Best Served Cold: The Unofficial Companion to Revenge

by Erin Balser

Overview

Revenge has never been so sweet.

A critical and commercial hit, Revenge was followed fanatically for each of its four seasons. Consistently the #1 show in its timeslot, Revenge was ABC’s biggest primetime hit since Lost, and the first series to match the kind of success Lost had in the coveted 18-49 demographic.

A fast-paced and complicated character-driven show with many plot twists and unanswered questions, fans will welcome insight and analysis into Emily Thorne’s master plan in this intelligent but playful companion to the series. Erin Balser’s exploration of themes, characters, the show’s soapy and literary inspirations, and real-world events for the entire first season make this the must-have book for everyone who is watching Revenge.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770410930
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	10/31/2012
Edition description:	No Edition
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Erin Balser is the co-author of Don’t Stop Believin’: The Unofficial Guide to Glee and a social media powerhouse. She lives in Toronto.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Plotting Revenge 1

Revenge Rewind: Must-See TV 10

The Origin Story 13

The Count of Monte Cristo Cheat Sheet 15

The Revenger 23

The Prodigal Daughter Returns: Emily Thorne 23

Revenginators: Emily Thome's Predecessors 26

Emily VanCamp as Emily Thorne 30

The Targets 33

The Queen of the Hamptons: Victoria Grayson 33

Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson 36

The Bad Guy Boss: Conrad Grayson 39

Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson 41

The Collateral Damage 44

The Princely Puppet: Daniel Grayson 44

Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson 46

The Poor Little Rich Girl: Charlotte Grayson 48

Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson 51

The Allies 53

The Sidekick: Nolan Ross 53

A Billionaires Backstory: Nolan Ross 55

Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross 58

The Sensei: Satoshi Takeda 59

Sensei-tional Influences: Satoshi Takeda's Predecessors 60

Hiroyuki Sanada as Satoshi Takeda 64

The Innocent 65

The Childhood Sweetheart: Jack Porter 65

Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter 67

The Kid Brother: Declan Porter 69

The Real Deal: Montauk 70

Connor Paolo as Declan Porter 72

The Problems 73

The Man Who Knew Too Much: Frank Stevens 73

Max Martini as Frank Stevens 75

The Backstabbing Bestie: Ashley Davenport 76

The Real Deal: Croydon 77

Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport 77

The Talented Mr. Hamptons: Tyler Barrol 79

Ashton Holmes as Tyler Barrol 82

The Single White Female: "Amanda Clarke" 82

Margarita Levieva as "Amanda Clarke" 85

Episode Guide 87

1.01 Pilot 88

Revenge Reading: Homer's Odyssey 93

1.02 Trust 95

On Location: Filming Revenge 100

1.3 Betrayal 105

Music on Revenge 108

1.4 Duplicity 111

1.5 Guilt 116

Revenge Reading: Herman Melville's Moby-Dick 119

Revenge Reading: Stieg Larsson's: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 121

1.6 Intrigue 123

1.7 Charade 127

Revenge Reading: William Shakespeare's Hamlet 130

1.08 Treachery 132

Revenge Reading: Patricia Highsmith's: The Talented Mr. Ripley 135

1.09 Suspicion 137

Revenge Reading: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein 141

1.10 Loyalty 143

Revenge Reading: Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer" 146

1.11 Duress 147

Revenge Reading: Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 151

1.12 Infamy 152

Revenge Reading: John Milton's Paradise Lost 155

1.13 Commitment 157

Fashion on Revenge 160

1.14 Perception 163

Revenge Reading: William Blake's: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell 167

1.15 Chaos 169

What's in a Name? 171

1.16 Scandal 174

Revenge Reading: F. Scott Fitzgerald's: The Great Gatsby 178

1.17 Doubt 180

Alfred Hitchcock and Revenge 184

1.18 Justice 188

Revenge Reading: Euripides 'Medea 193

1.19 Absolution 194

Revenge Reading: Edward Albee's: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? 197

1.20 Legacy 199

Revenge Reading: Agatha Christie's: And Then There Were None 203

1.21 Grief 205

Revenge Reading: George Orwell's 1984 209

The Symbols of Revenge 210

1.22 Reckoning 212

Revenge Reading: Frank Miller's: Batman: Year One 218

Revenge Reading: Thomas Harris's: The Silence of the Lambs 219

The Timeline 223

Sources 225

Acknowledgments 233

Editorial Reviews

"The ultimate resource for truly dedicated fans. The authors' unabashed enthusiasm and total immersion in the 'huge, complicated, and fascinating world' of Glee is apparent throughout this highly readable companion volume. . . . Gleeks will want this volume by their side as they watch—or rewatch—episodes and delight in each and every detail of the show."  —School Library Journal on Don't Stop Believin': The Unofficial Guide to Glee

From the Publisher