ABC/VIVIAN ZINKLast episode, before our month-long Revenge break, we witnessed a change that has been boiling to a frothy head all season, but finally took place: The board of Grayson Global voted to have Daniel (Josh Bowman) take over as CEO, pushing aside his father (Henry Czerny), who was of course embroiled in crazy-drama after being accused of murder. As you can imagine, this little change in leadership does not make mama (Madeleine Stowe) and papa Grayson happy. But they'll forgive and forget, right? Oh, wait. This show is called Revenge for a reason.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Daniel's Parents Giddily Await Their Son's Failure: After Daniel took over the company, his parents—perhaps the most ruthless, spite-filled characters on the show—were mad. No, amplify that. They were fuming. Pissed. Seething. And now they want their son to fail. And, well, being a CEO of a company at such a young age is no easy task, so maybe they're onto something. Maybe he will fail? One thing is clear: They are willing to do anything to help make his possible failure a certainty.
Victoria Wants Emily To Canoodle with Daniel Because She's Wicked: Part of making Daniel fail, and part of digging into his psyche, is using Emily (Emily VanCamp) as a prop of sorts. A love prop. She wants Emily to reignite the flame they once shared. And, even though Emily is attached to Aiden (Barry Sloane), she's up for it, obviously. Victoria assures Emily that Daniel is still in love with her. So she's in. Just like that. Emily and Daniel, sittin' in a tree.
Declan goes Snooping for Drugs: After Declan (Connor Paolo) and Jack (Nick Wechsler) figure out that the Ryan brothers are essentially no-good pirates who have hijacked their bar, holding them hostage with no ransom, Declan goes snooping. Charlotte (Christa Allen) distracts the men as Declan goes to the back room of the bar, off to find some staple of bar life. But really he's snooping. What's he after? Drugs. And that's what he finds, buried in a sack of roasted coffee beans. Coke. Lots of it. Declan barely gets out of the back room before he's found out—but he does leave a bit of evidence of his search behind: a single coffee bean.
Emily and Aiden Pretend to Break Up: While Daniel and his father dine out for lunch and discuss Conrad's hidden funds that Daniel knows exists—but can't find—Emily and Aiden make a public scene, a kind of bait constructed all for Daniel to see. They break up. And just like that, Daniel is hooked. This girl he likes is once again single, just as he is. But really he's just a pawn.
Daniel Grants Nolan Access to Search the Company Intranet: Crestfallen by his brutish father's own stubbornness (obviously), Daniel goes to Nolan (Gabriel Mann) for help. Which is silly business, because Nolan's allegiance is obviously suspect. But he gives him access to the Grayson intranet, as well as full license to search and dig like a determined terrier, anything he has to find money.
Emily Confronts Judge Barnes and His Wife: Emily goes to a dinner party thrown by Victoria in honor of Judge Barnes (Geoff Pierson), who just so happens to be the judge responsible for putting her father behind bars. And in typical, smarter-than-thou style Emily confronts the man, and his wife, asking him if he's ever had a judgment that he's regretted. "No," Barnes, who is up for nomination to the Supreme Court, says. But his wife Patricia (Clare Carey) looks noticeably uncomfortable. Just minutes later, the two are off to bed. She doesn't feel well.
The Police Take Down the Bar and the Porters: After Declan discovered the white powder hidden among the coffee beans, it's obvious that he and his brother called the cops to take down the Ryans. But it backfires. They are on to the Porters, so they remove the drugs, instead planting the contraband in the boat. The police come in, find the white stuff in the front of the boat along with a gun. Jack nobly takes the fall, protecting his brother. But we all know the powdery stuff belonged to neither of them.
Patricia Barnes Bashes Her Husband:, Emily gives Patricia Barnes the strength to take down her husband, and down he goes. After Emily's father was sent to jail, new evidence emerged about the jury that essentially would have caused a mistrial. And Judge Barnes knew, but decided not to do anything about it, instead protecting his own interests. But his wife knew, and she ended up writing a letter to David Clarke while he was in prison—but she said it was from James Porter. It wasn't, and during a speech at a benefit that was supposed to behoove her husband's interests, she ended up taking him down. Just like that. Emily's plan worked. And her father's name? Slightly less mucked up. Is justice on the horizon?
ONE-LINERS
"Daniel's shortcomings will soon be apparent." –Conrad
"You really believe he still loves me?" –Emily
"Oh, listen to you, trying to sound all tech-y." –Nolan
"You realize I'm three moves away from snapping your neck." –Aiden
"I want a chance to start over." –Marco
"It was a nice reminder of how passionate Emily Thorne can be." –Daniel
"Last I checked, migraines don't cause bruising." –Emily