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Sunday, October 20, 2013
ABC’s ‘Revenge’ season 3, episode 5 preview: Who tried to kill Conrad Grayson?
If you thought that the episode of “Revenge” airing on Sunday night was both crazy and intense (it was clearly both), here’s a little message for you: Things are about to become even more twisted from here on out. There is going to be a “Whodunnit?” sort of mystery taking place to discover a “Hamptons Killer,” which is ironic considering that this show is airing at the same time that “Whodunnit?” aired on ABC over the summer.
The upcoming episode carries with it the title of “Control,” and the primary premise of it is going to be seeing if Emily Thorne is going to be able to handle all of the mysteries and motivations that are around her. While Aiden may have told Conrad that Jack Porter tried to kill him, that’s not entirely true; the real mystery is going to be revealed in a way that even leaves Conrad surprised. Could it be someone that we don’t see coming? We’re personally pulling for Charlotte, mostly because her role seems to be pretty useless at the moment.
For a few more details, take a look at the full synopsis courtesy of ABC:
“Emily may be losing hold of her plan, and her groom, when Daniel makes a startling statement at the Voulez magazine launch party, leaving her vulnerable and ready to do whatever it takes. And Jack is forced to make a difficult decision for the sake of his family after he finds himself in a new enemy’s crosshairs.”
The big news to think about here is that with the season being split into halves, it really forces the show to develop that much more of a sense of urgency. This mystery needs to be resolved before the wedding, and that needs to be resolved by episode 11 at the latest. Therefore, nothing can be stalled for that long, and one event can quickly bleed into the next. Do you feel that? It’s the sense of optimism coming into your brain that this is going to be far and away different than season 2.
ABC's soapy drama Revenge may've made a few missteps during its sophomore season, and Sunday's Season 3 premiere may've only partially attempted to right some of the show's recent wrongs. But no matter what's going on with the plot, there's always been one constant in the Hamptons, one bright spot that's never wavered in the face of the Initiative or Victoria's icy stare: Nolan Ross's wardrobe.
In Season 1, Nolan was all about excess—more hair, more layers, more popped collars. In Season 2, the show scaled back a bit on his eye-catching outfits while taking the crazy up to 11 everywhere else, and yet the dude still managed to steal every scene with his immaculate fashion sense (and sometimes his abs). So far, it seems that Mr. Ross will only increase his sartorial excellence in Season 3; after all, he kicked things off by arriving at the annual Memorial Day shindigvia parachute, clad in a tear-away jumpsuit that concealed a classic Ross ensemble underneath. (I only wished we'd gotten a flashback to Nolan's time in prison; imagine what he could have done with prison orange!) So in honor of Revenge'sreturn, I've collected Nolan's best looks to date; here's hoping they only get crazier from here.
10. Gentleman in red in "Reckoning" (Season 1, Episode 22)
Rockin' the matching-red-pants-and-pocket-square look.
9. Crustaceans on a cardigan in"Doubt" (Season 1, Episode 17)
It takes a certain kind of man to wear lobsters on his chest. Respect.
8. Just a pink polo and some kicky madras shorts, NBD, in "Loyalty" (Season 1, Episode 10)
Proving that even casual wear can be stylish.
7. Blazin' paisley in "Engagement" (Season 2, Episode 20)
Nolan sure does love a good pattern. Do you think he made the jacket himself, from his grandmother's sofa?
6. A study in black and white in "Fear" (Season 3, Episode 1)
Warning: Do not attempt this at home. Only Nolan Ross can pull off this look without looking like a douche.
5. The prince of classy neutral prints in "Retribution" (Season 2, Episode 15)
Now that's what you wear to officiate a beach wedding.
4. Collars for days in "Intrigue" (Season 1, Episode 6)
Even his themed ensembles blow everyone else's out of the water.
3. Full lobstah jacket in "Identity" (Season 2, Episode 19)
Where does Nolan find these lobster-emblazoned getups? Does he have them made specially? Is the lobster Nolan's spirit animal and he's expressing this through fashion?
2. Put your white pants in your piped sportcoat and smoke it "Revelations" (Season 2, Episode 9)
Not many men can pull off the white pants, but they're just as much a staple of Nolan's wardrobe as the popped collar and the pocket square.
1. Shine bright like a perfectly coordinated diamond-print sweater in "Grief" (Season 1, Episode 21)
A two-toned popped collar, a colorful crewneck, a bright pink gingham pocket square, and a blazer? Simply the best.
Let's get the important stuff out of the way: Jill Ohanneson, Revenge's costume designer, has really stepped up her game this season. Let's take a little stroll through Nolan's wardrobe this week.
First there was this:
And then there was this moment:
And then THIS happened:
And thanks to Shanshantastic for pointing out to me that ABC is selling several different versions of that shirt, so now you too can walk around wearing Nolan's mug shot on your body. Granted, it won't have the same effect as Nolan wearing Nolan, but it'll get the job done.
And thanks to Shanshantastic for pointing out to me that ABC is selling several different versions of that shirt, so now you too can walk around wearing Nolan's mug shot on your body. Granted, it won't have the same effect as Nolan wearing Nolan, but it'll get the job done.
But really, the best Nolan Wear this week was the getup he chose for his housewarming party:
Guys, seriously, who cares about Emily's revenge plot when Nolan's throwing fancy parties dressed like that? J/K (sorta). "Confession" piggy-backed on last week's takedown of Paul Whitley as Emily was determined to track him down so Conrad could confess his part in framing David Clarke. But then something strange happened; Emily outed herself to Father Paul as he confessed his own sins.
Emily told Whitley that Amanda Clarke had been a friend of hers, and that she was willing to forgive Whitley for the part he played in framing Amanda's father, but he had to earn her forgiveness by persuading Conrad to confess to the world that he was behind everything, not David Clarke. This brings up a very interesting question: Why would Emily out herself in that way? It seems careless that she would trust him enough to reveal her real (fake) identity—and thus her plan to take down the Graysons—to him, even with the knowledge of the guilt he carries for his role in the scandal. She obviously felt guilty about the part she played in ruining his life last week, and maybe she thought that by revealing her true intentions that he would be more likely to acquiesce to her request, but revealing her identity this early in the season is the equivalent of a flashing neon warning sign that whatever followed would not be pleasant. It also meant that her plan was going to go up in flames. In this case, those flames were literal.
Father Paul was dead by the end of the episode, his lifeless body having been thrown from Conrad's burning wreck of a car. This, of course, happened right after Paul told Emily that he would confess if Conrad wouldn't, which meant Emily then had a Plan A and a Plan B. But she didn't account for Plan C, which included what would happen if Conrad suffered another episode while driving and crashed the car he was driving with Paul as a passenger. Emily found the wreck, found Paul's lifeless body and a disoriented Conrad, and her entire plan was D.O.A. as a result of her own meddling.
You see, Emily had been paying visits to Conrad's bedside this week and playing off as a concerned future daughter-in-law visiting a dying man, but in reality she was pushing her own confession agenda while switching out his real Huntington's medications for whatever drugs recreate the symptoms of Huntington's. She has no one to blame but herself for her plan going up in flames. Unfortunately, I don't actually believe Emily can feel human emotions anymore, and so this will probably just be labeled as a minor setback in Emily's revenge diary.
"Confession" is only the third episode of the season so any belief that Conrad would confess this early is ridiculous, and at first I was a bit annoyed the writers would even go that route considering how unbelievable it is, but then I remember this isn't at all about what we think or what we want or perceive. This is Emily's story and the plots must exist in her world as they exist in ours, and so Conrad meant to confess his sins, but Emily meddled and now Father Paul is dead. Everything Emily touches, every person who's found about out her plan to hurt the Graysons, either ends up hating her like Jack, or they get hurt in some way, like Nolan has on more than one occasion. The body count that follows in Emily Thorne's wake continues to grow even when she doesn't outright orchestrate the deaths in question. The girl is bad news, and everyone would be smart if they just stayed out of her path.
As I stated last week, I really enjoy this idea that Conrad wants to confess his sins as he's being crushed under the weight of his own mortality, but after "Confession," I'm concerned about whether or not this storyline has died along with Father Paul. It was a welcome twist to the revenge saga, and I sincerely hope it continues even after Paul's passing. Conrad definitely seemed hell bent on making things right, of showing his family that he's capable of pain and dying without any regrets. But Victoria was not cool with his new plan to save his soul from eternal damnation or whatever. Her apprehension is understandable, because that would throw her image into a bad light as well, but as she is wont to do, Victoria used her children as an excuse. HAHAHAHA, good one, V. If you cared at all about your children the way you say you do, you'd stop trying to ruin Daniel's life (even if you're 100 percent right about Emily).
This episode felt very much like the second half of a two-parter even though it wasn't played that way. It concluded a mini-arc, but didn't move the story forward all that much. It wasn't quite filler because Father Paul died and Aiden's true motives were revealed, but I wasn't moved by it, nor was I offended by it. It felt kind of boring and predictable, to be honest? Did you like it? Am I missing something? Was I just distracted by Nolan's fabulous fashion sense this week?
Note
– As many of you suspected, Aiden's return was at Emily's request, and everything he's been doing with Victoria up to this point has been a way to bring them down from the inside. None of that, however, changes the fact that I find Aiden's storyline to be completely boring.
– We found out that Daniel shot Aiden at the end of Season 2, but he never told Emily about it because he thought Aiden got the picture and skedaddled. At this point, I'm really just waiting for Daniel to find out the truth, upper-cut Emily, and then run off into the sunset, because he deserves better than the life he's been given. (I know a lot of you don't care for Daniel, but look at that face! It's such a good face!)
– Nolan and Patrick: I think I ship it? Their scenes were filled with some tension, but not necessarily the kind that permeates Emily and Victoria's scenes. More, please!
– Emily outed the fact that the Graysons have no money in the middle of Nolan's party. Bitch move, or completely awesome?
— "I'm not asking you to build SeaWorld, just an enclosure on the beach with, I don't know, five or six dolphins for people to swim with." Nolan FTW!
Henri Frederic Amiel- Destiny has two ways of crushing us… by refusing our wishes… and by fulfilling them.
Emily Thorne-Destiny… to believe that a life is meant for a single purpose, one must also believe in a common fate. Father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to child, blood ties can be as unyielding as they are eternal. But it is our bonds of choice that truly light the road we travel– love versus hatred… loyalty against betrayal. A person’s true destiny can only be revealed at the end of his journey. And the story I have to tell… is far from over.Satoshi Takeda- It is not the ropes that bind her. It is her fear.
Aiden Mathis- She’s not afraid to die.
Satoshi Takeda- Mortal fear is not the only fear.
Emily Thorne- For those who believe in resurrection… death is in inconsequential. It is not an ending, but rather a new beginning… a second chance. A reunion. But the very idea of resurrection is so seductive a concept, it’s easy to forget—before you can rise from the dead… you have to spend a few days in hell.
Emily Thorne- For those who believe in the resurrection, death is inconsequential. In the resurrection, those that were dead live, and those who live believe they shall never die.
Emily Thorne- In a race between danger and indecision, the difference between life and death… comes down to confidence. Faith in our abilities, certainty in ourselves… and the trust we put in others.
Emily Thorne- Some think intuition is a gift. But it can also be a curse as well… a voice calling us from places that are better left unexplored… an echo of memories that will never die… no matter how hard we try to kill them.
Emily Thorne- When at a crossroads, my father was fond of saying “Go with your gut.” “Intuition,” he said, “Always has our best interests at heart.” It is a voice that can tell us who is friend and who is foe… which ones to hold at arms length… and which ones to keep close. But too often, we become distracted with fear, doubt, and our own stubborn hopes, and refuse to listen.
Emily Thorne- They say let he who is without sin cast the first stone. And to be without sin requires absolute forgiveness. But when your memories are freshly opened wounds, forgiveness is the most unnatural of human emotions.
Emily Thorne- Over time, we commit acts with intentions, either good or bad, that require forgiveness.
Emily Thorne- If we choose to, we can live in a world of comforting illusion. We can allow ourselves to be deceived by false realities… or we can use them to hide our true intentions.
Emily Thorne- To successfully create illusion, the first thing you need is trust. But to perfect an illusion, the false reality must appear as authentic as the one it hides. Careful attention must be paid to every detail. The slightest of imperfections can, like a pin to a balloon, burst the illusion. And the truth behind the illusion becomes revealed.
Emily Thorne- Penance is a sacrifice… a voluntary punishment to show remorse for a sin. The more grievous the sin, the greater the self-inflicted suffering. For some… the ultimate penance is death. But for others… it is simply a means to an end.
Emily Thorne- To properly do penance, one must express contrition for one’s sins… and perform acts to repair the damage caused by those transgressions. It is only when those acts are complete that the slate can truly be wiped clean… and amnesty gives way to a new beginning.
Daniel Grayson- We speak in hushed voices, so as not to wake our memories, the things we’ve done, the things we’ll continue to do, for fear of breaking the cycle, how fierce we were when we were young, when we were unafraid of coming unhinged.
Emily Thorne- For the righteous, a revelation is a joyous event, the realization of a divine truth. But for the wicked, revelations can be far more terrifying, when dark secrets are exposed and sinners are punished for their trespasses.
Emily Thorne- Revelations can help us accept the things we need the most… expose the secrets we so desperately try to hide… and illuminate the dangers all around us. But more than anything, revelations are windows into our true selves… both the good… and the evil… and those wavering somewhere in between… with the ultimate power to destroy all that we cherish most.
Emily Thorne- Power… born out of nature, coveted by man. Wars rage on, and victors are crowned… but true power can never be lost or won. True power comes from within.
Aiden Mathis- Dear Mr. Clarke, As Dr. King once said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and I’m afriad you’ve suffered a grave injustice. My position during your trial afforded my an inside access to the system, a system I truly believed in until I witnessed a man charged with upholding the law act outside of it. Judge Barnes has failed you, as have I.
Emily Thorne- Power can be hoarded by the mighty or stolen from the innocent. Power provides the ability to choose… but has a proclivity for corruption. The use of power is not to be taken lightly… for it is never without consequence.
Emily Thorne- They say the best-laid plans often go awry. Because no matter how detailed the preparation… a plan will always have a weak point. And there will always be those looking to exploit it… to doom a plan to failure, and the perpetrator along with it.
Emily Thorne- Every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it’s the heart… even in those who are supposed to be the most careful. But a careful nature doesn’t always ensure success. When a plan is built on an unstable foundation… failure is not only possibility, it’s a certainty.
Emily Thorne- Every human is born of collusion. We come into this world the result of a covenant. Sometimes made of love…sometimes made of circumstance… but almost always made in secret.
Emily Thorne- In it’s purest form, a union becomes part of our very essence. But when that bond is broken… our essence is forever changed.
Emily Thorne- From the moment we’re born, we’re drawn to form a union with others… an abiding drive to connect, to love… to belong. In a perfect union, we find the strength we cannot find in ourselves. But the strength of the union cannot be known… until it is tested.
Emily Thorne- Sacrifice… by its strictest definition… takes something precious in exchange for the appeasement of a higher power... an abiding devotion to a cause that cannot be satisfied with a simple promise. Because an oath… no matter how solemn… asks nothing in return. While true sacrifice… demands unspeakable loss.
Emily Thorne- Sacrifice demands the surrender of things we cherish above all else. Only out of the agony of those losses can a new resolution be born… an undying devotion to a cause greater than one’s self… and a moral duty to see a journey through… to its absolute completion.
Emily Thorne- In its purest form, an act of retribution provides symmetry… the rendering of payment for crimes against the innocent. But the danger of retaliation lies in furthering the cycle of violence. Still, it’s a risk that must be met… when the greater offense is to allow the guilty to go unpunished.
Emily Thorne- Death is a thief. It takes and keeps all that a person is…that a person was. And when death takes from us someone as extraordinary as Amanda, it takes with it not just her past, but who she was to us every day. Amanda was special. But she never had it easy. A childhood torn from her… a rough adolescence, and a damning identity that was thrust upon her, which she bore with dignity until she made herself a new name—Amanda Porter… a name that was her own, free from the binds of history… looking forward with a man who loved her for… all of her strengths… and all of her weaknesses. Amanda, all of us here today have embraced you, and we love you. We will protect… the husband and child that you leave behind, the sister that you were just getting to know. And we will greet every new day as a gift, approaching it with the same bravery and determination with which you lived your entire life.
Emily Thorne- To carry a secret is to play with fire. Try to pass it on, and you risk hurting someone else. Hold on to it… and eventually, you’ll get burned.
Emily Thorne- In the art of war…if you know the enemy and know yourself… you need not fear the approaching battles. But if you know only yourself an not your enemy… for every victory… there will also be defeat.
Emily Thorne- All to often, we mask truth in artifice… concealing ourselves for fear of losing the ones we love… or prolonging a deception for those we wish to expose. We hide behind that which brings us comfort from pain and sadness… or use it to repel a truth too devastating to accept.
Emily Thorne- A person’s true identity can often be difficult to discern… even to themselves, causing one to question their character… their calling… their very existence. For most, time provides clarity. But for others… these questions remain unanswered… for an identity cannot be fully defined… when it is a guarded secret.
Emily Thorne- Engagement can be a commitment to love… or a declaration of war. One must enter every battle without hesitation, willing to fully engage the enemy… till death do you part.
Emily Thorne- Darkness scares us. We yearn for the comfort of light as it provides shape and form… allowing us to recognize, to define what’s before us. But what is it we’re afraid of, really? Not the darkness itself… but the truth we know hides within.
Revenge Quotes S1 Part 2
Season 1
Emily Thorne- Years ago, I met a boy who introduced me to a book, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. In it, William Blake writes, “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” But in reality, our perception is often clouded. By expectations. By experiences. As of late, I find my perception is blinded by only one thing, revenge.
Emily Thorne- Truth is a battle of perceptions. People only see what they’re prepared to confront. It’s not what you look at that matters, but what you see. And when different perceptions battle against one another, the truth has a way of getting lost. And the monsters find a way of getting out.
Emily Thorne- There comes a moment in each of our lives when the control that keeps us sane slips through our fingers. Most of us aim to seize it back. The best way to fight chaos is with chaos.
Emily Thorne- Chaos, by its very definition, cannot be controlled. Once introduced, all order and intention is rendered useless. The outcome of chaos can never be predicted. The only certainty it brings… …is the devastation it leaves in its wake.
Emily Thorne- My father’s false imprisonment taught me that in a crisis, you quickly find out who your real friends are. Tragedy and scandal, it seems, have a unique way of clarifying people’s priorities.
Emily Thorne- Adversity creates unexpected alliances, but treaties of nature seldom form with an equality of power. Loyalties forged in apprehension and mistrust are tenuous at best. Easily broken when held up to the unforgiving light of the truth. But in the darkness of our most desperate hours, it’s often these loyalties that lend us the strength to do what we know must be done. A conflicted heart feeds on doubt and confusion. It will make you question your path, your tactics, your motives. When you stare ahead and darkness is all you see, only reason and determination can pull you back from the abyss.
Emily Thorne- Doubt is a disease. It infects the mind, creating a mistrust of people’s motives and of one’s own perceptions. Doubt has the ability to call into question everything you’ve ever believed about someone, and reinforce the darkest suspicions of our inner circles.
Daniel Grayson- Emily, I need you to know that I’m not guilty of what they’re accusing me. Something happened on the beach that night that I don’t yet fully understand. I only hope you’ll still be by my side when the truth finally comes to light.
Emily Thorne- Nature can be cruel. Predators are everywhere. Those who don’t need to be protected from outside forces often need to be protected from themselves. In society, women are referred to as “the fairer sex...” But in the wild, the female species can be far more ferocious than their male counterparts. Defending the nest is both our oldest and strongest instinct. And sometimes, it can also be the most gratifying.
Emily Thorne- Clarence Darrow, one of history’s greatest lawyers, once noted, “There is no such thing as justice, in or out of court.” Perhaps because justice is a flawed concept that ultimately comes down to the decision of 12 people. People with their own experiences, prejudices, feelings about what defines right and wrong. Which is why, when the system fails us, we must go out and seek our own justice.
Daniel Grayson- The last time I wrote you from this place, I told you I was innocent. That’s not really the case. I may not have fired the shot that killed Tyler, but I did shoot him because he made me doubt you, because he said you’d betray me. But I’m the one who betrayed you and now I’m getting what I deserve, which is why I’m gonna do us both a favor and end this now.
Emily Thorne- Justice, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Some see an innocent victim. Others see evil incarnate getting exactly what’s deserved.
Emily Thorne- Absolution is the most powerful form of forgiveness. A full pardon from suspicion and accountability. It’s the liberation of a stolen future. A future my father never lived to see. Absolution is a mercy the people who killed him will never know.
David Clarke- From the moment of my arrest, I sat stupid and trusting, believing in a system rigged against me by the people that I knew as friends in a life I can no longer remember. The closer I get to the truth, the louder the whispered voices around me, plotting my execution, choosing the time. I now know that I’m trapped in a race between fate and freedom. Whichever wins out, I won’t go quietly, not again. CM will come tomorrow with proof.
Emily Thorne- Absolution tis the washing away of sin. The promise of rebirth. And the chance to escape the transgressions of those who came before us. The best among us will lean from the mistakes of the past, while the rest seem doomed to repeat them. And then there are those who operate on the fringes of society, unburdened by the confines or morality and conscience. A ruthless breed of monsters whose deadliest weapon is their ability to hide in plain sight. If the people I’ve come to bring to justice to cannot be bound by the quest for absolution, then neither will I.
David Clarke-(In his letter to Amanda.) My dear Amanda, in the pages that follow, I’ve attempted to piece together the ruthless betrayal that brought about my false imprisonment and our unbearable separation. I hope this chronicle will one day provide you an understanding of what I believe happened to me. If I’m at all culpable for what happened to us, Amanda, believing in a system rigged against me by the people I knew as friends in a life I can no longer… It’s because I gave away my trust too easily… Bill Harmon has been a close associate of the Graysons’ for years, whereas Conrad has… Roger Halsted is a true friend. As for why he would let himself be dragged into this… I can’t claim to know Tom Kingsly very well. In prosecuting the case against me it’s clear that he buried evidence on behalf of the Graysons.
Mason Treadwell- To quote Lippmann, “There can be no higher law in journalism then to tell the truth and to shame the devil.”
Emily Thorne- They say grief occurs in five stages. First, there’s denial, followed by anger. Then comes bargaining, and depression. For most, the final stage of grief is acceptance. But for me, grief is a life sentence without clemency. I will never accept and I will never forgive, not even after the man who killed my father lies dead at my feet.
Emily Thorne- They say grief occurs in five stages. First, there’s denial… …followed by anger. Then comes bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But grief is a merciless master. Just when you think you’re free, you realize you never stood a chance.
Emily Thorne- In every life, there comes a day of reckoning, a time when unsettled scores demand their retribution… And our own lies and transgressions are finally laid bare.
Revenge Quotes Part 1
Season 1
Confucius- Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
Emily Thorne- When I was a little girl, my understanding of revenge was as simple as the Sunday school proverbs it hid behind. Neat little morality slogans like “do unto other,” and “two wrongs don’t make a right.” But two wrongs can never make a right… …because two wrongs can never equal each other. For the truly wronged, real satisfaction can only be found in one of two places… …absolute forgiveness or mortal vindication. This is not a story about forgiveness.
Emily Thorne- I try to give back as much as I can.
David Clarke- (In his letter to Amanda.) My dear Amanda. Ifyou’re reading this, then two things have come to pass: I’m finally able to provide you the life you were unjustly denied… …and sadly, I won’t be able to share that life with you. Or life has caught up with me and that bitch named Vicky killed me. I hope these journals provide answers to the questions you’ve had all these years. I am not the man they say I am. I did not do the things they say I did. All I ask is that you promise to do the one thing that’s been so hard for me to do. Forgive.
Emily Thorne- But that was a promise I couldn’t keep. When deception cuts this deep, someone has to pay. My father’s chance to bring justice to the truly guilty was stolen from him. His only option was to forgive. I have others. They say vengeance is a dish best served cold, but, sometimes, it’s as warm as a bowl of soup. My father died an innocent man, betrayed by the woman he loved. When everything you love has been stolen from you… …sometimes all you have left is revenge. Like I said, this is not a story about forgiveness.
Emily Thorne- When I was a child, my father was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Before he died… He left a road map for revenge that led me to the people who destroyed our lives. Sometimes the innocent get hurt. But one by one the guilty will pay. Nothing ever goes exactly as you expect. And the stakes are life and death. Collateral damage is inescapable.
David Clarke- My dear Amanda, the worst betrayals always come from the ones we trust the most. If I’m at all culpable for what happened to us, it’s because I gave away my trust to easily.
Daniel Grayson- Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Emily Thorne- Trust is a difficult thing. Whether it’s finding the right people to trust… …or trusting the right people will do the wrong thing. But trusting your heart… …is the riskiest thing of all. In the end… …the only person we can truly trust… …is ourself.
Emily Thorne- When I was a child, my father was framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Before he died, he left a road map for revenge that led me to the people who destroyed our lives.
David Clarke- The night after Kingsly presented his closing arguments, Victoria managed to get a note to me.
Victoria Grayson- My dear David, I’m so horrified by what’s happened to you and I know how betrayed you feel. I can’t tell you everything in a letter, but I’m going to Kingsly in the morning with evidence that will exonerate you. By this time tomorrow, the judge will have declared a mistrial and this nightmare will be behind you, behind both of us. Forgive me.
David Clarke- Whatever Victoria said to Kingsly didn’t change his mind. After only one day of deliberations, the jury convicted me on all counts. With friends like the Graysons, Kingsly will probably wind up president someday.
Emily Thorne- I want to destroy his life. If he had done the right thing, he would have saved my father. He chose not to, so down he goes.
Emily Thorne- For the innocent, the past may hold a reward. But for the treacherous, it’s only a matter of time before the past delivers what they truly deserve.
Daniel Grayson- No matter what happens between us, I’ll always be honest with you.
Emily Thorne- Most of the memories I have from childhood are happy ones. Warm summer days filled with love and light. And the certainty that even the darkest storm would eventually pass. And for a while, at least, they always did.
Emily Thorne- The greatest weapon anyone can use against us is our own mind… …by preying on the doubts and uncertainties that already lurk there. Are we true to ourselves, or do we live for the expectations of others? And if we are open and honest… …can we ever truly be loved? Can we find the courage to release our deepest secrets? Or, in the end, are we all unknowable? Even to ourselves?
Emily Thorne- In revenge, as in life, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. In the end, the guilty always fall.
David Clarke- Conrad and Victoria knew the victims’ families would need a devil to shoulder the blame for the money Conrad had been laundering for the terrorists. They chose me as the patsy while passing themselves off as grieving benefactors. Never underestimate the power of guilt, Amanda. It compels people to some pretty remarkable places.
Emily Thorne- Guilt is a powerful affliction. You can try to turn your back on it, but that’s when it sneaks up behind you and eats you alive. Some people struggle to understand their own guilt, unwilling or unable to justify the part they play in it. Others run away from their guilt, shedding their conscience until there’s no conscience left at all. But I run toward my guilt. I feed off of it. I need it. My father died never knowing if I would ever come to believe his innocence. For me, guilt is one of the few lanterns that still light my way.
Emily Thorne- They say vengeance taken will tear the heart and torment the conscience. If there’s any truth to it, then I now know with certainty that the path I’m on is the right one.
Daniel Grayson- A necessary evil.
Tyler Barrol- To necessary evils.
Emily Thorne- Like life, revenge can be a messy business. And both would be much simpler, if only our heads could figure out which way our hearts will go. But the heart has its reasons, of which reason cannot know.
Emily Thorne- As Hamlet said to Ophelia, “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another.” The battle between these two halves of identity… …who we are and who we pretend to be… is unwinnable.
Warden Sharon Stiles- What’s the first thing I taught you?
Emily Thorne- Never underestimate your enemy.
Warden Sharon Stiles- And never let your guard down.
Emily Thorne- Just as there are two sides to every story, there are two sides to every person… …one that we reveal to the world and another we keep hidden inside. A duality governed by the balance of light and darkness. Within each of us is the capacity for both good and evil. But those who are able to blur the moral dividing line hold the true power.
Emily Thorne- There’s an old saying about those who cannot remember the past being condemned to repeat it. But those of us who refuse to forget the past are condemned to relive it.
Amanda Clarke- Three ounces of vodka, one ounce crème de casis, a little blackberry liqueur. Add ice. And shake. Za schest’-ye. To happiness.
Emily Thorne- The past is a tricky thing. Sometimes it’s etched in stone. And other times, it’s rendered in soft memories. But if you meddle too long in deep, dark things, who knows what monsters you’ll awaken?
Emily Thorne- It’s been written that a lover is apt to be as full of secrets from himself as is the object of his love from him. For my father, the secrets withheld by the women he loved proved powerful enough to destroy him. I’m just now beginning to understand the enormity of that burden.
Tyler Barrol- Ambition versus nepotism.
Emily Thorne- I fear I’m losing control.
Satoshi Takeda- As you were warned, revenge is a stony path. Remember, inside the viper’s nest, you must be a viper, too.
Emily Thorne- We all have secrets we keep locked away from the rest of the world. Friendships we pretend, relationships we hide. But worst of all is the love we never let show. The most dangerous secrets a person can bury are those we keep from ourselves.
Emily Thorne- One thing you can count on, I never forget.
Satoshi Takeda- The task in front of you requires absolute focus. If you let your emotions guide you, you will fail.
Satoshi Takeda- Prioritize the obstacles to your end goal. Eliminate them one at a time.
Conrad Grayson- Envy can be a powerful motivator.
Emily Thorne- My father wrote, “Always question where your loyalties lie. The people you trust will expect it, your greatest enemies will desire it and those you treasure the most will, without fail, abuse it.”
Ryan Huntley- Dear Mr. Clarke, I am writing to inform you that I will not be moving forward with the appeal of your conviction for the crime of treason.
Emily Thorne- Some say loyalty inspires boundless hope. And while that may be, there is a catch. True loyalty takes years to build. And only seconds to destroy.
Emily Thorne- Defense lawyers use the term “Duress” to describe the use of force, coercion, or psychological pressure exerted on a client in the commission of a crime. When duress is applied to the emotionally unstable, the result can be as violent as it is unpredictable.
Emily Thorne- Duress impacts relationships in one of two ways. It either tears people apart… Or strengthens their connection, binding them tightly in a common objective.
Emily Thorne- For the average person leading an ordinary life, fame holds an hypnotic attraction. Many would sooner perish than exist in anonymity. But for the unlucky few who’ve had notoriety forced upon them, infamy can be a sentence more damning than any prison term.
David Clarke- By the time the trial ended, every person I once trusted had turned their back on me. The only remaining option was to find an impartial observer to tell my story. I thought Mason Treadwell would be that person.
Emily Thorne- People are fond of saying that you can’t unring a bell. And while that may be true, you can certainly smother its ring under the dull roar of conjecture and lies. But some words ring out like church bells, rising above the din, calling us to the truth.
Emily Thorne- Some words are immortal. Long-buried or even burned, they’re destined to be reborn, like a phoenix from theashes. And when they do, it can literally take your breath away.
Emily Thorne- Some say that our lives are defined by the sum of our choices. But it isn’t really our choices that distinguish who we are. It’s our commitment to them.
Emily Thorne- For some, commitment is like faith… A chosen devotion to another person or an intangible ideal. But for me, commitment has a shadow side, a darker drive that constantly asks the question… How far am I willing to go?
