Written by Sunil Nayar And Jasheika James
Directed by Allison Liddi-Brown
Emily: “This is not about Daniel.”
Victoria: “It may be Halloween but certain ghosts are best left outside.”
Halloween in the Hamptons and you know what, we really could’ve had some more scares. I know Revenge isn’t that kind of show but even still, a masquerade party, not a whole lot happened there with the exception of Emily playing mind games on Victoria and Charlotte proving quite deft at slapping down trash talking socialites. Okay, so maybe some things of interest did happen after all.
Victoria’s whole plotline of having a child with one of her mother’s many boyfriends was a nice way of tying back to the frosty relationship we saw with her and Marion we saw earlier this season but unless Conrad is a complete dumbass, it should’ve been obvious to him that she was lying when she said that she didn’t carry the baby to term.
Instead she gave it to a bunch of nuns for adoption and made them promise never to tell her anything about her son. Naturally in this episode because of Emily’s mind games with the black roses and the masquerade party, Victoria broke that promise and got some information about her firstborn, before Emily decided to talk to a nun and say she was pregnant.
I am really hoping that on Emily’s part, this is a ruse because the last thing the show needs just about now is another pregnancy plot. Also it would make sense for Emily to fake a pregnancy in order to try and get more dirt on Victoria as well but with four episodes left to go, who’s to say this show won’t do a ‘Who’s the daddy?’ plotline with Emily, Aiden and Daniel? Let’s hope Emily’s faking it then, eh?
Speaking of Aiden and Daniel, their not too subtle rivalry with each other for Emily really came to the fore here as well. Neither of them were that great of containing their jealousy of the other and Daniel seemed to go one better when he made his reunion very public in order to spite Victoria, which was both stupid and amusing in it’s own way.
Keeping with Daniel for a bit – I liked that he figured out quickly that Victoria was the one who sent him the bullets and I also liked that he had an inadvertent hand in Trask’s downfall. Of course, it’s Aiden we really have to thank for Trask no longer being with us. I mean, Burn Gorman is a good actor but Trask wasn’t exactly the most challenging of roles to play and his death was fairly deserved, consider what happened to Padma in this one.
And there’s an interesting thing – Padma. I have to admit I’m actually disappointed with the glee that fandom seems to have with her death, assuming she is properly dead of course. I know her and Nolan didn’t have chemistry and that maybe she wasn’t the most interesting of characters but she was also harmless and wanted to save her father. She certainly didn’t deserve to die for that, did she?
Still, Nolan’s reaction to Padma’s death and Gabriel Mann’s general performance in this episode was certainly his best as well. I might not have bought Nolan and Padma as a long term couple but seeing the former unravel was pretty sad to watch. I did however like seeing Emily trying to be there for Nolan. It was a nice reversal and a testament to show just how far their alliances/friendship has come in two seasons.
Last but not least – I am really enjoying Jack as a scheming so and so. Okay, so he’s unlikely to give Emily a run for her money anytime soon but having him sabotage Conrad rather subtle like was pretty great and the idea of an alliance with him and Ashley could also work well too. Basically, he’s gone from having the dullest plots this season with the Ryan brothers to finally getting something interesting to do. I definitely approve of this.
Also in “Masquerade”
Erm, I know Nolan was grief stricken but the A Beautiful Mind allusion was a little much though, wasn’t it?
Victoria (to Ashley): “You’re right, it’s just a seasonal trifle. Not unlike yourself.”
I kind of wished that Charlotte had done some digging in this episode about Victoria getting 11 black roses. The show needs to involve her a bit more in things.
Conrad: “You’re deceptively brilliant.”
Ashley: “I learned from the best.”
Conrad: “You meant Victoria, didn’t you?”
Ashley: “Yeah!”
Trask (to Daniel): “We don’t threaten in two dimensions, we act in three.”
I think it’s pretty obvious that detective who was in scenes with Nolan this week is another Initiative plant, right? I also don’t like the idea of Nolan being seen as a suspect for Padma’s murder.
Conrad (re his mask): “Would you say this projects delectability?”
Victoria: “More so than the man behind it.”
Daniel (to Victoria, re bullets): “I do believe these are yours. Feel free to use one for each of your two faces.”
The masquerade ball did look visually stunning, almost as much as the Fire & Ice party from the first season.
Emily: “I am not leaving you alone, Nolan.”
Nolan: “I love you too. I just have to deal with this on my own. I’ll be okay, I promise.”
Jack (to Victoria): “There is no victory for Amanda. She’s gone, which is why my child is being raised without a mother.”
Standout music: A massive overuse of opera in this one, though I guess it was fitting for the masquerade scenes.
Emily: “Sister, I need your help. I’m pregnant and I have nowhere else to go.”
Chronology: Six weeks since the events of “Victory”.
A pretty solid episode, “Masquerade” certainly ended on an interesting-ish cliff hanger but perhaps it really is time for the show to take off it’s own masks and get the Initiative out of the way? Either that or make them more interesting, though Padma’s death (and Colleen’s) I guess has tried to do it.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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