Hulu's 10/10 Psychological Thriller Has Officially Aged Very Well

1 day ago 7

Published Mar 14, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Jennie Richardson is a TV Features and Lists Writer for Collider, and a graduate student pursuing an MFA in Fiction Writing. In other words, she really loves stories.

The 2010s were an excellent time for ABC, with a number of phenomenal hidden gem shows like Galavant, Kevin From Work, and Happy Endings. While many of these series sadly didn't get the attention they deserved while they were airing, quite a few of them have gone on to gain success on streaming. These shows have garnered dedicated and passionate fanbases, with many of them residing on Hulu.

What Is ABC's 'Revenge' About?

Amanda Clarke (Emily Alyn Lind) had an amazing childhood, spending summers in the Hamptons with her father, David (James Tupper), her best friend, Jack, and her dog, Sammy. When Amanda was eight years old, though, her father had an affair with the wealthy and powerful Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe). Shortly after, Victoria's husband and David's boss, Conrad (Henry Czerny), played a part in executing a terrorist attack on a plane carrying over 200 people. Conrad and Victoria framed David for the attack and got him sent to prison, where he was killed. Now, 15 years later, Amanda has gone undercover as Emily Thorne, and she has just moved back to her old house in the Hamptons to exact her revenge on the Graysons and everyone else who wronged her father.

Revenge opens its first episode with a flash-forward to the night of Emily's engagement to Victoria and Conrad's son, Daniel (Josh Bowman). Victoria gives a toast while Daniel is missing, and then she goes to the beach and finds the body of a man who's just been shot, and whom she suspects is Daniel. The show then goes back in time to the start of that summer, when Emily has just moved to the Hamptons. She keeps her identity hidden from everyone except for Nolan Ross (Gabriel Mann), a friend of David's who reached out to Amanda after she was released from juvenile detention. He told her everything about her father and then agreed to help her with her plan, using his technological expertise.

Kristin (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Wolf Pack.

Emily goes into the summer ready to do whatever it takes to get revenge for what happened to her father, and that starts with a plan to get close to the Graysons. She strategically charms Daniel right away, and as he falls in love with her, she uses this relationship to stay in the family's orbit. All the while, Emily secretly enacts other forms of revenge, taking down a different person each episode while working her way up to a target as powerful as the Graysons. At the same time, Emily struggles to hide her identity, both as she gets closer to Daniel, and as she reconnects with Jack (Nick Wechsler), who doesn't know that she's the childhood best friend he was always in love with.

'Revenge' Is an Excellent, Mindbending Psychological Thriller Series

Over the course of Revenge's four seasons, Emily finds herself becoming more and more entangled in the complex web of the Graysons and everyone they have in their pocket. Over time, some people learn her secret, while others continue to stay in the dark. There is nothing that the Graysons won't do to protect their dynasty, and there is almost nothing that Emily won't do for revenge. The only thing Emily won't do is kill somebody, but there are still many lives lost along the way in the epic battle between Emily and the Graysons. Revenge is full of shocking twists, suspenseful episodes, and a number of tragic moments that show Emily the devastating cost of revenge.

In spite of everything that it costs her and the people around her, and everyone she has to betray, Emily stays committed to her quest for revenge throughout the series. Emily Thorne is one of the most well-written and unapologetic female characters of all time. She is ruthless and cunning, and she is fine with hurting anyone she needs to in order to avenge her father. Emily has people that she cares about and lines that she isn't willing to cross, but ultimately, she is willing to pull out all the stops and execute some of the most bone-chilling and horrifying acts of revenge to get justice for what happened to David. Emily's overarching plan is truly mind-bending, and even viewers aren't made aware of every piece of it until each one plays out. The result is a terrific and unsettling thriller that keeps viewers guessing until the very last scene.

Revenge is available to stream on Hulu.