As we learned last week, Emily (aka Amanda) is seeking revenge against the people who betrayed her father, throwing him in jail, where he eventually died, and ruining Emily’s entire childhood. Starting on the outskirts with the people who were ancillary characters in the plot against her dad and working her way in to Queen Victoria and the rest of the Grayson family, Emily is doling out healthy servings of justice.
Last week, she took down Lydia Davis, Queen Victoria’s best friend who was also sleeping with her, Queen Victoria’s, husband. Emily’s efforts resulted in Lydia’s exile from the Hamptons, apparently the worst thing that could ever happen to these Hampton socialites, besides probably losing their money.
This week, Emily has her sights set on a man she used to refer to as Uncle Bill, a man who likes his bets, which the show poignantly tells us by zooming in on the dice he apparently always carries, like a weirdo. At a Polo game (apparently people actually still play Polo) Emily gets herself introduced (or reintroduced) to Bill, claiming a bet he offered to the Grayson’s and seeking a place to invest her fortune. Bill takes the bait and sets up a meeting, we can only assume based on her brooding looks, that she will be ruining his life much in the same way she ruined Lydia’s. Emily takes time at the game to continue her flirtation with Daniel Grayson, giving Queen Victoria the chance to deliver an obvious yet vindictive response to the question “Why are you so interested in Emily Thorne?” Queen Victoria’s answer “Because she’s interested in my son!” Oh the unsuspecting Queen, taking the perfectly planted bait from Emily’s well-cast pole.
In the meantime, we’re taken to the story of the only poor family in this show, but honestly how poor can they actually be? I mean they are in the Hamptons. Jack Porter, being the good son that he is, is giving up his dreams of sailing around the world and selling his refurbished and beautifully restored sailboat to Nolan Ross (Emily’s only ally and the only person who knows she is Amanda), to help his father save the bar/restaurant they own. Nolan strikes a deal with Jack: in exchange for his friendship and some sailing lessons, he’ll return the boat back to Jack at the end of the summer. Jack is shocked, but obviously takes the deal, he already lost one Amanda he isn’t prepared to lose another, (Amanda is the name of his boat). Declan, Jack’s younger brother, seems to have his eye on Charlotte Grayson, which can only lead to trouble as Charlotte’s obviously controlling d-bag of a boyfriend reads a text and goes to beat Declan up like a man, with three of his friends holding Declan down.
Emily, her plan in motion, meets with Bill in his office to discuss her investment portfolio. While there she eyes his security badge and the list of his top investors. I sense a scheme of breaking and entering coming on! Queen Victoria, stupidly hanging onto Emily’s bait as Emily fiercely reels her in, calls Emily and invites her to tea. It’s at this tea that Emily reveals she’s won the bidding war for Lydia’s house (which apparently Queen Victoria put on the market last week, I guess she really does have power over all those who reside in the land), Queen Victoria is shocked, having thought she had placed the highest bid. Lucky for Emily, Nolan is a true friend with impressive hacking skills and bought the name in Emily’s name. It’s also at this tea that Daniel and Emily set an official date. I’m absolutely loving the sly and unsuspecting way Emily is outsmarting Queen Victoria.
With a strategically placed hug from a strategic person (Nolan), Emily joins Bill for lunch and tells him to put all his money on Alcon Cellular because of what a little birdie (Nolan) told her about a major merger. Bill proceeds to sink all his clients money into this company and when the merger turns out to have been false information, which Nolan reveals via iPad (ooo technology these days), Bill loses over $2 billions worth of assets for his clients. He has no plans to tell any of his customers, but luckily for him Emily is already on the job. After breaking and entering into his office earlier (the scheme is revealed!) and printing out the secret list of his top clients, (I’m seriously interested in her impressive skills and where she learned them), she is able to contact all of them. Hook line and sinker, Emily got her man.
Emily’s date with Daniel, a picnic on the beach, is adorably sweet and romantic. They talk a bit about their families and Emily reveals that both her parents, though loving great people, are dead. Daniel reveals that Emily should be prepared for the worst from his mother, like she couldn’t already tell. At the end of the night, when they’re just about to have a proper end to a proper date with a proper good night kiss, a large group of people jump out and yell surprise! Emily, though taken aback and probably P.O.ed that a wrench was thrown in her plans with Daniel, recovers smoothly and forces a smile. Nolan shows up to the welcome to the Hamptons/house warming party with his newly purchased bestie, Jack, which annoys Emily, but doesn’t stop her from having a short and wistful conversation with Jack that leaves her pining. When the party is over, Emily and Daniel get their good night kiss. Did I detect a slightly fearful look from Emily? Is she maybe getting feelings for this boy?
Queen Victoria’s P.I. and head of security reveals to her that upon further investigation (what doting mother doesn’t send a P.I. to investigate potential girlfriends for her son) there is a gap in Emily’s otherwise squeaky clean record. Victoria finally has the proof she needs that Emily is a flawed human being and therefore cannot be right for her son. Queen Victoria may be right about that, but as anyone can plainly see, no one is more flawed than the Queen herself.
The episode closes with Emily lighting a single candle on a cupcake with pink frosting and wishing Amanda “Happy Birthday”.
This show is moving very quickly, which makes me wonder how they’ll stretch it out beyond one season, but I’m sure they’ll think of something and they better because they more I watch the more addicted. Maybe, now that things are snowballing quickly and people are becoming hooked, they’ll slow the episodes down as Emily attempts to tackle her bigger foes.
Best Foreboding Quote of the Episode comes from Lydia, who while standing on the street corner gets picked up by a black town car. Lydia says “Thanks for picking me up on the street corner like a prostitute.” Then in true prostitute fashion she demands money from Conrad Grayson, as reparation from their affair. Way to forebode exactly what you were going to do, and turn yourself into a prostitute. Kudos.
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