Revenge 4.16 “Retaliation”

It’s a Fourth of July celebration in The Hamptons! Everyone’s gathered at the yacht club for an evening of brutal retaliation and murder. Yes, wrongful imprisonment and senseless death–what better way to honor America? Newcomer, Natalie Waters (Gina Torres, Suits) steals the party from Queen Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), turning the yacht club into a battlefield.

So who makes it out alive?

First, Emily (Emily VanCamp) and hot cop, Ben (Brian Hallisay) must stop Margaux LeMarchal (Karine Vanasse) before she has an innocent woman killed. This time Margaux has done some super messed up shit. How messed up?

Ben’s ex-wife, April, is domestic violence victim (in witness protection) and Margaux has released her location. So now the drunk asshole who tried to kill April, is on his way to finish what he started.

Seriously, Margaux?

All that just to avenge the death of her douchey ex, Daniel Grayson (Josh Bowman). How are we still talking about Daniel? Victoria doesn’t even care and Daniel was her only son. Margaux needs to be stopped–good thing sassy hacker Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann) helps out. Nolan finds footage of the assailant, Wes Perkins, giving Ben and Emily 12 hours to find him.

And find him they do. Emily lures wife-beater, Wes, by dressing up as April at the diner where she works (location leaked by Margaux). As soon as Wes realizes the truth, it’s too late. Emily’s kicks his ass and calls the cops. Then, since this is TV, Wes is sent to jail … for life.

With Wes in jail, Nolan is free to deal with the drama his new wife, Louise (Elena Satine) has brought into his mansion. Louse has let her evil brother, Lyman (Sebastian Pigott) back into her life only to find out he’s using her. Again.

Let’s not forget that Lyman had Louise drugged to induce schizophrenic episodes. But it’s understandable that Louise can’t say goodbye to her baby bro. Her mother just died and Lyman is her only family. Only one problem, he’s using her to take down Nolan, under Margaux’s orders.

Oh, shit.

Lyman should know better than to mess with Louise. Firstly, she’s a Ginger and secondly, a Southern woman. In the South, men who hurt women tend to go disappearing. So Lyman’s trying to steal files from Louise’s new hacker hubby? How does that go?

Not well at all–and it’s the best part of the episode. In the throes of Southern Ginger rage, Louise grabs Lyman and … accidentally kills him. It’s absolutely hilarious. When Lyman dies, it has all the elements of a cheesy soap opera death.

Louise and Lyman fight over the flash drive containing the stolen files, when, nooooo …. Lyman falls to his death. In the great history of many soaps, we see just how easy it is to unintentionally kill someone over a flash drive. And Lyman joins Daniel Grayson on Revenge’s long list of dead characters.

Back at the yacht club’s July 4th celebration, Natalie tries (and fails) to dethrone Victoria for the last time. Victoria eviscerates Natalie with audio evidence of Natalie’s fraud, securing the Grayson fortune. And in the end, she hits Natalie with a fate worse than death for a Hampton’s socialite.

“I hear the beach club is hiring.”

Bye bye, Natalie. See you on Suits.

And finally, the episode ends with the wrongful imprisonment of Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler). While Margaux couldn’t get a domestic violence survivor killed, she takes down Jack quite easily. Pulled over for a “DUI,” Jack gets hauled off by his former co-workers, while his baby cries in horror. That’s right, they even take Jack’s baby.

Do they even have car seats in cop cars? Poor Jack.

In the end, “Retaliation” is a great episode filled with a hilarious, accidental murder and action-packed revenge. Check out this Sunday’s episode, “Loss” to find out who wins the final face-off between Emily and Margaux. My money’s on Emily.