Midseason report card: Was ‘Revenge’ season 3 sweet for Emily VanCamp and company?

Back in the spring of this year, there was no getting around it: Not everyone had particularly nice things to say about the second season of “Revenge.” It was plodding, it was confusing, and save for the finale and the death of the fake Amanda Clarke, we can barely remember anything that happened.

So was season 3 a vast improvement? Definitely. “Revenge” finally felt like a show worth watching again in that it was clear, intriguing, and allowed some of the actors to really shine again. We’d be lying if we say here and said that it was 100% perfect, but it at least brought it back to a place where it deserves some solid ratings again.

What worked – Starting things off with a very clear twist in that by the end of the season, you knew that Emily Thorne was going to be shot. You were then left wondering who would be the shooter, and there was some great buildup to the wedding. Also, both Margaux and Patrick were interesting recurring characters, and rather than being fully annoyed by seeing unfamiliar faces, we really embraced them.

Emily VanCamp has always had some great stuff to do on the show, but this year we had a much better sense as to her character’s vision and her goals. Gabriel Mann had a chance to play the steamier side of Nolan, which was also fun to watch.

What didn’t – There was not too much to celebrate with the Daniel character, save for the final few weeks of the season. This is a guy who just isn’t as interesting as he could otherwise be. In some ways, we’re almost tiring of the entire Grayson clan in that the actors aren’t doing anything wrong, but we are just not particularly afraid of them anymore. They’re just around, and Victoria says a bunch of snarky things. There is really not that much else to it. Charlotte was a ghost for most of the season.

Also, we feel like there were some wasted opportunities when it comes to Jack and Emily the past several weeks; why not get him more involved? We liked watching him with Margaux, but this is a guy who has somehow always found himself in the middle of things. A little more focus for him would’ve been nice.

Overall – It’s still a soapy show with over-the-top twists, and Emily losing her memory is the perfect example. But at least “Revenge” feels like it’s getting its mojo back, and providing a fun sort of soap rather than one that’s just confusing. Now, it just needs to figure out the Graysons if it wants to really get to the top (or provide Emily a new challenge altogether). Grade: B.