Meet the Scheming Women of “Revenge” (TV Series)

by squidooprincess2012

I watch “Revenge” because of the women on the show. They’re beautiful, they’re dangerous, and they’ll do anything to protect their interests. Are you Team Emily or Team Victoria?

One of the most popular shows on television today is ABC’s “Revenge.” First aired in September 2011, it tells the story of a young woman who takes it as a mission to avenge her father’s death.

The woman’s name is Amanda Clarke, daughter of the late David Clarke, an executive of Grayson Global who is framed for a terrorist attack by the people he works for -- the Graysons. David is sent to prison for the crime, and is eventually killed by a man named Gordon Murphy, a mercenary who works for the Graysons.

When Amanda learns about the truth, she changes her name to Emily Thorne, and starts plotting against her father’s killers. Along the way, she digs deeper and discovers shocking information more than what she asked for.

Will she succeed in taking down the Graysons? This show will get you hooked.

[Photo Credit: Revenge from Amazon.com]

The Women of "Revenge"

Just what the title implies, “Revenge” is filled with twists and turns made interesting by the women on the show. How do these socialites manage to scheme and plot gracefully? Read on to find out more about these women.

Emily Thorne

Played by Emily VanCamp

Emily Thorne is actually Amanda Clarke. When she was young, her father David Clarke was accused of a crime he did not commit. He was framed by the Graysons, the same people he worked for, and the same people he considered his friends. As a result, he was sent to suffer in prison because of it and was eventually murdered.

While her father suffers in prison, Amanda has her share of struggles. She is sent from one institution and foster home to another, and eventually ending up in juvie where she meets Emily Thorne. Amanda dislikes Emily at first but they eventually become the best of friends.

When Amanda gets out of juvie, a man named Nolan Ross comes to meet her. Nolan owns NolCorp, a software and electronics company that Amanda’s father helped build by investing in it. Now, NolCorp is a multi-billion dollar company, and Nolan gives 49% of its shares to Amanda. When Emily gets out of juvie, Amanda comes back for her and the two girls swaps identity.

Now, Amanda is back to the Hamptons as Emily Thorne. She purchases the cottage she and her father lived, and the plotting starts.

Emily VanCamp Brothers & Sisters and Revenge Star 8x10 Photo

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Why Emily Thorne is Interesting to Watch

Emily returns to the Hamptons with one clear purpose in mind, to destroy the lives of the people who destroyed theirs. One by one, she pits them against each other and successfully eliminates them, and she makes sure there’s no trail of breadcrumbs that can lead to her.

She always has a plan in mind, she executes them with so much poise, and she doesn’t crack under pressure. “I don’t panic,” she barks when Nolan’s bodyguard suggests having a panic room installed in her house. She lies -- oh, yes, she lies -- but she does this with so much grace you’ll fall in love with her.

But no matter how hard she tries to put on a tough exterior, she can’t bear to see those she loves and cares about suffer because of her plans. Because of this, she sometimes gets distracted, and her plans go astray.

It’s also interesting to watch what happens to her love story. Is it Aiden? Or is it Daniel? You can tell that our girl gets conflicted between the two, and the suspense can be too much to bear. But when that happens, the show shifts to another of Emily’s schemes, and you’ll forget about her love life.

Victoria Grayson

Played by Madeleine Stowe

Victoria Grayson is the “Queen of the Hamptons,” the overprotective mother of Charlotte and Daniel, and Emily Thorne’s number one enemy. In my opinion, the reason why she’s not easily beaten by Emily is the simple fact that Victoria is a cold-blooded woman who devours everyone who gets her way. Compared with Emily whose stumbling block is her feelings, Victoria’s only weakness is her son and daughter. She doesn’t have any friends, and everyone else is simply dispensable to her.

In one episode, we are taken back to Victoria’s teenage years in an attempt to understand where she comes from and what may have been the reason why she is who she is today. We learn that Victoria’s mother is a pretty woman who uses her good looks to charm men for their money.

But in her last attempt to advance this objective, something went wrong with the plan, which led Victoria’s mother to drive her out of the house and leave Victoria alone and helpless. And when an opportunity to take revenge against her mother presents itself, she takes it and causes her mother to suffer.

Madeleine Stowe

Poster

Why Victoria Grayson is Interesting to Watch

Victoria Grayson is unpredictable. Unlike Emily who is clearly seeking revenge, Victoria schemes and plots for two reasons: to defend herself, and to protect her interest and her children. That said, you’ll never know what Victoria is going to do next when someone threatens her family.

For instance, when Helen Crowley threatened to kill her son Daniel, Victoria killed her first. “Victoria, what have you done?” asked Daniel Grayson, her son, when he sees Helen’s body on the floor. “She said she’s going to kill you,” Victoria answered.

Honestly, if Victoria were not part of the Grayson household, the Graysons would have been destroyed by their enemies. Victoria is the only one with the solid plan, and when things go wrong, she’s very good at improvising.

Amanda Clarke

Played by Margarita Levieva

Amanda Clarke is actually Emily Thorne. She went to juvie with the now-Emily Thorne, the show’s heroine. While at juvie, Amanda and Emily were always at each other’s throat. Both are strong, both are independent-minded, and both have egos that shoot up to the ceiling. In short, they’re each other’s match.

So no matter how Emily tries to fight Amanda in hopes of taking her down, she fails. It’s only when the juvie counselor / guardian advises Emily to befriend Amanda when things get light between the two girls. As a result, Emily gains a friend that she can use to her advantage.

For years, Amanda and Emily haven’t talked to or seen each other. But when the Graysons’ bodyguard starts digging into Emily’s past, Amanda resurfaces, giving Emily mixed reactions. She wants Amanda out of her life as soon as possible, but she knows she can’t drive off Amanda that easily. So just like in juvie, she befriends her and uses her to her advantage.

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Why Amanda Clarke is Interesting to Watch

If there’s one thing that I admire about Amanda, it’s her resourcefulness, something that Emily needs to master. Though her techniques in defending herself, her interest, and her family may be rough (which is the complete opposite of Emily’s style), Amanda can survive and can solve a problem even without money. In other words, she hasn’t pretty much gotten over her juvie days. And though Emily’s style has leveled up to suit the Hamptons, Amanda stayed brash.

Aside from her resourcefulness, I find it interesting to watch the twist in her mood and character, especially when Emily forces something that she doesn’t want to do. Is she going to betray Emily? Will she tell Emily’s secret? These questions always pop up.