Weekly Hamptons Revenge Recap – Season 4, Episode 10: "Atonement"

Get ready for one devastating episode of Revenge, folks. There are MASSIVE spoilers in this recap, so if you want to watch the mid-season finale to learn who dies, consider yourself warned.

And now, Revenge Season 4, Episode 10, the (un-ironically!) titled “Atonement”…

The beach house, morning. Victoria throws a fit about Malcolm Black, furious that David would keep all this information from her. David implores her to stay out of it, but Victoria refuses and suggests David go to Emily for help, since she can pay back the money he stole from Black. David balks at the suggestion and heads out. Victoria’s wheels turn in her pretty, evil little head.

Margaux meets Daniel at his hotel room at his request. He tells her that he made her an OB/GYN appointment, but she is angry that he’s even involved. “I can’t trust the man you’ve become,” she sighs before accusing him of running away. “I’m not the one who’s running, Margaux,” he calls back as she leaves.

Nolan reports his Kate findings to Emily. He’s convinced she’s not crooked. “I already ruined Louise, I’m not going to do the same to a federal agent. They have arrest warrants.” After Nolan admits he can’t find so much as a picture of Black, Emily heads to Kate’s hotel room and gathers fingerprints and plants some high-tech cameras via transparent tape. As she leaves, Emily runs into Ben and makes an excuse about surveying a conference room for an event. Ben is delivering some files to Kate, and is surprised to find that Emily doesn’t know that Jack and Kate are together.

David meets up with a friend from prison, who gives him a powder that can kill anyone and make it look like a stroke. Uh-oh!

After a hot, sweaty run, Jack invites Kate to the grand reopening of Nolan’s yacht club (Which I’ve erroneously called a country club for weeks. Apologies!). Meanwhile, Nolan heads to Louise’s yacht to apologize. After sweetening her up with compliments and sincere apologies, Louise agrees to be his co-host at the big party.

Daniel plays indoor golf and flashes back to 2008. Conrad (we missed you, you old devil!) practices his swing on the beach. Daniel approaches him and wants to testify on behalf of a girl who was assaulted at his party. Conrad tells Daniel he’ll be ruined if he helps the girl. “This world we’ve created is made up of gods and insects. That’s not fair but it’s a reality. Don’t concern yourself with ants, son.” Snapping out of it, Daniel asks a hotel employee to bring him some papers from his storage. Now, I’m no TV writer, but wouldn’t a more compelling flashback be Daniel struggling with taking ownership of his role in Sara’s injuries?

In a parking garage (Hamptons Authenticity Alert: There is no parking garage in the Hamptons), Emily confronts Jack about dating Kate. He doesn’t buy that she could be corrupt, but Emily correctly reminds him how it’s strange that Kate consulted a rookie on a major FBI case. Jack grudgingly agrees to let Emily and Nolan do their thing, but lets it be known that he doesn’t approve of their constant scheming.

Kate startles Victoria at the beach house. She questions Victoria about sending the photo of Emily to Malcolm Black. Victoria is savvy enough to know that she didn’t send the photo to the FBI, and calls Kate out on being totally corrupt. After threatening to blow Kate’s cover, Victoria asks simply to be left alone with David.

Nolan and Emily go over what they’ve learned about Kate. Emily plans to get Kate’s cell phone and have Nolan track it.

Victoria goes over some PR stuff about David (?) with Margaux, who is clearly not interested. Victoria can tell and asks Margaux what’s wrong; Margaux asks if Conrad was always an evil man. Victoria thinks about this—he was never kind, but he wasn’t cruel, either. Margaux admits that she’s pregnant with Daniel’s baby, and Victoria is happy for her. Margaux is afraid that the baby doesn’t stand a chance with Conrad and Pascal’s legacies. Victoria tells her almost-stepdaughter that Daniel is still a good man and that he loves her. When Margaux protests that she doesn’t love Daniel, Victoria says she’s just being afraid.

The big party at the yacht club. Louise and Nolan are super besties and take a selfie. Emily arrives but is interrupted by David, who’s hiding in the shadows. She begs him not to go after Malcolm Black by himself, but he bolts. Jack arrives and introduces Kate to Nolan and Emily. Nolan “accidentally” drops his drink on her dress. After Kate excuses herself, he warns them: “If she’s corrupt, I want to know. If she’s not, I want an apology.”

Daniel looks at a letter he wrote to Conrad explaining why he wanted to help the girl from his party. He goes to meet Victoria at a bar. Daniel won’t let her congratulate him on Margaux’s pregnancy. He then surprises Victoria by stating how disgusted he has become, going so far as to say that Emily coming into their lives helped him see the light. “Emily forced us to face the truth. We can’t hide anymore.” Daniel calls Victoria, himself, everyone cowards. “I’m done running. I hope you are, too.”

Emily goes into the bathroom and makes pleasantries with Kate, snatching her phone. Outside, Nolan and Louise dance. Louise continues to hint at her family secrets and says she needs to get away from her brother (who we haven’t met).

Kate corners Emily and asks AMANDA for her phone back. She claims that she’s just a victim; she’s a good FBI agent, but Black kidnapped her mother. Emily rolls her eyes and tells her to meet her at the manse in a half-hour.

Victoria heads back to the beach house, happy that Daniel seems to have changed. Inside, David is glad for her and pours some wine…and drops the poison into her glass.

Daniel sits on the beach outside the mansion for old time’s sake. He once again flashes back to Conrad stopping him from testifying. Margaux calls from his hotel room and apologizes for pushing him away. They agree to meet and talk things over.

With a glint in his eye, David toasts with Victoria. As he watches her eagerly, she stops herself from drinking and confesses her involvement in his downfall! David is shocked at Victoria’s confession. She admits that the reason she sold him out was because she found out that his supposedly dead wife, Kara, was alive. Victoria says she was angry and didn’t trust him, but after she ruined his life, she regretted it.

Kate arrives at the manse and Emily immediately puts her up against the wall and takes her gun, but Kate convinces her to give it back. Kate then tells Ems that David stole money from Malcolm Black and that they should wire it back to him. Emily grins. “When were you planning on killing me?” she asks as Kate pulls her gun. In a twist that is actually as surprising as it is soapy, Kate reveals that her mother is with Malcolm Black…because he’s her father! Kate tries to shoot but Emily took the clip.

Nolan and Jack drink to the fact that Emily hasn’t called with bad news about Kate. “It’s a Hamptons freakin’ miracle!” But then Jack notices Kate’s fingerprint on Nolan’s computer and runs out.

In a bravura action sequence, Kate and Emily brawl throughout the mansion and kick each other’s asses. Emily thinks she has the upper hand when she knocks Kate out, but Kate gets up for more and the two end up flying off the balcony onto the hard marble floor (don’t worry—this same floor couldn’t kill Fauxmanda and her unborn child). Kate stumbles to the clip and loads her gun.

Having heard the commotion while on the beach, Daniel rushes inside and sees Emily on the floor. “Get out of here, now!” Emily stammers. But it’s too late. Kate comes in and shoots Daniel several times. She goes to shoot Emily, but Jack bursts in and unloads his gun into his fake FBI girlfriend. As Daniel lays there dying, Emily tearily admits to him that it wasn’t all fake—not when it came to him, at least. He smiles: “I know. I know.”

The episode ends with the end of Daniel’s letter to Conrad: “We write our own endings. And we can either choose to hide as villains…or live as heroes.”

Closing Thoughts: Well, that certainly changes things, doesn’t it? Daniel’s death, while absolutely heartbreaking, is a good way to “reset” the revenge theme of the show. Victoria will likely turn on David because of this, and Malcolm Black will definitely be gunning for all of them, now that his daughter is dead.

Best exchange:
Kate: “I work for the United States taxpayers.”
Victoria: “And I do so miss my dearly departed husband. But one of those statements can be verified.”

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