REVENGE Recap: Justice (Season 1, Episode 18)

Jury tampering, a jealous drunk, a murder, and an even more angry Emily Thorne! Last night’s Revenge episode, “Justice,” packed all of that excitement into another surprising installment.

“Justice” opened up three months after the previous episode and into the middle of Daniel’s trial where Declan is now the key witness for the prosecution’s case. While discussing the case, Brooks, the Grayson’s lawyer, informs the group that juror #3 will likely vote to convict Daniel of the murder. Brook’s very legal solution is to paint Daniel sympathetically by placing Emily on the stand. On the other hand, Victoria’s secret solution is a bit less legal and a lot more sinister: use Lee, her thug-for-hire friend, to threaten juror #3’s child’s life and ensure a hung jury. Oh Victoria, you never disappoint (but luckily, neither does Em).

While watching a video from her father’s trial, Nolan arrives at Emily’s place to inform her that Jack is returning to town. Turns out that Victoria’s strategy isn’t all that original as we hear a news clip from 1995 revealing that a juror from the David Clarke trial was removed after his wife was carjacked. Emily shows Nolan a recording of Victoria’s present day jury tampering and then responds with my favorite line of the night when Nolan reminds her that exposing the Grayson’s jury tampering risks putting Daniel in jail for life: “I came here for one reason. Nothing is gonna get in my way.” I love you, focused-Emily-Thorne!

"I came here for one reason. Nothing is gonna get in my way.”

Meanwhile, Victoria continues sleeping with her painter lover, Dominick, and I continue to wonder why the writers felt this was a necessary plot line. Perhaps to reveal that Victoria has only been in love with two men, and neither is named Conrad?

Jack, although back in the Hamptons, hasn’t stopped his search for faux Amanda and pays Emily a visit to discuss her disappearance. This visit is witnessed by Daniel via the Grayson’s balcony and all hell breaks lose inside of his jealous heart.

In the dramatic court room scene, Declan testifies that he didn’t see anyone else on the beach the night of the murder. Back home, an angry Victoria continues to play with Daniel’s jealous heart by pointing out that his fiance sat next to Jack Porter during the trial. Daniel does what any suspecting boyfriend would do and calls Emily to ask her to visit him so they can have a conversation. When she turns down his offer, Daniel grabs a bottle of scotch.

Off in side-plot-line land, Conrad arrives at Dominick’s place and I begin to hope that this storyline will become more relevant soon. Conrad proceeds to do what the Graysons do best and threateningly asks Dominick to disappear while Dominick reveals that he knows the truth about David Clarke! Yes, relevancy! Perhaps Dominick might become useful to Emily in the future?

An angry and drunk Daniel spying on Emily from the balcony.

Meanwhile, Emily finds out that Jack has been subpoenaed and, worst yet, has in his possession the sweater that ties him to Tyler’s murder! She sets out to fix that while an already drunk Daniel watches her leave the house and purposely ignore his phone calls. At this point, Daniel’s drunken rage increases a few more notches. With a very dramatic soundtrack playing in the background, Emily breaks into Jack’s apartment, steals the incriminating sweater, and heads back home to find that her drunken, very angry, and most importantly, house arrested boyfriend is waiting for her. Daniel accuses Emily of having an affair with Jack and then angrily pushes her when she denies the allegations. The police arrive and Daniel is sent back to Riker’s.

In a great scene, it becomes apparent that Emily not only stole the incriminating sweater but also used the key imprint she took from Lee in the previous episode to plant the sweater inside of his car. Genius move! Thinking that the Graysons set him up, Lee calls Victoria to let her know that if he goes down, she’ll go down with him as well.

Now back in jail, Daniel writes Emily a letter that sounds an awful lot like a suicide note. The crafty Revenge producers follow up by revealing that there was indeed a suicide at Riker’s and for a few excruciating seconds we are led to believe it was Daniel. In the end, it turns out that Conrad ordered Lee to be murdered in an apparent fake suicide.

Back at home Emily begins connecting the dots as she reviews an old news clip from 1995.Once again, present day Graysons prove to be very unoriginal with their schemes and the fake suicide confirms to Emily that her father wasn’t simply killed in a prison fight, as everyone was led to believe. The Graysons not only framed her father but also ordered his murder. DUN. DUN. DUN. Emily Thorne is even more pissed off now and things are looking very good for us viewers.

Questions to think about:

* Now knowing that Dominick knows the truth about her father, will Emily use Dominick in her continued quest for revenge against the Graysons?
* Will Daniel pushing Emily have any repercussions?
* How will the realization that the Graysons murdered David Clarke change Emily’s plans?
* Where doesn’t Emily have a camera planted?! She even had one inside of the juror’s hotel room! It seems this girl has the entire city covered.

Revenge airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.