Weekly Hamptons Revenge Recap – Season 4, Episode 13: "Abduction"

A surprise elopement, a violent conclusion to a horrible story and the scariest TV mom since “Mommie Dearest” highlight this edition of the Weekly Hamptons Revenge Recap.

Revenge, Season 4, Episode 13: Abduction

Emily and Victoria wake up in a cage in a trash site by the water (because the Hamptons is full of environmental hazards on the water…[insert eye roll]). Before they can start killing each other, Malcolm Black and his henchman enter. He explains that he wants to send David Clarke a message and slaps Emily. And we’re off!

David is packing his things at the beach house to skip town when Jack arrives with the news that Malcolm’s been released…and that the jump drive is missing. Jack rushes to the precinct and drags Beat Cop Ben into an empty interrogation room and asks him for help. When Jack says that they need to find Malcolm, Ben reveals that (thanks to Margaux and Victoria’s conversation last week) he knows everything: Emily’s true identity, David’s involvement with Malcolm, the Flight 197 incident, Kate’s death, the location of the Montauk Monster and more. Ben initially refuses to help, but when Jack mentions that Alvarez’s disappearance may be tied to the whole thing, Ben changes his tune. Alvarez was his mentor, after all—yet another subplot I missed?

David heads to Grayson Manor to find Emily, but receives a video from Malcolm on his phone showing the imprisoned Emily and Victoria. Malcolm tells David he wants Kate back—ALIVE—or the gals die. My suggestion: Let Emily and Victoria handle it. They’ll be at each other’s throats so much that Malcolm will let them go to shut them up.

Early in the morning, Jack and Ben meet up with David. The Three Stooges can’t agree on how to locate Malcolm or what to do about Kate since she’s dead, as Ben points out to Jack with a glare. Rather than call Nolan for some computer genius help, David says they can’t endanger anyone else and that they need to do this on their own.

At her office, Margaux is surrounded by research on the Flight 197 bombing and all that jazz. In a flashback, we see Victoria beg her to keep this info to herself. Clearly that’s not happening, as Margaux calls a mystery person and says to meet her later.

Louise reads the paper and sips her wine. When she puts down the paper, her mother is sitting next to her! Louise, exasperated that her hallucinations are still occurring, downs her glass of white wine and tells her mother to get lost, she’s not real. “Of course I am!” she laughs. Nolan arrives and her momma, Penelope, introduces herself, to Louise’s relief (or horror—either reaction is appropriate).

David calls Malcolm and claims to have Kate, thanks to a doctored voicemail from Jack’s phone. The men agree to a tradeoff later that evening. This can’t end well. Ben, back to his Beat Cop stupidity, wants to call in a SWAT team, but David refuses. When the two start arguing, Jack shuts them up.

Penelope invites herself into Louise’s apartment, wanting to chat. Louise tells Penelope to cut the friendly act and the two get down to business. Penelope’s not happy that Lyman ran into trouble with Nolan, but Louise calls out her momma on drugging her for most of her life. Penelope reminds Louise that she is her legal conservator and that if she doesn’t behave, she’s cut off. She wants to be a senator’s mother, so stop causing trouble for Lyman.

Victoria and Emily are let out of the cage for some food, but Victoria takes the opportunity to trade some info with Malcolm in exchange for her freedom. Emily is horrified when Victoria reveals that Jack may have information on Kate and David, and tries to stop the henchman from leaving to question him. After Emily is restrained, Malcolm tells the henchman to question Jack, get some intel…and kill him.

Victoria and Emily try taunting each other while they wait for their fates. Victoria wishes she’d died at the lighthouse, and the two argue about Victoria sending the photo to Malcolm in the first place but Vicky maintains that she was trying to help David. Emily suddenly laughs at her and reveals that David has been plotting to kill her since he returned to the Hamptons. Ouch.

Louise and Nolan cook together and she fills him in on her mother’s schemes. Louise reveals that her father originally left everything to her, and Penelope has resented her ever since. Nolan promises her they’ll figure out a way to stop Penelope. Louise makes a point of saying how close she and her father were.

Jack gets to his apartment, where he sent Ben to get something (it’s another one of those “blah blah plot point” moments), but finds Ben bound and gagged (not in the fun way). Then a Malcolm Black henchman attacks from the shadows. After the umpteenth fight sequence this season, Jack fells the henchman.

David shows up at his rendezvous with Malcolm. Producing only Victoria, Malcolm then points a gadget at David’s car that takes “Kate’s” temperature, revealing that she’s dead. Malcolm is only a little surprised and retaliates by shooting David in the knee. Victoria screams—if I were her I’d totally join Malcolm’s side at this point. Much safer. David begs Malcolm to kill him, but Mal decides to make him suffer first.

Back at the apartment, Jack and BCB cuff the unconscious thug. Jack turns the guy over and sees that Emily drew a star on his shoulder (?!). After a bit of crazy exposition involving them playing treasure hunts as kids, Jack realizes she’s left him a hint. Ben notes that the drawing is made of coal and they realize Malcolm is holding them at the trash site on the water.

Malcolm brings Victoria and David back to the makeshift prison. Emily is horrified as Malcolm slashes David slowly and deeply, then declares that David’s going to do the hard work.

Elsewhere, Margaux meets with a friend of Pascal’s, who agrees to find evidence to nail Emily. Don’t care? Me neither. Moving on…

Malcolm turns on the incinerator and tells David he’s going to dismember the ladies. He goes to kill Emily, but suddenly Victoria declares that she killed Kate in cold blood and enjoyed it. Malcolm’s anger escalates when Victoria spits in his face and challenges him to stab her like a coward. Instead, he decides to strangle her. As he chokes Victoria, Ben and Jack arrive and take out the henchmen with impressive, Takeda-level skill. Emily grabs the knife, which fell to the floor in the chaos, and tries to get the upper hand with Malcolm. Unfortunately, the crazy bastard is stronger than she and drags her toward the incinerator….but is shot by Ben! He turns to look at Ben, stunned, and Ben showers him with bullets. Malcolm falls into the fire. Now can Ben be detective?

The authorities arrive. Jack and Emily debrief and Em reveals that she intentionally had Victoria drop Jack’s name so she could send the hint. Emily feels bad for Ben, who has learned that Alvarez is dead. As David is put on a stretcher, he thanks Victoria, who reveals that she-knows he planned to kill her. Rather than prolong the drama, Victoria agrees to let it go. They part ways.

Meanwhile, on the better show, Penelope meets with a gleeful Louise and Nolan, who are dressed in fabulous white and pink. When Penelope asks why they wanted to meet, Nolan reveals that he found a loophole in the conservatorship, stating that if Louise marries, her spouse becomes her conservator. Penelope can’t believe her eyes when Louise and Nolan flash their rings—they got married! Nolan goes to get some Champagne after Penelope appears to gracefully admit defeat, but she’s not done with her daughter yet. In a twist we all saw coming, Penelope says that Louise killed her father but blacked it out thanks to the pills.

Ben brings David back from the hospital to the manse. David limps off, and Emily thanks Ben. She asks Ben why he’s willing to help them, and he reveals that he once took down a drug ring undercover. He admits that it’s not the same as Emily’s situation, but he knows what it’s like. Ben suggests they start over; Emily agrees, smiling genuinely. And so, our long Hamptonite nightmare is over…

Not! Margaux tends to Victoria, who implores her not to go after Emily. Unfortunately, the French media maven is planning to take Emily down in a huge way. Victoria warns Margaux that revenge is dangerous. “It will be me who destroys her,” Margaux declares as the audience sighs…

Closing Thoughts: The Malcolm Black saga wrapped up quickly and neatly, hopefully freeing the show from the bland action/spy antics that has pervaded up so much of this season. Victoria has made peace with David and even agreed to back off Emily, so where does that leave her? The most interesting story on the show continues to be Nolan and Louise’s friendship, which took quite a soapy turn tonight. Did Louise really kill her father, or was Penelope just trying to get under her skin?

Takedown of the week: Malcolm Black. We hardly knew ye.

Performer of the week: Madeleine Stowe was fantastic this week, going from weak to cruel to surprisingly heroic. This was the first episode in a while that showcased Stowe’s incredible range as an actress.

Scenery Chewer of the week: Carolyn Hennesy is a hoot as Penelope Ellis, but did she watch a Tennessee Williams marathon before playing the role?

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