Revenge - Clarity - Review: "To Clear, Or Not To Clear"

“Clarity” may have been the last we’ve seen of Emily Thorne as she makes it her calling to clear her ex-husband’s name, just as she did her father’s, after Margaux loses her baby, the catalyst for everything that ensues. Emily’s determined to clear Daniel’s name, even after everyone she cares about tells her it’s a bad idea, tells her she needs to let it go.

“Emily Thorne was not built for good. She was built to clear her father’s name, which she did.” -Nolan

She did, and now she’s done with the persona, Emily Thorne has served her purpose, and she’s ready to be Amanda Clarke, she’s ready to do something good. (The name game, though, will get really complicated. I, for one, am going to have a tough time switching from Emily to Amanda.)

If this episode brings one thing into light about her, it’s that Emily listens to no one, and I’m pretty sure we’re all pretty glad she doesn’t because it gave for an awesome reveal. During the episode, she hopped from friend to friend, hoping for support, and when no one would give it to her, she went at it alone (or almost).

I wouldn’t consider “Clarity” as one of “Revenge’s” best episodes. It was pretty good, but the final minutes of the episode definitely elated the level of the episode to awesome, with the reveal that’s been building up for ages. And I’m anxious to see the ramifications of her big announcement.

Margaux seems to be coming back to her senses; back to the person she used to be before Daniel’s death. She seems to be dropping her vendetta against Emily, just as Victoria is picking it up. Margaux didn’t recant her statement that Emily was the one that pushed her, but it was clear she wanted to. And maybe that’s partially why I found Victoria’s war on Emily pointless during the episode, even more so, looking back, given the ending to the episode.

Was it really necessary to put Victoria against Emily for one episode? I don’t think so. Did it bring anything to the episode by doing so? Not really. Was it a plot device to show how much better Victoria is at people manipulation than Margaux? Probably.

Victoria and Margaux’s plan to slowly restore Daniel’s name, failed when the South Hamptons Hospital rescinded Victoria’s donation and refused to name their research wing after him, sending Victoria on her witch hunt for the USB key Lyman had on his person when he died, containing the dirt on Emily and her friends. She first goes after Ben, then after Louise. It was really satisfying to see Louise call Victoria on her bull, good to see Louise stand on solid ground even if it was only for a fleeting moment.

“I have nothing left to lose but my soul, and I’m not willing to give it up just yet.” -Margaux

Margaux might be turning over a new leaf, and Emily might be excusing her behavior, but I’m not quite ready to do so. The similarities between them seemed to pop up, though during this episode, and I guess Margaux can be compared to a low-key, pretty boring version of Emily, trying to restore the name of someone they love. She went after Jack who was not exactly an innocent in this, he helped Emily, in the cover up. And I’m pretty sure it was Jack’s idea to cover up the shooting, no Emily’s, but I’m too lazy to go check my facts. Going at Emily’s accomplish is exactly what Emily would have done, the tables turned, but never wold she have put an innocent in harm’s way like Margaux did Ben’s ex-wife.

As for Ben, I was on board the Emily and Ben train, on the fact that things were simple between them. I was on board when there was no drama between them, but their interactions during “Clarity” brought the episode down, for me. The scenes depicting them together, or Ben with other characters seemed pointless, and time fillers with the only purpose of adding drama, unwanted drama.

Louise, on her end, is getting extremely needy, and the unclear boundaries of her and Nolan’s not so happy marriage aren’t helping her. I’m waiting for the Louise bomb to explode at any moment. I am simply not buying the calm act she gave Nolan.

Anyone else get the mermaid vibe, during her conversation with Nolan, in the pool? They talked and obviously, she didn’t get the answer she was looking for, so like the mythological mermaid, she won’t be calming the waters. This is only the calm before the storm of wave Nolan’s fling with the Social Worker will cause. They’re getting a divorce, and I smell trouble in Nolan’s very close future. (I think I’d actually be pretty disappointed if she left without a fight.)

Emily asks for Jack’s help in restoring her ex-husband’s name. At one point during the episode, she states that Daniel should not be remembered by the last 15 minutes of his life. And I think this statement can go both ways, he may have saved her life in the end, but at one point in his life, Daniel shot Emily and left her for dead in the ocean. He wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, and risking everything, risking everyone she loves, risking the life she managed to make fore herself doesn’t exactly seem worth it. But given Emily’s history, given her background, it does make sense that she would want to restore his name, unjustly tarnished, even if he’s a Grayson.

When she asks Jack to recant his statement, Stevie jumped in I felt her hatred had less to do with Emily and Jack than with Emily using her last year, in her revenge against the Graysons. I’m glad she’s still there, that they didn’t ship her off to California as soon as the trial ended, but she did seem out of line, to me. I get wanting to protect Jack, but really she was nowhere around when he was growing up, maybe it’s because I don’t have any kids yet, don’t have the maternal drive, but it wasn’t really her business. She hardly knows him, knows Emily.

I think it will be interesting, though, to have an outside perspective in Stevie, one who’s not personally attached to Emily, one who can see and call her bull when necessary. Though, in this episode of “Revenge” her friends seemed all to be on the same line of thought, recanting her story wasn’t a good idea.

All but Jack.

Although he’s on the fence about the idea, pushed to disagreeing with Emily by his mother, he still shows up to the Gala. She’s ready; he’s ready. I felt the question was dubbed to also ask her if she was ready for him, for them, and the fact that she took his hand makes me believe there will be Jack and Emily in the very near future.

Their whole interaction in the ending scene was spot on, and both actor’s portrayed the emotion of the moment beautifully. I loved that he was there for her, and his encouraging face, his proud features that lit up when she took a breath before saying she was Amanda Clark.

Maybe, most probably, she is his bottle of scotch, his addiction, and maybe, most probably, he just doesn’t care.



Side note: I loved Nolan’s idiom rewording,
“Don’t let sleeping lies dog you.” –Nolan