Revenge...

I started watching Revenge for one reason:  I loved Emily VanCamp on Everwood.  In fact, I loved Everwood so much that I religiously check twice a year to see if the entire season is out on DVD yet.  Thus far, all I can find is Season 1.  If anyone is reading this and has Everwood DVDs. please post a comment about where you found them.  Anyway, due to my loyalty to the Everwood cast, I'm typically willing to at least watch one episode of whatever television endeavors they pursue:  Parks and Recreation, Grey's Anatomy, etc.

Last week, with a little trepidation, I watched the series premiere of Revenge.  The show was well marketed over the summer, and I'll admit that I had some doubts.  My primary concern was that crime shows typically don't hold my attention.  And I was worried that Revenge would be some crazy mix of CSI and Dallas (yes, I am old enough to vaguely remember Dallas).

What I've learned over the past two weeks is that I was so incredibly wrong.  Revenge is the best new show of the fall in my humble opinion.  The following is a list of 10 reasons you should tune into ABC at 10 on Wednesday night.

1)  Emily Thorne/Amanda Clark/whatever alias you want to call her (VanCamp) is unbelievably awesome.  Think of a cross between Sarah Michelle Gellar on Buffy and Jennifer Garner on Alias.  Truly, in one scene, she will be sipping champagne at a polo match, and in the next, she will have her elbow up to a guy's windpipe.  I have so missed having a strong female heroine on the television.  And VanCamp can sell it.

2)   The main plot of Revenge is that Emily is setting out to seek revenge on all of the people who got her father incarcerated for life, thus ruining her childhood.  It just so happens that most of these people are snotty and pompous.  Let's be honest; who doesn't love watching someone who is condescending get knocked down a few notches?

3)  I am 90% certain Emily kills the son (Daniel) of the main antagonist in the first five minutes of the show.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Here's where things get interesting, it was a flash forward.  Thus, when the show goes back 12 weeks, Daniel (Joshua Bowman) is very much alive.  And I hate to say it, but I really like Daniel right now on the show.  I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about her killing him at some point.  Also, the flash forward reminded me of Lost.  God, I miss that show.

4)  Madeline Stowe as Victoria Grayson.  Victoria is Emily's main target.  And quite honestly, I think Emily will meet her match in Victoria.  I'm a viewer at home, and I'm genuinely terrified of Victoria.  It is a cat and mouse game at its best.  I expect some major fireworks between Emily and Victoria as this unravels.

5)  The unlikely partner in crime:  Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann).  I think some of the best scenes of the show are with Emily and Nolan.  Nolan is the only one who knows Emily's secret.  We get a flashback (have I mentioned I miss Lost?) where we see Nolan unwittingly giving Amanda (Emily) everything she needs to basically start her on her road to revenge.  Moreover, Mann seems quite capable of providing the character