Emily and Nolan are smarter than everyone else sequence, the bad judge gets just what she deserves. She’s eating at the beach club with Nolan serving her. Last meal, perhaps? Nope, just an epic bestie set-up. We see the judge driving home in a very similar manner to Jack’s ‘getting pulled over’ scene. This time, Ben pulls her over and, guess what? She’s legally drunk. Emily calls the judge saying you better test Jack’s blood or your breathalyzer will be served on a no re-election platter. Surprising to no one, all the charges are dropped. Jack is free!

(ABC/Richard Cartwright)
EMILY VANCAMP, NICK WECHSLER

A Twisty Revenge Ending

Emily is now off to get revenge and punish Margaux for the Jack arrest. David tries to talk some sense into her. “You can end this Amanda. I believe in you.”

The words resonate because Emily’s “confrontation” with Margaux is really more of a calling a truce. Emily meets up with Margaux outside the publishing company with Ems saying, “Let’s put an end to the cycle, to protect the people we have left.” Emily pleads with her, “Let’s clear Daniel’s name together.” Emily even gives Margaux her real birth certificate as a show of good faith telling her you can trust me. Margaux isn’t buying it. She turns to go and is violently hit by a car, rolling off, hitting the ground and looking pretty dead.

Victoria shows up at the hospital and Emily tries to explain, “It was an accident.” Victoria’s not believing it, “Around you, there are no accidents.”

Margaux is alive but has lost the baby, crying in Victoria’s arms. No twist here. We were expecting this outcome after that promo for “Loss.” The emotion felt watching these two women was a little surprising. After all, we can’t stand the pair, but instead of a “you got what you deserved” feeling, there’s nothing but sympathy in observing them cry it out.

Emily is also emotionally raw as she tells her dad she tried to end it, but “it’s too late, it’s too late.” She cries in David’s arms and we feel for her. Those Revenge gods (aka writers) won’t let Emily catch a break.

And now on to the twist, the head spinning, what just happened, twist. Victoria is sitting on Margaux’s bed, asking, “What were you and Emily doing?”

Margaux lies and says “She pushed me.” What?!

So who saw that ending coming? Where in the world are those writers going with this? Why would Margaux do this? All in all, “Loss” was a satisfying episode where Emily got to help out her friend and isn’t that what she lives for? She showed her softer side and was slapped in the face for it. How much longer before we get the Takeda-trained Emily back ninja-kicking her opponents to the ground? Namely a French woman with an “interesting” haircut? It looks like more jaws will be a dropping next week as Emily calls a press conference to reveal her true identity. So who’s in for an epic Margaux/Emily face off? We’ll see you back here next week as our favorite Sunday soap is sure to leave us with more questions than answers. Just the way we like it.

Revenge airs Sundays on ABC at 10 p.m.