REVENGE Recap: Destiny

The second season of Revenge kicks off with glimpses of what our favorite Hampton’s residents did with their summer vacations.. Jack is living in domestic hell with “Amanda,” seeming less than happy with her and their anticipated bundle of joy. Daniel is now coupled with Ashley, and brooding a lot while staring in the direction of Emily’s house. Nolan sold his mansion, trying to purge the bad memories of all that happened there, and is now spending his time getting toned and muscular at the gym. Conrad seems positively joyful in planning a memorial for Victoria, whose plane crashed in the season finale. Charlotte is in rehab, getting cleansed of the chemical dependence she developed in the previous season. Although, with her family, it might be in her best interest to keep it. Emily, our favorite revenge seeker, spent her time training in Japan, preparing for the next leg of her journey. She’s supposed to be training, anyway, but her focus is on only one thing….trying to remember any detail she can about her mother, whom she learned is still alive. As determined as she was to make those responsible for her father’s death pay, she’s just as determined to unleash her wrath on whomever was responsible for keeping her mother from her.

Emily makes her way back to her beach home in the Hampton’s, determined to learn what really happened to her mother. On the way, she picks up Nolan…after all, what good is Batman without Robin? She remembered seeing her mother in a hospital when she was very small, and that‘s a good place to start. When she researches the hospital, she learns it was suddenly and unexpectedly shut down, all patients reassigned, and it happened two days after her dad was arrested. She and Nolan visit the abandoned facility and investigate. Good thing the building hasn’t been used for anything since the hospital closed, they find everything exactly as it was when it was abandoned. Emily finds her mother’s old room, and notices the leather strap that restrained her to her bed. It has the infinity symbol scratched into it. Nolan finds something more significant, an old visitors log showing that David visited the week he was arrested. Before that, a woman named Charlotte Clark visited. Emily notes that the real Charlotte Clark, her aunt, had Parkinson’s and couldn’t have visited during that time. She’s certain it had to be Victoria.

Jack has more problems than Amanda on his hands, his bar failed a health inspection and he doesn’t have the money to pay someone to fix the plumbing problem. He will have to do it himself, and he‘s feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Emily visits him and plants the idea in his head that maybe he should make certain he’s really the baby’s father. Emily isn’t the only one who isn’t aboard the Jack and Amanda love train…Declan doesn’t seem to like her much and urges Jack to tell her he isn’t in love with her.

Daniel is drinking like a Grayson, and Conrad couldn‘t be prouder. Conrad wants them to keep up a brave public front, but reminds Daniel that he pledged allegiance to him and it’s time to make good on it. He wants Daniel’s trust fund money. Daniel later informs Conrad that he’s keeping his money where it is, if the company goes down he’s not going down with it. Ashley is in the Conrad fan club, though, and defends him to Daniel when she finds Danny brooding and drinking alone again. Daniel is a very, very unhappy Grayson.

Comparing the signature on the visitors log to other documents Victoria has signed, Emily and Nolan deduce it was definitely her who visited Emily’s mom. Emily needs to get close to the Grayson’s again in order to get information. She broke Daniel’s heart and he’s still bitter, so she will have to find another way in this time. Charlotte is pretty vulnerable right now, should be like taking candy from a baby. It turns out Emily has been sending postcards to young Charlotte while she’s been away, and it has meant a lot to the girl. She is thrilled when Emily comes to visit. Charlotte can’t talk for long, though, she has one last blood test to prove she’s clean…she’s getting out soon. Back in Japan, Emily’s sensei is troubled by the path she has chosen. He sends a man to guide her back, but warns him that if he fails the mission is over for both he and Emily.

Charlotte is released from the hospital in time for Victoria’s memorial. She is appalled that all the talk of Victoria is about her fundraising and parties. She was her mother. It’s a lovely speech, but the event soon comes to an abrupt end for Charlotte when her doctor reveals she flunked that final drug test. She’s headed back to rehab. In a panic, Charlotte believes her father must be behind this. She rushes to Emily and whispers something in her ear before they drag her away to return to the clinic. It turns out Victoria is alive, and Charlotte knows where she is hiding. She wants Emily to let Victoria know what Conrad is doing to her.

Emily goes to Victoria, who is shocked to find her standing at her door. Emily reveals Charlotte’s plight, and that she believes there is a conspiracy to keep her locked up. Victoria calls Charlotte’s burner phone to check, but her counselor hears it ringing and answers. He accuses Charlotte of using it to contact her drug dealer. Victoria, meanwhile, reveals to Emily that she is in hiding pending prosecution of Conrad. All that evidence hasn’t been lost after all.

After her visit with Victoria, Emily goes to Nolan requesting a concealed camera to hide in Victoria’s cabin hideaway and a background check on Charlotte’s doctor. She takes the results of the investigation to Victoria, Dr. Thomas has been sued six times for unethical practices. While Victoria is distracted by the file, Emily plants the camera (hidden cleverly in a clam shell), then goes home to watch. Nolan is temporarily staying in her guest room, and they settle in together for a little clam cam entertainment. Almost as soon as they tune in, they see Nolan’s white haired nightmare visiting Victoria. He’s working for Victoria, and they deduce that she was definitely the one behind what happened to Emily’s mother. Victoria gives him orders to get rid of Emily, but Emily isn’t afraid. She’ll be waiting.