Revenge Review: “Kindred” (Season 4 Episode 14)
In “Kindred,” Emily and her father finally have a chance to connect, giving Emily the opportunity to realize something about herself. She’s happy. She likes being Emily Thorne, and she likes the world she has created for herself. David wants to her come clean to the world and tell everything she’s actually Amanda Clarke, but as she tells Ben, that’s not something she ever intended to happen. What she intended was to avenge her father and then disappear, starting over with another new identity.
Now that David is alive, all those plans have changed. As Emily dances with her father and looks around the room, she sees Nolan and Jack and the world she’s created for herself. She admits to her father that she’d rather just stay Emily Thorne, and again it feels as though the series could end right there.
Emily: Look around. I’ve got friends. I’ve got you. Telling the whole world who I am would just upend everyone’s lives. But I’m happy that you asked, because I didn’t realize that I was happy until you did.
But unfortunately, Emily still has an adversary in Margaux, and that might bring Jack crashing down with her. Margaux’s investigator snaps a photo of Emily and David kissing, putting out there as gossip that the two are having a romantic relationship. Of course, any outsider would think that’s what is going on if they didn’t know David was actually Emily’s father. But this also hints back at an idea I talked about a few weeks ago — their relationship mirrors one that is romantic, and theirs has been the driving force of the series all along.
In an attempt to start moving on her with life, Emily shows up on Ben’s doorstep. I still don’t understand these two as a couple, except for the obvious fact that it will be another road block in between Emily and Jack. And wouldn’t you know it, Jack shows up just in time to see Emily kissing Ben, watching with jealousy from a distance.
I’ll admit, I like Louise now. I also think it’s interesting to show Emily as a mentor for her, and I could see Emily passing on wisdom as Louise plans her own sort of revenge. With Nolan invested in Louise now (heck, he married her) he could certainly help in a brand new scheme.
Other thoughts:
- Nolan’s wardrobe is almost always amazing, but can we talk about that jacket?! Only he could pull off something like that. Love, love, love.
- A special guest star joined the group this week as well. Victoria is fighting for her seat at the head of the table against Natalie, played by the amazing Gina Torres.
- Jack quitting the police force seems like the right move, all things considered.
What did you think of this episode of Revenge? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave a rating all your own!
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.