HOLLYWOOD – This was perhaps one of the quieter episodes of “Revenge” that I have witnessed in quite some time. It could have been better titled “Forgiveness” compared to “Struggle,” but we’ll run with it for now. The gist of the episode surrounded Emily (Emily VanCamp) in her attempt to make sense of her blackouts, which have hurt the people she cared for more than those that she didn’t.  In a desperate attempt, Nolan (Gabriel Mann) begged her bestie to seek help, even willing to take her out of town to fix the problem, but Em’s wasn’t committed running away.

So what did our ever elusive spy do, he reached out to the one person that he hoped not to, Aiden (Barry Sloane). I must say last week’s promo made it seem like Emily was in trouble, but after that conversation I was well aware that it was Aiden who snatched Emily from underneath the bed. Let’s just say his tactics of attempted to drown her in a tub of ice cold water were harsh, but it helped. She began to recall vivid memories she shared with her father. Some that put things into even further perspective. 

Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) continued to live under a rock, not acknowledging the fact that she just killed a man, even though he deserved every little bit that he had coming to him. Patrick (Justin Hartley) unable to deal with the guilt decides to get into a bar brawl with his father’s buddies that doesn’t bode well for the black sheep in the family.  It appears his guilt is definitely eating away at him on the inside. Furious about what has transpired, Victoria decided to confront Nolan about his actions, which placed him on the defensive to begin, but showed a bit of compassion when the truth was revealed.

In an attempt to steer his former lover from a train wreck, Nolan confronts Patrick about his actions and the direction he should be taking in life, notably his art. A chance meeting with a famed artist forced Patrick to bid farewell to his mother once again, but I have a feeling Patrick will return before the season wraps.  In other news, naive Charlotte (Christa B. Allen) chose to do Daniel’s (Joshua Bowman) dirty work by getting in good with Conrad (Henry Czerny) at Volouz magazine.

I have a feeling that both brother and sister are about to get greatly burned. If there is one thing audiences should know about Conrad Grayson it’s that he can spot a sinister plot from miles away. Like they say, “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.” Speaking of forgiveness, Jack (Nick Wechsler) decided to get his estranged mother Stevie’s side of the story.

I must say last week I saw this twist coming, but it was still a treat to see it transpire. She had been keeping trinkets of her son’s life that were sent to her by his dad, awe how sweet. Stevie should know Jack is a guarded character. Considering how many times he’s experienced heartache in his life, could you blame him for being cautious about whom he lets in. After a few battles with mother and son, Jack decided to give her a shot after speaking with Emily. If there is anyone who knows what the loss of a parent or in Emily’s case both parents feel like it’s this woman. Made logical sense to say the least, this is the only parent you have left, don’t allow your anger or hate cloud your judgment to think rational.

The final moments of the episode saw Nolan deliver Emily a newly improved infinity box that could only be opened with a touch of a finger. You’d think with a mission of this magnitude our protagonist would have considered top-notch security to begin with. Just when the audience thought things would end on a happy note, Emily recalled a specific detail her father shared with her about meeting a disbarred lawyer, guess who that lawyer happens to be: Stevie, Jack’s mom. Uh-oh this can’t bode good news, as we know Emily is willing to use anyone and I mean anyone to get the revenge she so desperately seeks. Until next Sunday “Revenge” lovers!