Revenge: A roundup of suspects in the Daniel Grayson shooting

Emily Thorne (birth name Amanda Clark) is colored my favorite shade of Crayola — morally grey. She’s on a warpath against a group of Hampton socialites, led by Conrad and Victoria Grayson, exploiting their personal sins to make them self-destruct. Years ago they framed her father for channeling money to a terrorist organization that downed a flight of over 200 Americans. Emily’s vengeance tour has justification in the scandal, but her quest for karma has complicated consequences. The pilot episode opens on a gunmen shooting Daniel Grayson on a darkened beach. He’s Victoria and Conrad’s “tragically privileged spawn”. Oh, the lifestyles of the rich and the famous. Silver spoons in their mouths, bullets in their back. The pilot didn’t reveal the gunmen’s identity as it, and subsequent episodes, are detailing the drama leading up to the shooting. We’re now on the journey of witnessing how Emily used Daniel to grow closer to toppling the Grayson’s throne. But Emily’s emerging feelings may be interrupting her mission. All the while, the culprit is one the loose. Join me as I explore my top four suspects in the Daniel Grayson shooting!

Mr. X (Satoshi)

Bio: Emily’s sensei in the blood sport of revenge.

Charges: The enigmatically named Mr. X accuses Emily of having feelings for Daniel during their seaside sparring session in 1.10 “Loyalty”. In his eyes “the boy is weak”, and when speaking to Emily he says, “I worry, that your mind’s quest is clouded by your heart.” He may want to provoke his protégé into completing her task if he senses hesitancy. The storyline could expand to pit Emily versus her former master. However, there are more characters immediately relevant to Daniel and Emily’s life that would service the main casts arcs.

Verdict: Not likely, but he’d provide an equally matched threat for Emily if she targeted him next.

Tyler

Bio: Daniel’s sexually ambiguous Harvard peer, who’s trying to hijack Daniel’s life.

Charges: The guy probably spikes his Martinis with antidepressants to suppress his barely contained psychotic outbursts. He’s bloodied himself on a wooden beam to convince Victoria that Daniel’s drinking caused a fight between them two. He has the most to gain as his family has fallen into poverty, and he swindled his way into Conrad Grayson’s good graces. When a sex tape of him and Nolan was delivered to Conrad, he blackmailed him with incriminating evidence, preventing his termination. Tyler’s a cockroach in an Armani suit, surviving despite the social-suicide-bombs wreaking havoc on his screwed up life. However, the promos for the next episode show a deranged Tyler holding up a beachfront dinner party with a gun, which lessens his chance of being the culprit in Daniel’s shooting too.

Verdict: He’s unstable enough to commit the crime, but I’m guessing the fingerprints will belong to someone else.

The Real Emily Thorne, now posing as Amanda Clark

Bio: The “ticking time bomb” who switched identities with Amanda Clark in prison. Now she’s arrived in the Hampton’s to take all the goodies the real Amanda can’t claim for herself while pretending to be someone else.

Charges: “Amanda Clark” already has a criminal record that suggests she’s not afraid to get dirty. Plus, she murdered the Grayson’s security guard, Frank. Emily is upset by “Amanda’s” extended vacation in the Hamptons, and the potential dilemma’s she presents for her messy game of revenge. Freeing herself of this identity-thieving obstacle may turn against her if “Amanda” fights back in the form of eliminating who she presumes Emily really cares about. Also, Jack, who “Amanda” is currently fooling into romance, was on the beach the night Daniel was shot. What if he was there trying to prevent “Amanda” from doing something drastic?

Verdict: You know how people are innocent until proven guilty? Well that’s the only protection “Amanda” has right now.

Jack

Bio: The man who loved the real Amanda so much me had a boat named after her. Now he’s dating fake-Amanda.

Charges: There really are no charges against good ole’ working-class Jack, because he’s the most decent character amongst those suspected of homicide. Of course that makes him the most compelling candidate in this tale of how revenge twists you into someone else. Before “Amanda” waltzed into town he was falling for Emily, his real childhood crush disguised as someone else. He watched Daniel slowly form a relationship with Emily, which saddened him. He confessed to Emily that he had feelings for on the boardwalk, but she had to tearfully deny her own. Now he’s an unwilling victim of Emily’s schemes as crazy “Amanda” dupe’s him into believing she’s his childhood crush. Most damning of all, he’s on the beach when Daniel is shot in the pilot, wearing standard criminal garb, a hoodie. However, it’s likely he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was, as I mentioned above, there to stop “Amanda”.

Verdict: I-spy an accessory to the crime.

Agree or disagree with my lineup? Take a shot in the comments below. Discuss!