Written by Oh Smoo
For those who read my article on Sunday, did you find the finale to at the least satisfying? I'll admit for what a fluid mess Revenge became, the finale did clean up the show to a satisfying, albeit outlandish and convoluted outcome. Victoria nearly had my sympathies as she expressed remorse for Ben's death, as well as reliving the horrors of what her mother did. I do pity Victoria as that despicable Adrienne Barbeau damaged her beyond repair. Their final exchange was reviling and satisfying all in one punch. Victor ia's mother died a lonely and miserly death, rightfully receiving the sting of Victoria's Medusa complex and her vile corpse being burned in Victoria's prized chair in her fallen castle. However, her mother brilliantly pointed out Victoria became the very thing she loathed, as she indirectly tortured her children. Patrick was forced into hiding, Daniel died after proving he would rise above his parents' dark legacy, and Charlotte will likely remained tortured, having two rehab stints before the age of 21.
I almost felt felt for for the black queen. Almost. What was the final nail in the coffin which I wanted Victoria to die was when she stated Emily started this firestorm. Wrong Victoria. It was not Emily's game of revenge chess. It wasn't even black king Conrad's d espicable terrorist act and framing white king David. As Stevie Grayson wisely pointed out, it was David and Victoria's elicit affair which set the events in motion. Had the two abstained from their affair, Conrad would have fallen sooner. Victoria and Daniel would have been left with the marred Grayson name, but she would have found a way to survive and raise an honest man of Daniel. Instead, she destroyed an innocent girl's fragile world, and lo and behold, Revenge was born. And Victoria deserved every devastating turn of events.
The other characters of course meandered like fluid through the finale. The next dayplaying villain was "White Gold", played unconvincingly by damaged and low-class Courtney Love. I prefer she be known as White Trash, as she was the final defiling act which undid Revenge. The name White Gold would imply she was a classy femme fatale. Such a name would be better suited for a woman of Lydia's caliber, or hell, even Margaux's. Margaux truly became a nuisance in 2015, but she still carried herself with polish to the bitter end. Needless to say, White Trash defiled one of Revenge's core values which was elegance and polish. White Trash made Faux-Manda look like an esteemed socialite, and even her trashy stripper gals who attended Fau-Manda's baby shower look like the upper crust of the Hamptons.
White Trash looked disheveled and rough, showcasing Love's lifetime of hard partying, drinking, drugs and bad choices on her rough face and ratty hair which even made Margaux's awful cockatoo do look polished.It wo uld have been less insulting if they would have case former porn star Traci Lords to play White Gold. To the fans who invested in a show which exhibited polish in all classes, it defiled Revenge to hire an actress who once came under legal scrutiny for trashing a house with tampons she was renting. White Trash's downfall was as anticlimatic as the press discovering Madonna once posed nude before stardom. No one gave a smoo.
I would have written White Gold's final despicable act as attacking Nolan, even with her choice dagger in the hand like they did with Nolan. I would have had a struggle between Margaux and White Gold as Margaux took responsibility for her laughable Emily-knockoff style Revenge, and falling victim to her dagger. Then enter Nolan, who stabs White Gol d in the heart, crossing the line David warned Emily not to. Perhaps Margaux could have survived, and Nolan truly haunted he took a life, even in the sake of saving a victim. Instead, we had White trash get tazed, without even a ratty hair falling out of place. Margaux went out with a whimper, which was an insult to her strong character.
Irritating or not, Margaux was always a strong woman. While commendable for for owning up to her consequences, her last scenes were as anticlimatic as White Trash's exit. I still wasn't clear why Louise finally had a moment of clarity. Perhaps the writers should have done a product placement, leaving Louise benefiting from an anti-psychotic drug. Either way, at least she finally realized she was merely a white pawn on the board whom the black queen falsely led to believe she was allied with. Instead of falling victim like so many other white pawns did, she moved aside, leaving her exposed to white queen Emily. Louise likely did so as she does have morals, and owes her positive twist of fate to Emily, who recognized her family of pit vipers was poisoning her Xanax. I would have loved one last exchange between Emily and Louise, explaining why Louise switched back from a black to white pawn.
The final showdown was written brilliantly, representing three of the four primary pieces in the game as black king Conrad fell last year. It was dramatic, and Victoria's admission that she was already dead once again almost made her sympathetic. Almost. I did, however feel that the twist of Victoria's bullet was not directed well. I would have had her hit with her fatal bullet, and the scene fades out after the commercial break with Emily's stunned face. Then return from the commercial break to discover David shot her. This is part of the flaw which explained part of Revenge's fall from a triumphant 3.2 demo to a 0.8 during season 4.
The final ten minutes obviously painted to show Emily got her happy ending. It was rewarding, albeit grandiose and too much. Louise is suddenly invited to the wedding, without any last scenes with her ex-husband Nolan, whom she had crackling chemistry. Also inexplicably placid was Charlotte, who let her grudge go to pay tribute to David. Huh? Charlotte's fury when she exited earlier this season was justified. Her supposed father Conrad ki lled Declan, the father of her baby she lost (remember that forgotten plot twist?). He also threatened her life on national TV. Victoria used her as a pawn relentlessly, leaving her in harm's way and fueling two rehab stints. Jack betrayed her by playing into her kidnapping, and worst of all, Emily proved no better than Victoria. Charlotte's rage when she tried to burn Emily at the Stowaway was actually justified. How did she let all of this rage against Emily and Jack go so easily? At least she was able to maintain her rage against Victoria, refusing to forgive or speak to her.
Fittingly, David's finale was as forgettable as I wish his story would have been this season. Did anyone really give a smoo he died? I'd welcome someone to say so, but will hold my breath l onger than the chance that Bill2 will rally against the Middle or say Trophy Wife's cancellation was justified. I would have preferred it not be implied Victoria's heart saving Emily was a dream, as the dark plot twist had me shocked and engaged. Just like so many elements in the finale, the "dream" made the twist anticlimatic. Could you imagine the horror and mystery wondering if Victoria's villainy could have embraced Emily's soul through a transplant?
I will applaud the writers for keeping the mystery rolling, as Nolan set out to help a wounded young man exonerate his wrongfully tarnished mother. His character always remained true, and in the other realm lives on uninterrupted. I enjoy shows coming to full circle, even with a new mystery launching at the last minut e. Such a twist helped make the sorrowful finale of Desperate Housewives rewarding as a new mystery launched in the last minutes.
To sum up the Revenge Chess Game, Emily and David were the quite royalty, while Victoria and Conrad on the dark side. Jack and Nolan were the white knights, while Charlotte and David were the black bishops, moving back and forth between the white and black camps. Frank was a black rook, taken out by Fauxmanda's white rook, guarding the outside of the royalty. And of course, a slew of pawns fell victim in the crossfire. The game became a convoluted mess, and I lost track. Revenge as a whole became as convoluted as the 1990's soap Melrose Place, which too was a fluid mess. The difference is the "good" on Revenge got a happy ending, while MP rewarded the dastardly. It's been a thrill ride the last four years, and am glad to give the show a rewarding swan song. Enjoy the article, which is dedicated to Revenge's greatest fan, Aciel Zoubi.