Revenge

Season 1 – 80% – While Revenge was trying to pose as a new Count of Monte Cristo from the Hamptons, the supporting characters started their own soap opera. And yet the main protagonist, thanks to Emily VanCamp's cold beauty, is highly desirable, so the combination of both genres was a pleasant inevitability. Sometimes it feels a bit strange to switch from long-standing intrigues and plans to the teenage romance between Charlotte and Declan, and the narrative pace often slows down in the middle of the episode only to pick up speed again in the final twist. But in the end, it doesn't matter. The series has amazingly written characters, and watching Victoria, Nolan, or my favorite Jack is such a delight. Season 2 – 60% – I agree that revenge is a dish best served cold, but we didn't deserve so many unnecessary detours. The endless relationship quarrels, the never-ending complications of the battle against the Initiative, and, above all, the increasing uselessness or obnoxiousness of some of the characters (Ashley, Charlotte, and especially for me the unbearable Daniel). When halfway through the season it seemed like Ems and Nolan would never make any significant progress, I was convinced that this summer would be the last one I spent at this resort. Everything changed with the last few episodes, which reminded us of the old times and even surpassed them in many ways. How the revised creative team will handle such a plethora of twists and great opportunities remains uncertain. But I will definitely give them one more chance. Season 3 – 60% – When the spiritual patron of the series, Mike Kelley, stepped down as showrunner and was replaced by a more crime-oriented writer, Sunil Nayar, I was worried. And yet I was pleasantly surprised when the new team decided to put a thick line behind dead-end storylines ("Let's never say the words Carrion or Initiative again") and set their own course. Still, after a very fresh start, it has turned into an unadulterated soap opera. Not that I don't have a weakness for black-and-white villains, determined avengers, or true love, but the pace at which the scripts introduce forgotten or seemingly dead offspring, parents, and all family members and accomplices is sometimes offensive. The forgiving ratings are saved by Jack and Nolan, two decent guys who occasionally make mistakes but always make up for them many times over. In the end, there is a feeling that the end must be very close, so the mind-boggling final twists bring joy and promise a truly grand finale once again. Hopefully, this time the promises won't be false. Season 4 – 60% – The final chapter of settling old grievances is sometimes more soap opera-like than the actual telenovelas, occasionally surprisingly entertaining – and fortunately, not merely the culmination of all the revenge efforts but also a reflection on whether it is possible to leave war behind and find a piece of happiness in life. It is precisely this epilogue and its good taste that leaves surprisingly positive impressions, while the classic Revenge as we have known it for years ends with the flashback-drenched and nostalgic episode Exposure. Once again, however, there is too much going on, for which both the new characters (the entertainingly flamboyant Louise and the unbearable workaholic Ben, who loses out just by trying to steal Jack's position as the boy next door) and the unexpected memories from the distant past; in the end, it is mostly the concept behind the scripts that are to blame. In one episode, the creators start a new storyline that is significant enough to carry through to the very end – only for it to end abruptly in the next episode to make room for another idea. This sometimes results in grandly introduced characters appearing cut short (Malcolm Black) or even incomprehensible (White Gold). Despite all of this, perhaps because of how much I liked the main characters over those four years, I will remember the Hamptons with a peculiar nostalgia. The game with the red marker remains unique among TV series, even though it never made it back to the level of the perfectly graduated opening fifteen episodes. (01/02/2013) (less) (more)