Shane and Amy help Lauren get revenge on Theo. Karma and Reagan have to work together.
Several characters have to make big decisions about their relationships in "The Revengers: The Age of the Monocle." It all comes about in several revenge plots in this episode - Lauren wants to out Theo at his new assignment while Karma and Reagan bond over the shared hatred they feel towards their exes. Revenge is a lot of fun as an episodic story. It allows for wild hijinks to occur as well as several comedic misunderstandings. Karma and Reagan make a pact to get one over on their respective "exes" - though they go about it in different ways. Everyone is so focused on trying to hurt the people who hurt them that they don't really address the emotional concerns they are actually feeling until later. It's a very amusing conflict for the episode - though parts of it do feel like it's just introducing conflict for later this season.Amy and Reagan are happy in their relationship at the moment. But they are still in the initial stages of their love. They haven't had any big conflicts yet. They like each other and are enjoy spending all of their time together. But there are several issues that they both feel strongly about that they haven't shared with each other yet. They are still just learning who this other person is without becoming too vulnerable. Neither one wants to get hurt again. They have experienced the pain that comes from betrayal. They want to protect themselves from ever feeling like that again. Amy is doing her best to rebuild her bond with Karma. Karma wants to trust her and Liam again - but it's hard given what they did. Amy is willing to help Lauren and Shane with their problems because she doesn't want to deal with her own. Reagan does the exact same thing too at the party when she spots her ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.
Honesty is the key to any relationship. How can something so intimate work if the two people don't completely understand each other? Reagan is aware of the bond Amy and Karma have but she doesn't know everything about Amy's sexuality. She fully believes Amy has everything worked out. Amy has certainly gotten to a point where it seems as if she has. But she's still actually just as uncertain about herself as she has always been. She wants to tell Reagan everything - from her still being attracted to guys and once sleeping with Liam - but she doesn't want to destroy what they have now. She eventually gets the courage to commit to being honest. But then, Karma pops up so that they can conveniently talk about these issues so that Reagan can overhear them. It's a twist that will create conflict in the future. Reagan will be upset that Amy didn't tell her the truth sooner and that she had to find out through spying. The fact that Amy wanted to be honest won't even matter - which could lead to some rocky times ahead for the two as a couple.
Communication is also key for Karma and Liam. They aren't being completely honest with each other right now. Liam wants more from this relationship. He is hopelessly pining after her. She dominates his entire mind at the moment. She's all he can think about. But she doesn't want to be vulnerable with him again out of fear that she'll just get hurt like before. She's afraid to let anyone get close to her. She is ashamed of what her family situation has become. She doesn't want to tell people unless she absolutely has to. That's completely what leads to this horrible case of misunderstanding between the two. They both fear that the other is having casual sex with someone else. Neither of them are but the fear is alive. They can't continue to live this way. They are unsure of what to expect of each other and this relationship. They do talk things out in the end and seem to come to an understanding. But that moment doesn't come with a lot of knowledge. Karma does learn Liam gave up art in order to save her and her family. That's why she's willing to commit to him again. But she doesn't open up about what her life has become. She had to take a job cater-watering for her family. That's a struggle Liam knows nothing about. He'll need to shortly if this relationship is going to last as they rebuild trust.
And lastly, Lauren has been very upset in the wake of Theo being revealed as an undercover police officer. That was a massive betrayal to her. She doesn't want to hear anything he has to say on the subject. All she's focused on is making sure he gets hurt just as badly as she did. It's somewhat scary seeing just how devoted she is to this cause. It's driving her to act uncharacteristically. She is so focused on hurting him that she never thinks about how this will make her feel. When given the opportunity to out him at his new assignment, she can't do it. Amy and Shane do it for her. It's what she wanted but it didn't make her feel any better. She is still sad and depressed because of the pain he caused. She doesn't want to hear that it will go away with time. That's not something she can understand right now. The honesty wasn't there in their relationship. That's what created this volatile situation they are currently in. If the other characters aren't careful, they could soon be feeling the exact same way very soon.
Some more thoughts:
- "The Revengers: The Age of the Monocle" was written by Erica Peterson and directed by Jamie Travis.
- It's amusing how willing Shane is in giving the advice to be honest in a relationship and then quickly deflects that it's not the same thing when it comes to his own. It clearly is and he just doesn't want to deal with the pain that could come from it. He just loves outing people too much to deal with the consequences that might have.
- Liam has to give the big Skwerkel presentation because his father accidentally drank from a glass that was roofied. He does an adequate job selling the new monocle technology too. That could lead to him being given even more responsibility at the family business.
- Of course, Amy, Lauren and Shane ended up in a cheerleading dance routine in order to put their big plan into motion. And of course, they wound up in a dance where they are completely lost in and eventually just ruin for all involved.
- It's really no surprise that Karma's parents haven't changed at all following their brush with the police.
- Amy: "Hello problem, this is your answer calling."
- Shane on Lauren: "I always said she could use a good dose of electroshock."
- Zita on Liam: "The guy's practically a Disney prince."
