ETonline caught up with VanCamp at ABC's Television Critics Association Press Tour All-Star Party on August 4 to talk find out what this regime change means for Revenge, how the show will go back to its roots in season three and why the first thing you'll see this year is Emily floating in a pool of blood.
ETonline: What's the showrunner transition been like for you?
Emily VanCamp: It's definitely difficult. I love Mike and thought what he was fighting for was definitely something that should have been addressed. I believe Revenge can only sustain a certain amount of episodes per season, so to fight for a fewer number of episodes per season was definitely a topic worth bringing up and I'm proud of him for fighting for it. Ultimately it didn't turn out how he wanted, which is difficult, but we have Sunil, who is a wonderful writer. We also have an incredible team of writers. Obviously we love and miss Mike, but I'm excited about this season.
ETonline: What excites you about Revenge under Sunil's leadership?
VanCamp: He's really taking Revenge back to its roots. Old-school take-downs. Emily is fired up. She's been given an ultimatum by Jack to get this done by summer because he's completely uncomfortable with what she's doing, and having the knowledge of what she's doing. He doesn't want to see anyone else suffer at the hands of her plan, so he gives her a timetable, which makes her put a very specific plan into action. I can't say what that plan is, but we start the season with a flash-forward of Emily laying in a pool, with blood surrounding her. Later this year we'll pull back on that shot and you'll see the whole environment, but it could be the beginning of the end for Miss. Thorne.
ETonline: So Jack definitely heard Emily reveal she is Amanda? Some people were worried the show would back out of that admission.
VanCamp: Oh yes, Jack knows who she is. Jack heard. That relationship is incredibly tense when we come back. We see the first moment they see one another since she told him and it's really charged. They've always had this incredibly intense chemistry, but he never knew why. Yet that doesn't take away from the fact he's incredibly livid with what she's done, and it's interesting to see who Amanda Clarke is through his eyes as an adult because you do start to see how crazy she is. How this sociopathic behavior, who was born out of trauma, is ingrained in her. The way she describes what she's doing without a hint of thinking it's immoral, makes Jack basically say, "Girl, you are crazy!" [laughs] As an audience, you really start to get a sense of how deeply this need to get revenge is in her soul.
Source: Full Interview @ ETOnline
ETonline: What's the showrunner transition been like for you?
Emily VanCamp: It's definitely difficult. I love Mike and thought what he was fighting for was definitely something that should have been addressed. I believe Revenge can only sustain a certain amount of episodes per season, so to fight for a fewer number of episodes per season was definitely a topic worth bringing up and I'm proud of him for fighting for it. Ultimately it didn't turn out how he wanted, which is difficult, but we have Sunil, who is a wonderful writer. We also have an incredible team of writers. Obviously we love and miss Mike, but I'm excited about this season.
ETonline: What excites you about Revenge under Sunil's leadership?
VanCamp: He's really taking Revenge back to its roots. Old-school take-downs. Emily is fired up. She's been given an ultimatum by Jack to get this done by summer because he's completely uncomfortable with what she's doing, and having the knowledge of what she's doing. He doesn't want to see anyone else suffer at the hands of her plan, so he gives her a timetable, which makes her put a very specific plan into action. I can't say what that plan is, but we start the season with a flash-forward of Emily laying in a pool, with blood surrounding her. Later this year we'll pull back on that shot and you'll see the whole environment, but it could be the beginning of the end for Miss. Thorne.
ETonline: So Jack definitely heard Emily reveal she is Amanda? Some people were worried the show would back out of that admission.
VanCamp: Oh yes, Jack knows who she is. Jack heard. That relationship is incredibly tense when we come back. We see the first moment they see one another since she told him and it's really charged. They've always had this incredibly intense chemistry, but he never knew why. Yet that doesn't take away from the fact he's incredibly livid with what she's done, and it's interesting to see who Amanda Clarke is through his eyes as an adult because you do start to see how crazy she is. How this sociopathic behavior, who was born out of trauma, is ingrained in her. The way she describes what she's doing without a hint of thinking it's immoral, makes Jack basically say, "Girl, you are crazy!" [laughs] As an audience, you really start to get a sense of how deeply this need to get revenge is in her soul.
Source: Full Interview @ ETOnline
Okay. This so far sounds WAY BETTER than S2 was. More focus on psychology and psyche of Emily Thorne and how damaged she is, darker behavior, more of ACTUAL revenge. That sounds perfect for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course then this huge perfect mood just HAD to be ruined by news about Aiden having major plotlines this season.... UHHH. Here's hoping the new showrunner understands that he was the reason for downhill quality of S2.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's hoping that the "major plotlines for Aiden" will end with his gruesome death.
A Damages reference! Right now I seriously love you! I loved that show so much, great acting and writing.
ReplyDeleteI know right? Such an awful character, he mumbles all of his lines, he's really possessive and he completely destroyed the Emily- Nolan dynamic.
ReplyDelete"He's really taking Revenge back to its roots. Old-school take-downs."
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes! This is what got me hooked on the show in the first place. One thing I'd like to see in S3 are take-downs that stretch over multiple episodes.
i liked season 2 i find it interesting, but it`s true season one was way better and more interesting ! i like that thing on getting revenge back to its roots.. person by eprson one by one finishing with the conrads
ReplyDeleteWell the interview DOES suggest a drastic long-term plan from Ems, so we might just get our wish soon.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea the multiple episode takedowns. If each episode had just a singular takedown and then on to the next takedown in the next episode there would be no show because there are only so many people that have wronged Emily.
ReplyDeleteI am super excited for this season and everything that they are teasing us about - I love Revenge. This being said, and even though I agree that some episodes of season 2 weren't as well done as the ones from the first season, I disagree with this general misconception that it was a bad season. I still think it was an excellent season. Particularly, the episodes following Amanda's death (obviously including) up until the incredible season finale were excellent. Also, I agree a lot with Emily Van Camp's concerning the demise of the creator and being worth fighting for fewer episodes. I thin split seasons is still a good compromise though, they have to think of it as being two seasons.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, rest of the world, but I don't like this.
ReplyDeletePeople complain about Season Two all the time but I thought it was incredibly intricated and it had so much detail and twists I couldn't stop watching it, even if it sometimes got a little confusing, soon enough I'd catch up and marvel into yet another perfect episode. That's what I thought about S2. Now, with this interview, it becomes quite clear that, with the showrunner change, things are spiraling out of control and taking a new direction completely different from what Mike Kelley wanted to, which makes me worry this new-old Revenge may not be neither the old show we grew to love nor something new we CAN grow to love, simply because, by simpliflying it so much, it might end up too simple, too villain-of-the-week, and not enough the incredibly twisted show I love. So, I don't like this new direction and it completely killed my interest for Revenge that was so boosted after last season's incredible finale. I'll still watch it in hopes that I'm wrong, but my interest has been damaged.
IA with most of what you said. This red-sharpie villian of the week is very simplistic and limiting and grew boring for me in season 1. Emily coming out on top at every turn held no suspense. I won't even get into the two tired-done to death-cliche romances they established for her in s1. *yawn* I enjoyed season 2 as well. I understood exactly why it was expanded just thought the execution was lacking. With that said, I think putting the timetable on this mission against the Graysons is exactly what this show needs (of course it won't go as plan) so I'm looking forward to that.
ReplyDeleteSorry to ruin your perfect mood even more but the new showrunner doesn't see your view on the Aiden character. Which actually puts me in even a better mood. Love Aiden. Best new addition!
ReplyDeleteYou really think they would go there w/her using Jack? Even at the end of S2 and people were speculating that she and Jack would team up, I thought the concept was ludicrous. No way Emily would team w/Jack because she's tried to protect him at every step. But for her to intentionally bring him in I can't see happening.
ReplyDeleteI love aiden and I'm glad he's getting a major plot line I hate jack
ReplyDelete