TV Tuesday: Revenge

I love Revenge.

Not the act of, of course, but rather, the TV series. I'm a bit behind on the 8-ball with this show, but after a solid tip from my awesome mother-in-law and some gushing about the series by my fabulous employer, I picked up the first season of Revenge this past weekend.

I'm almost done - and it's 22 episodes.

I know I've been doing a lot of binge TV watching (I swear, there's a reason), but few shows have compelled me like this one - and truthfully, it's not in my traditional wheelhouse. Typically, I go for the supernaturally-inspired series, like The Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead and True Blood. Don't get me wrong, those kinds of shows still own priority position on my PVR schedule.

But I've been forcing myself out of my comfort zone lately -- and Revenge definitely hits the mark.

The show centers on a young woman who integrates herself into a rich community with people who don't realize she's only there to exact revenge on those who had destroyed her family.

Though I do believe in karma, I'm not big on the act of revenge and by all accounts, I shouldn't be obsessed with this show. There's nothing supernatural about it. It isn't a thriller. It's not twisted like American Horror Story or funny like Friends. And it's definitely not a reality show featuring Adam Levine. 

But here's the thing. When I was a teen, I LOVED The O.C. - a show about a group of young people living rich, and dealing with typical teenage drama. (Sidenote: I also loved Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210 - the originals, of course.) Writer Mike Kelley was a consulting producer on The O.C., and he's the showrunner/creator of Revenge. Basically, the show boils down to this: a group of rich socialites and their drama - The O.C. for adults. 

And a proven recipe for mindless TV?

Not quite.

Revenge isn't mindless. The plot lines are complex. The characters - all of them, not just the leads - are three dimensional. The writing is spectacular. And even though I can't quite put my finger on it, there's something crazy addictive about the series.

Any ideas?

- Dawn

In case you needed another reason to watch - a beautiful cast.