It might seem
strange to realize this, but television and literature overlap despite being
different mediums. One common element is romance. People will always love
shipping (rooting for a couple) regardless of whether the couple is from a book
or television show. Shipping isn’t silly because it’s the sports equivalent of
fantasy football. One type of element related to romance is a love triangle.
Common examples are Team Edward and Team Jacob in Twilight and Stelena versus Delena in The Vampire Diaries. However, there’s another complicated love
situation people might not be aware of. It’s called a love square (or love
rhombus). The former ABC television
show Revenge made the concept of a
love square famous because Emily (real Amanda Clarke) had three suitors (Daniel,
Jack, and Aiden). But for today’s post, I’m going to talk about Emily and
Daniel’s complicated relationship. Daniel and Emily’s romantic entanglement is
a good writing teaching tool for illustrating how love is not always a binary.
Revenge starts season one with Emily pursuing Daniel Grayson so she
can get revenge on his parents (Victoria and Conrad Grayson, and other elite
Hamptons people) because they framed her father (David Clarke) for terrorism.
Daniel therefore grants Emily access to Victoria and Conrad. However, the
relationship isn’t black and white. Emily is the one who pushes her and Daniel
to sleep together for the first time without hesitation. She also stands by
Daniel during his murder trial-even though that postpones her revenge mission
by making it take a back seat. She also accepts Daniel’s proposal despite how
he’s the enemy’s son (a fake relationship is one thing, but an engagement complicates
things).
The ambiguity
festers in Season 2. Daniel and Emily are initially broken up. But she gives
him advice on how to deal with his mother in addition to telling him how he can
still be a good person and not be like his parents when they dance at Victoria
and Conrad’s second wedding. Emily even tells Aiden that Daniel isn’t a joke
after Aiden mocks Daniel (when Aiden and Emily have wine after Victoria and
Conrad’s wedding). Emily admits Daniel is a casualty in her revenge. Doubt is clearly
present because Emily has no reason to defend Daniel in that instance since
Daniel isn’t there. Emily also fantasizes about Daniel when she’s really with
Aiden while still trying to court Daniel for a second time. Emily even breaks
up with Aiden just to court Daniel again, and flashes a nervous smile while
saying, “please” when Daniel mentions he’s thankful for a second chance. Emily ultimately
allows herself to become engaged to Daniel for a second time. Furthermore, she
prioritizes talking to Daniel over Aiden when she is frustrated with Aiden at
one point.
Season 3 doesn’t
contain much ambiguity apart from Emily putting her relationship with Aiden
even more on the back burner because she needs to see her engagement to Daniel through.
Emily’s revenge is contingent on framing Victoria for her murder on her wedding
night. The Emily and Daniel situation is more complex than her simply using
him. Putting Aiden on the back burner is inconsiderate if her feelings for
Aiden are 100 percent genuine. As a result, Emily will never be able to have an
honest relationship with anyone while she pursues her revenge.
Season 4 is the
payoff Revenge fans deserve. Daniel
learns Emily is really Amanda Clarke. Daniel isn’t mad at how Emily treated him
now that he knows she schemed because of being David Clarke’s daughter; not a
shallow socialite. Daniel even looks at his laptop again at a photo of him and
Emily like he does in Season 2 right before he likes her again. Emily admits
there was a time when she and Daniel could have had a real relationship (in
front of Daniel). Victoria also reveals she didn’t tell Daniel the truth after
she learned Emily’s real identity because she was afraid he would side with
Emily. Daniel even asks Emily about how she can’t say that she wasn’t in the
moment with him when he proposed. Emily also pats Daniel on the shoulder in a
subsequent episode when they talk. Additionally, Emily later says, “I’m not in
the mood to do whatever it is we’ve been doing” to Daniel in Season 4 Episode
9. That’s yet another moment showing how there’s a spark between Daniel and
Emily. But then Daniel dies in Season 4 Episode 10 when he takes a bullet for
Emily. Emily holds Daniel in her arms while sighing before admitting it wasn’t
all a lie with him.
Bingo. A direct
admission on Emily’s part. Emily even admits she knew marrying him was wrong,
yet she did it anyway in Episode 4x11 in addition to thinking back about a fun
memory with Daniel and being furious when Victoria won’t let her go to the
funeral. Emily wouldn’t have been furious if she felt nothing for Daniel. Emily
also admits how too much blood has been shed (including Daniel’s) and is
furious again when confronting Victoria about how she accidently set Daniel’s
death in motion by meddling. Emily also subsequently reveals how she never
wanted any of this (his death) to happen to Daniel.
Emily and Daniel
should have been endgame because she always disrespected Aiden by not
prioritizing him in addition to how she had ZERO chemistry with Jack.
Anyway, thank
you for following my analysis. The point is, Emily and Daniel’s relationship is
a powerful learning tool. Their dynamic informs my own writing by highlighting
ambiguity. Ambiguity is necessary because life isn’t always black and white
(side note: the Revenge Wiki page
dedicated to Emily and Daniel’s relationship even concedes how it is unknown if
she is in a relationship with Daniel out of genuine affection, just for her
revenge, or if the truth is somewhere in the middle). Ambiguity makes Revenge richer because it would be so
easy if Emily felt nothing towards Daniel or if they didn’t get closure in
Season 4 with their interactions). But Revenge
doesn’t take the easy way out. Writers
can learn from Revenge even if they
aren’t writing about love triangles/squares, or revenge schemes. Ambiguity is real
because people often have contradictory emotions. For example, it’s possible to
both hate and love someone at the same time. Ambiguity also creates clarity
despite how the idea might seem nonsensical. For example, it is the ambiguity
in Revenge that gives the show
clarity because the confusion between Daniel and Emily exists in actual spoken
words as opposed to subtext.
And to all my
fellow writers out there, don’t be afraid to add ambiguity to your writing. I
know I will.
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