Revenge - INTEL - Review: "Some Answers, More Questions"

This season’s plotline, bringing back David Clarke and all that it entails, has really grown on me these last few weeks, but one thing that was missing was old-school kickass Emily Thorne. The badass in her is back in “Intel,” but she’s definitely not old school. She’s violent; she’s dark, darker than she’s ever been. We’ve never witnessed this level of brutality from the lead lady, and I’m unsure how I feel about that side of her. It was understandable she wouldn’t back down when her father asked her to, when she told Nolan she would. She doesn’t back down, not with all at stake. Fighting for her father, for him back, when he’s at arm’s length, it’s raw emotion; she’s not going for calculated, not going for the months of planning that are usually needed for her perfectly orchestrated cons. It’s that raw emotion that has her cross the line , a line that even Nolan, the always loyal sidekick, can’t follow her over.

“I’m sorry Ems. I’m not helping you. And neither is anyone else that knows what you’re up to.”-Nolan

Two weeks ago, in “Contact,” Emily caught one of her father’s assailants and is holding him hostage in her manor. She’s not looking to play; she knows what she wants, she wants answers, wants the people after her father stopped, wants to finally have him back, whole. She tortures him, and it’s hard core, I was racking my brain, searching for other similar events in the series, and the scene was probably the more explicit violence we’ve been pry of in Revenge up to date.

It was different to see this side of her, the crazy, stops at nothing dynamic, but I’m glad it didn’t go beyond the first 10 minutes, because I’m not sure I can root for her when she’s like that, it’s just not her. Or is it? She doesn’t threaten, she hurts him and she doesn’t go half speed. Torture, is than another skill they master in Revenge School? She cuts him, strangles him, beats him up. The guy is seriously messed up when Nolan puts a stop to it and lets him go.

Emily uses Ben’s interest in her to further her quest for answers surrounding the conspiracy surrounding her father. There were two attackers on David Clark, one is gagged in Emily’s basement, the other got captured by the Hamptons Police Department, but hangs himself before anyone has the chance to interrogate him and find out what he knows. I smelled conspiracy a mile away, and so did Emily, but she’s crossed the line, and Nolan, or Jack, won’t help her continue on that path. It doesn’t stop her; she has another cop in her back pocket, uses another source of Intel.

Emily uses the date as a cover to weasel as much information as possible about the chief of the police station, beating Ben at every bar game possible. Revenge school, or natural talent? The chief is her prime suspect in the murder covered by suicide in the interrogation room, and showing us Alvarez and Victoria together, only, in my mind at least, cemented without a doubt he was the bad guy, which is why I was thrown a curveball at the end of the episode. But, even given the information thrown at us in the end, I don’t think he’s all white, he can’t be. Anyone involved with the Queen seems shady, either in the past present or future, there’s no way around it. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Ben was also part of it. Anyone else with me on this one?

“It’s your choice. I would just hate for you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time again.” – Alvarez

Does every older man on this show have to be in love with Victoria? How does she do it? They’re all under her spell. I had such a hard time decrypting this scene, and the last line felt like a threat, I don’t know. There seemed to be so much subtext, I’m not so sure I got. Was she just using him, like Emily was using Ben, for information about the David case? Or was there more going on?

Emily’s cover date goes sideways when she pulls a ninja move on Ben, when he tries to get closer to her and he calls it a night. And because Emily and Daniel just can’t stop “accidentally” running into each other, Daniel, of all people, is the one to make her realise she’s not a good person, and that she doesn’t want to be that person. Every episode, their interactions are great. I’m unsure why they work so well together now, maybe it’s because they’re uncensored, honest, tell everything to the other no matter how it’s going to make them feel. The gloves are off, and they both need tough love to realise their lackings, because clearly, they both have some.

In the flashback, Victoria and David talked about leaving with Amanda and Daniel, they could have grown up together, been brother and sister, and it feels that they’re starting to have this kind of relationship. Anyone with brothers or sisters will understand where I’m getting at, the way I talk to my brothers at time, tell them everything I think, and they do the same, it’s bluntly honest, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care. I see their relationship as such, they care about each other, despite what they try to show, and it’s nice for them to have this kind of relationship. The kind of brother/sister one, it works for them.

“Hey, Em. You really do look pretty tonight. And I think that means you’re up to something. I just hope the guy isn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve because trust me, you’ll use it.” -Daniel

After realising, like Daniel said, that she used Ben for her own personal agenda, not giving a damn about his feelings, she finds him to apologise. I was happy with that change in attitude, because I find it easier to root for her when she at least tries to be a good person. She started losing herself in this episode but she seems to have seen the light. I was disappointed though, about the promise of the encore, make-up date, and the half-assed romance that will probably follow. I really hope it won’t evolve into something more, I like Emily on her own. And Ben, unless he turns out to be one of the bad guys, he’s a bore, I don’t want them wasting precious air-time on them even give, I didn’t hate them in this episode.

Telling him the truth gets them talking about Alvarez and leads Emily, and us, to the conclusion that she was onto the wrong man, because he has an alibi, and the only other option is the FBI lady, a theory that is quickly confirmed. Jack sure knows how to pick them, he should swear off women for some time!Looking forward to the FBI girl vs Emily fight though!

The loss of the scruffy beard is really a turning point for David Clark, with his new face emerges a new man, one I don’t despise as much, which is saying a lot. This episode was David Clarke’s best episode, even though the Victoria and David at the beginning made me growl, again. He still had the beard back then, he’s forgiven. Victoria’s still trying to manipulate him, by talking about Charlotte, about their kids, about the past, what they had, but it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively. Thank god for the wake-up call!

I laughed at myself later in the episode for actually thinking Victoria was willing to put it all behind her, willing to accept Amanda, accept being a step-mother, because of her love for David. Ha! She’s incapable of sharing, of being number two; I should have known the war is never going to end.

A groove is finally forming between David and Victoria, neither of them trusting the other. David got some thumbs up from me when he called her out on the fact she kept Amanda from him, the only thing missing was calling her out for trying to con him into killing her. When Victoria tries to turn the conversation around, acting like the victim, with all the forces acting against her, he calls her out again, this time about not visiting him in jail. There seems to be trouble in paradise, and when he walks out, his smile speaks a thousand words. He chooses his daughter, always. Golden star for David!

Another reason to like David Clarke in this episode is the long awaited apology to Nolan. Given it wasn’t as heart felt as I would have wanted it be, it’s still something. Nolan took care of your daughter, they’re best friends, practically family, show a little emotion! Nolan forgives him, personally I would have been harder on David, but hey, I don’t have as big of a heart as Nolan.

Nolan realises he doesn’t care about his reputation. He doesn’t want to hurt people (that don’t deserve it), which is why he calls his deal with Margaux off, and ends his witch hunt for the story on Louise. He doesn’t have many friends, and is it crazy to think that even given Louise’s odd behavior, he saw her as a friend. He doesn’t want her to feel how he felt after being exposed by David. This is one of the reasons I love him so much! Should he be worried though, now that he’s on crazy-Louise’s bad side?

Now that bridges are mended, Nolan and David team up. David trusts him with the truth, probably not the whole truth though, and they go after the man Emily tortured, so he can bring a message back to his boss. Nolan put some tracking potion in his water (LOL!), so anywhere he goes, Nolan knows. Is there anything he can’t do?

“Intel” left me hella confused about the Malcolm Black piece of the conspiracy. Hopefully more questions will be answered next week. David hid a safe with 5 million dollars more than 20 years ago. I’m a little fuzzy, did he just find the combination to open it when Victoria mentioned the date, or has he been using that money all this time? He hid a USB key and told Nolan little bit of the conspiracy was brought to light. "The answer is Emily Thorne." What the hell is that supposed to mean? Does Victora want Emily to give Malcolm the money? Use Emily as Leverage so David will give back the money? Or does she just want them to take care of Emily for her?

There’s a death coming next episode, or so the promo teases, let’s all pray collectively for Margaux, okay? Because a pregnancy, Urgh. Don’t they think they had enough useless B storylines already? Unless it’s an Alien, soul sucker baby that will be able to fly away, I don’t want any of it.


"Intel" was a good episode, and I absolutely enjoyed watching it, but less strong than the past 2 episodes. What did you guys think?