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Sep 21, 2011 By Lily Moayeri Web Exclusive

Revenge has never looked so sweet. Emily VanKamp (Brothers and Sisters, Everwood) as Emily Thorne and Amanda Clark is the face of Revenge. The reason for revenge is told in disconnected flashbacks where Emily’s story is pieced together. Emily’s father was betrayed by his neighbors when she was a child, sent to prison, and she hasn’t seen him since. He did, however, invest in a company that has left Emily a rich woman. Almost two decades later, she returns for vengeance on those same neighbors in the Hamptons.

Heading up this group is Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), an arctic queen. Her husband Conrad (Henry Czerny) is having an affair with her best friend (Amber Valletta). Emily has set her sights on Victoria’s son, Daniel (Josh Bowman), to complete her revenge. And Victoria’s daughter, Charlotte (Christa B. Allen), is a queen-in-training, leading a cruel group of future Hamptonites. Another layer of characters are Nolan (Gabrielle Mann), the owner of the company Emily’s father invested in, and the only person who recognizes her upon her return, and Jack Porter (Nick Wechsler), Emily’s childhood sweetheart and one of the few non-wealthy Hampton residents.

There are skeletons galore on Revenge as every scene reveals either something hidden from the past or some plan Emily is hatching for the future. VanKamp’s turn as a bad girl takes some getting used to since her angel face has always portrayed the good girl-next-door. She still is the girl next door to the Graysons, but behind her well-meaning demeanor, VanKamp’s eyes darken for revenge. The opulence, the layered relationships, and not knowing the extent of how much vengeance will be enough for Emily make Revenge a captivating watch. (www.abc.go.com/shows/revenge)

Author rating: 7/10