"Revenge"

[landtuna]

My first impression of this show was that it is a blatant rip-off of Dallas (complete with the "Southfork" reference in ep 1). But even on Dallas there were characters you liked - not here. Even the "good girl" is a witch in lamb's clothing.

The second impression I had was that this show moves way too quickly and with too many characters. Without a scorecard you lost track of the players.

My third impression is that you would never find that group of people in The Hamptons. A bunch of 20-somethings with millions in the bank just doesn't happen. And they don't buy and sell yachts and beach houses casually nor do they attend polo matches.

Everything is just too convenient - and not realistic. Even the Mission Impossible team was required to go through a modicum of effort to gain entrance to the corporate offices of the Wall Street trader. The relationships where everyone hangs out with people they dispise. The bigtime money investors taken to the shed by a 20-something "revengette". The endless "pahties". The Botox moms with their frozen smiles.

This show appears as if it was written by a committee of smarmy 15-year olds frustrated because they can't get their hands on grandma's trust fund.

There is a bit of mystery here though and that might bring me back for a third viewing. I will take the precaution of eating dinner earlier than normal however just in case the gag reflex comes back.

 

[Silkie]

It put me slightly in mind of a 1982 Sidney Sheldon novel, Master of The Game, but without the skill or polish of Sidney Sheldon and too much venom in too many characters.  Even Sidney Sheldon confined it to a family, though a family tree it was.

True, people in The Hamptons do not all behave so.  In fact less than a few do.  Knowing the kinds of people fromo that part of the country and similar environs I tend to agree that there is too much of a class warfare indoctrination style bug biting the writers, who have probably never known those kinds of solid, settled, down to earth people.

That said, I hope Emily pulls the whole thing off.  I caught the gist of the storyline.  The setting is there, but the plot is more of the Pan Am description somebody else posted, and that is audience targeting - shallow people who have no clue, who are unhappy with what they are because they made so many wrong choices...and even into possibly their early 30s have no idea who they are, no clue as to where anyone they seek to ruin has been, but presume to know where they can take them. I can almost not wait to see how the protagonist of Master of The Game is emulated by at least some attempts.

All in all, I would say again that I hope she pulls it off, although in real life dogs like those who brought her family to ruin and seek to bring her to ruin usually never amount to anything more than small time loserhood.