"Revenge"

“An intention fueled by passion can be impossible to stop. Over time it gains momentum until it turns into an impetus for change. This is how a notion transforms into motivation and how a child's vow becomes reality.”

I finished watching Season three’s final two episodes of the series ‘Revenge’ yesterday; and unlike most of the drama, I believe it ended giving its audiences a whiff of contentment. The antagonist, Emily Thorne‘s first revenge was fulfilled. With this, I, as a keen audience (and Emily’s staunch supporter) , experienced victory as if I had just won the toughest battle of my own.

I’ve never liked watching TV dramas before and I still hate it. But the story of ‘Revenge’ touched me like none other did and the story felt like my own.

“When I was a little my understanding of revenge was as simple as the Sunday school proverbs it hid behind. Neat little morality slogans, like 'Do unto others' and 'Two wrongs don't make a right.' But two wrongs can never make a right because two wrongs can never equal each other. For the truly wronged real satisfaction can only be found in one of two places: absolute forgiveness or mortal vindication. This is not a story about forgiveness.”

And it really wasn't the story of forgiveness. It wasn't the story of surrender. It was the anecdote of loyalty and sacrifice, of patience and love. I couldn’t wait to watch how the little girl’s tale of vengeance would unravel with every chapter.

…

“The greatest weapon anyone can use against us is our own mind by preying on the doubts and uncertainties that already lurk there. Are we true to ourselves, or do we live for the expectations of others? And if we are open and honest, can we ever truly be loved? Can we find the courage to release our deepest secrets? Or in the end, are we all unknowable, even to ourselves?”

It was an immature oath; a child swearing to avenge her family’s annihilation. But the fire within her intention was as strong as anything in the world can be. With time, she made herself stronger, physically and mentally. The image that she turned herself into devoured her and made her stronger enough to bear the greatest pain of loss. She knew she will fade into the darkness of suffering and loneliness if she chose this path. Still she did. For her, her father’s last words were the power that kept her going.

…

“Absolution is the washing away of sin, a promise of rebirth, and a chance to escape the transgressions of those who came before us. The best among us will learn from the mistakes of the past, while the rest seem doomed to repeat them. And then there are those who operate on the fringes of society, unburdened by the confines of morality and conscience. A ruthless breed of monsters whose deadliest weapon is their ability to hide in plain sight. If the people I've come to bring justice to cannot be bound by the quest for absolution, then neither will I.”

As fearless as that little girl was, she stirred the reckless dreams. She unbound them and saved them as memories, memories that inspire hope. She relentlessly rescued her aspirations from the monsters that once destroyed her family. She didn’t hide, nor run away. Instead she forged a war against them.