Revenge "Legacy" Recap – What Happened In 2002?

This week’s episode took us back to 2002 where everything began.

So we knew a lot of things that were shown (Emily working the New Year’s party, Victoria’s love for David,Lydiaand Conrad’s affair, and just how dirty Frank was) but this episode elaborated on the past and deepened our understanding of the characters. What happened in the past in the Hamptons changed everyone’s lives and it was interesting to see how much.

What’s important about 2002?

1. Emily was still Amanda Clarke and a bit of a train wreck.

When the episode opened, Amanda was spending money, pounding back drinks, beating up men, getting kicked out of clubs, and being watched by Nolan. She didn’t care about anything, especially her father, and it was Nolan’s encouragement to learn who her father is that led her down the path she’s now on. She began reading his journals, recalling a memory where she watched Victoria steal her father’s laptop, and it looked as if Victoria saw her as well.

Amanda was able to work the party because Jack’s girlfriend was a caterer and while hanging out at the bar, she overheard her complain about needing to do the Grayson party. She seized the opportunity to get her foot in the door and played hired hand to the people who were responsible for her father’s framing and murder. The party was also where she gathered what would ultimately become her revenge list. By the end of the episode, Amanda had come to know the truth and she called Nolan, vowing revenge, which he reminded wasn’t what her father wanted. That New Year’s party is what set everything that’s happening now into motion.

2. Victoria was still in love with David and Conrad began his affair with Lydia. 

The Graysons actually owned the Clarke house and it appeared thatVictoria visited it often. The first time she met David was at their New Year’s party and she was warm and welcoming, opening her home to him and Amanda. The house was all she had left after destroying him and Conrad was fed up and decided to sell it.

Meanwhile, Lydiaand her husband were looking for a place in the Hamptons. When she and Conrad were alone, she admitted he was the reason she went along with framing David Clarke and just like that, their affair began. She was clearly a conniving, backstabbing bitch, and it kind of makes everything that happened to her in the present well-deserved. After sleeping with Conrad at the party, he later announced to their guests and Victoria that Lydiaand her husband would be buying the Clarke house. How sad was it when Victoriatold Lydiathat house was the only thing she had left of David? She let her have it anyway; unaware that Lydiawas also having her husband. If anything, 2002 fueled my hatred for Conrad and Lydia.

3. Mason Treadwell was screwing with the Graysons.

When the episode began Conrad had received a note with a bloodstain and David Clarke’s name on it. He and Frank were in a panic and it wasn’t until the end of the party when Victoriarealized Mason had sent it, to as she put “shame the devil.” Mason played it off and said it was to drum up intrigue for his next book, but we all know he just wanted to screw with them a little bit. It’s always fun to see the guilty sweat when they think they’ve escaped what they’ve done.

4. Jack has a good reason to be so angry toward Nolan.

At least one sentence must be written about the awful hair that was on Jack’s head. It was long and unattractive and still looked as unwashed in 2002 as it does in the presence. It was just awful. Awful. Awful. Okay, so that was more than one, but it definitely required it.

Anywho, Jack had a girlfriend in the past! She wasn’t a hooker. She wasn’t annoying. She definitely seemed set on leaving theHamptons, while Jack clearly wanted to stay forever. In fact, she seemed quite sweet – at least until she kissed Nolan at midnight in the bar and sent Jack into a tailspin.

So is this where all his pent up anger towards Nolan comes from? We did see a glimpse of the selfless, caring Nolan we love so much when he offered to not buy Jack’s dad’s home. Instead Jack’s father asked him to because it would help keep the bar open and he wouldn’t have to tell his sons their mother was taking him to the cleaners.

5. Frank murdered Roger Halstead.

While most of the people at Grayson Global handled framing David well, Roger did not. He was a heavy drinker and hated them so much that he didn’t even want to sit with them at the party. Amanda told him who she was when they were alone and demanded to know the truth. He resisted at first, but bumped into her later at the party and slipped her note saying he would tell her everything she needed to know. Only he didn’t have the chance because once he was wasted, Frank escorted home and the next time we saw Roger, it was Amanda finding him in the bathtub with his wrists slit. From what we know about the Graysons having people who get in their way murdered, it’s safe to say Frank killed Roger to protect the truth. Whoa.

And that is how Amanda Clarke became Emily Thorne, who is now engaged to a Grayson and attending the New Year’s party as their soon-to-be daughter in law. Major shout out to whoever decided to move back to the present at the end of the show and let us see Daniel in a suit. He’s practically drool-worthy.

Now as for the promos for what’s coming up – is anyone else scared? Next Wednesday can’t come soon enough!