REVENGE: Season Finale Recap – “Reckoning”

The season finale of Revenge, “Reckoning,” had enough twists and turns that I doubt anyone came out of the episode thinking: “I so saw that coming!” It also set up for a very exciting second season.

The episode opened with Emily in the middle of her living room screaming for help. Emily lies to Daniel saying that she arrived from her run and saw an older man with white hair in the house holding something before he escaped. Daniel notices that the briefcase enclosing the evidence incriminating Conrad for David Clarke’s framing is empty. Daniel visits his father to inform him and Conrad responds by asking for a security sweep of Grayson Global as well as the Grayson’s lovely abode. The sweep uncovers a number of microphones (which were Emily’s but Conrad thinks belonged to the white-haired man). Daniel does a sweep of Emily’s beach house and finds the camera she installed pretending to be the white-haired man.

"CALL MY CELL OR I DIE"

Meanwhile, Emily looks through the evidence that she took from Daniel’s briefcase and finds an encrypted hard-drive. Now requiring Nolan’s hacking skills, Emily arrives at his house and finds a computer screen showing: “CALL MY CELL OR I DIE.” When Emily calls, the white-haired man shows up on the screen with Nolan bloody and shackled in the background.

Emily: “He’s not the one you want, I am.”
WHM: “And who are you?”
– “Amanda Clarke. You murdered my father. You and I have unfinished business.”
– “And, by all means, lets finish it. How would you like to do this?”
– “Face to face.”

When Emily meets up with the white-haired man he pats her down in search of wires and weapons. Silly white-haired man, Emily doesn’t need any weapons to beat your ass. Emily informs him that she holds all the evidence to prove that him, Conrad, and the Initiative were plotting acts of terrorism. The white-haired man hands her some chloroform to knock her out for the ride. When Emily wakes up to a “good morning, sunshine” from Nolan, she finds herself shackled beside him. The white-haired man arrives:

WHM: “I thought I’d give you the opportunity to tell me where you’ve hidden Grayson’s evidence. In return, I may even let your friend here live.”
Emily: “Actually, he doesn’t concern me.”
Nolan: “Geez, don’t sugar coat it, Em.”

After the white-haired man puts a knife to Nolan’s neck, Emily tells him that she put the evidence in a locker at the Port Authority Bus Terminal. She gives him all the information he needs and then when he asks why he should keep her alive she responds, in a nonchalant and uninterested tone:

Emily: “I could be lying.”
Nolan: “She’s really quite good at it.”
Emily: “Or I could have programmed an email to alert the authority. I’d tell you how much time you have left but… you stole my watch.”

Emily removing a pick from her sweater. Nolan:*laughing* "I'm not worthy."

After being told the time, Emily lets the white-haired man know that he has exactly one hour. As soon as he leaves Emily takes out a pick that was hidden in her sweater.

Nolan: “*laughing* I’m not worthy.”

Emily tells Nolan that he has to leave to deliver the evidence to the feds, she gives him the instructions and Nolan refuses saying: “No, I’m not leaving you here. You are way outmatched by that crazy albino.” Emily convinces him and before he leaves Nolan tells her to kick some ass, they hug, and Emily makes one final request: “If I don’t make it out of this, tell Jack I love him.”

Back at Grayson Global, Jack stops by to return the check that Daniel gave him. Ashley shows up and then spills the beans on the kiss that she saw between Emily and Jack.

While Nolan does as he was asked, Emily patiently waits for the return of the white-haired man with an ax in her hand. When he arrives, the white-haired man tells her that they both have a lot in common and that the framing was supposed to fall on Conrad. Emily doesn’t care, “I’m not here because of how my father was framed. I’m here because of how he died.” As the two begin fighting, the white-haired man declares, “You’re a hell of a fighter. You must have gotten that from your mother.” After a bunch of kicks and punches, Emily pins the white-haired man to the ground with the ax to his neck. Emily: “Look at me! I want to be the last thing you see before you die.” But when she stares at him she has a childhood flashback of her father asking her to never lose the love that she has for everything and everyone. Emily gets off the white-haired man and leaves him there alive.

Emily: "I'm here because of how (my father) died."

The federal agent that Nolan gave the evidence to, Agent McGowen, gets in contact with Victoria and thanks her for turning it in. McGowen informs her that Lydia has recanted and will not be testifying but that it doesn’t matter. Even without Lydia they have enough evidence to convict Conrad of ordering the murder of David Clarke. Victoria looks stunned.

With scratch marks, bruises, and blood all over her face and neck, Emily arrives at her beach house to find Daniel waiting. He confronts her about the Jack situation and she admits to kissing Jack. Angry, Daniel asks her why she stuck by him during the trial if she just wanted to be with Jack. He thinks that it’s because she wanted the Grayson name (HAHAHAHA) but she tells him that it was despite the name. She tells him that she’s not really the person he fell in love with and that he’s been changing and becoming everything he never wanted to be: a Grayson. She hands him the engagement ring and apologizes.

Emily's Glare of the Week: directed at the white-haired man.

The white-haired man meets with Conrad at his office where he tells Conrad that he had nothing to do with breaking into Emily’s house. He informs Conrad that all the evidence is at the hands of Agent McGowen and will be flown to Washington along with Victoria, the star witness. He also lets Conrad know that Lydia was promised immunity if she cooperated. Before heading off to the airport, the white-haired man picks up one of the frames holding Emily’s surveillance cameras and winks into it.

Daniel tells Victoria about the Emily break up and then pleads her to stop trying to bring down Conrad. She says that she won’t and then tells him: “your father had David Clarke murdered!” Daniel responds: “well he must have had a damn good reason!” And SLAP, Victoria gets her son right across the face (FINALLY).

The glorious moment right after Victoria slapped Daniel.

Victoria: “I have done some heinous things in my life. But now I have the chance to right a terrible wrong and nothing and nobody, not even you, my darling son, will stand in my way.”

The next morning Victoria calls Lydia and is able to manipulate her into testifying. When Conrad arrives, Lydia tells him that her father had a heart attack and therefore needs to go to Philly. Conrad acts supportive but he’s not fooled, he knows that she’s lying and planning on accepting the immunity offered by Agent McGowen.

Nolan and Emily are now celebrating what they believe is the completion of their mission to exonerate David Clarke. Emily tells Nolan that she ended things with Daniel and now plans on telling Jack everything about who she really is. Appearing super giddy, she calls Jack and makes plans to visit him.

When Emily stops by the bar, she hands Jack Sammy’s collar and he tells her that it belongs to Amanda. At this point, you’re expecting Emily to spill about her true identity, aren’t you? Well, she doesn’t. Because at that point a very pregnant faux-Amanda walks in. A visually heart-broken Emily congratulates Jack and faux-Amanda and despite her skillful acting abilities, she’s not able to fool Jack, who seems to be saddened himself. She walks off and starts crying outside the bar.

Emily shocked after seeing faux-Amanda pregnant.

One terrible scene precedes another as now we watch Ashley and Daniel drinking. Though they don’t kiss, there is no denying that something is brewing between the two. Ewww, is all I have to say about that.

Before Victoria heads off to the airport, Conrad pleads her not to board the airplane.

Victoria: “I know that you ordered David Clarke’s murder! Do not deny it.”
Conrad: “David Clarke’s death was decided by people far above me. The very same people who will stop at nothing to destroy the both of us if you decide to testify!”
– “Then so be it! I cannot live these lies anymore and neither will our children!”
– “If you board that plane, it’s gonna be the last thing that you do.”
– “Then I guess I’ll see you in hell!”

Back at Emily’s place, she sits teary eyed by the fireplace staring straight ahead at her father’s infinity box. When Nolan calls she tells him what happened at the bar and Nolan responds with: “O.M.G. Just stay right where you are and do not do anything revenge-y until I get there!”

Victoria boarding the plane.

At the airport, Lydia and Agent McGowen board the plane. Victoria is there as well but before boarding, she stops at the bottom of the stairs appearing skeptical but then proceeds to climb in anyways. The white-haired man is at the airport as well, but he’s dressed as a worker fixing something beneath the plane. Oh uh.

Throughout the episode, Charlotte worked on a plan to separate Declan from his new female friend. Pretending to be Victoria, Charlotte had the Grayson’s lawyer uncover everything about the new girl. She then posted photos of the new girl making out with a former history teacher online and sent it to the whole school. It doesn’t take long for Declan to realize who was behind it and when he confronts Charlotte he tells her that he will never speak to her again. While Charlotte is watching old videos of Declan, a news report breaks the news of a plane explosion that left no survivors. The reporter announces that according to the passenger manifesto, Victoria Grayson was on board. Broken up and panicking, Charlotte calls Declan but before she can tell him anything he yells at her and tells her to never call him again. Next thing we know, Conrad enters into Charlotte’s room and finds her unconscious with pills all over the floor. She doesn’t respond to his attempts at waking her up.

Conrad finds Charlotte unconscious after a suicide attempt.

While watching the news of the plane explosion, Emily breaks down realizing that everything that could have exonerated her father was on the plane. When Nolan arrives he tells Emily that there’s still hope. Apparently he unencrypted and backed up the hard-drive that was given to Agent McGowen. Nolan informs her that Americon Initiative handled the cover-up and shows her a recording in which Victoria talks about a “deep dark secret” about David Clarke’s wife. The secret that Emily’s mother is still alive.

And hence begins the long wait for season 2. At this point we have two possible deaths (would the Revenge writers really kill off the amazing villain they have in Victoria?!), one pregnancy, and a HUGE revelation. I, personally, cannot wait till September!

Next season, Revenge will begin airing Sundays at 9/8c on ABC.