Previous recap: Kindred (January 25, 2015)
Following recap: Retaliation (March 15)
A trail of clothes lay scattered across the floor, and Emily and Ben awakened in bed together. She commented that her life hadn't allowed her to "just be," and she'd lost a lot over the past three years. He told her that they didn't have to talk about their pasts, but she joked that there was no other way to find out his deep, dark secrets. Ben remarked that his life hadn't been very interesting until then, and he suggested that they do other things besides talk. Emily agreed, and they began to make love again.
At the police station, Jack cleared out his locker, and Ben sympathized that he'd had no idea how hard things had been for Jack. Ben added that he'd miss riding with Jack, and Jack insisted his resignation hadn't been personal. Ben hoped they'd see one another around, and Jack mused that they shared some of the same friends. Ben asked what Jack was doing next, and Jack replied, "Something I should have done a long time ago."
Jack walked on the beach, and he bent down to pick up some sea glass. He flashed back to playing with Emily and Sammy in the sand, and David called to Jack, who complimented David's fancy suit. David explained that an old friend wanted him to join an investment firm, but he wasn't sure he wanted to step back into that world. Jack stated that no one knew what the future held, and David realized that buying the beach house had been the last decision he'd felt right about.
Jack said sailing to Haiti on his boat had been his last sure plan, but his dad had died, and he'd had to take care of Declan. Jack picked up another piece of sea glass, and David remembered that Jack and Emily had loved scouring the beach for it. David commented that the two had been inseparable, and he thought the piece looked like a good one. Jack stared at Grayson Manor and pointedly stated, "It sure does."
At a luxury loft, Margaux declared to Victoria that the space was stunning, and Victoria announced that her financial circumstances were about to change because Daniel's grandfather, Edward Grayson, had passed away, and the reading of the will was that day. Victoria added that she and Edward had always shared a special bond, and he'd reached out to assure her that she'd have a place in his heart and his will. Victoria anticipated using the space for Daniel's foundation, and she suggested turning one of the rooms into a bedroom for Margaux and the baby. Victoria applauded Margaux for dropping the vendetta against Emily to preserve Daniel's name, and Margaux told Victoria not to worry about anything except picking out a crib.
Later, an investigator informed Margaux that he'd spotted Emily leaving Ben's place that morning, but he wondered why Margaux was still spinning her wheels when she had the video of Jack admitting he'd killed an FBI agent. Margaux reiterated that her intent was to destroy Emily's reputation, and the video would be the first domino in her plot to expose who Emily really was. Margaux crowed that by the next day, the world would have a very different opinion of Emily Thorne.
Margaux informed a federal agent that a certain computer had been untouched by the Internet, but someone had broken in and had accessed it that morning. She explained that she'd received an alert when the computer had been turned on, but she'd found the server room empty, and she surmised she'd arrived before the culprit had finished the job. The agent offered to check Lemarchal's security footage, but he guessed it had been an inside job. Margaux stared at her assistant, Simone.
Victoria met with Edward's attorney, and she learned that Edward had willed her his two Corgis and their Burberry dog beds. Victoria inquired about the rest of the inheritance, and the lawyer reported that the bulk of the estate had been left to Edward's wife. Victoria protested that Edward's spouse had died 20 years earlier, but Natalie walked in and apologized for being late. Victoria incredulously realized that Natalie had been Edward's wife, and she argued that Edward hadn't mentioned dating or revising his will. Victoria demanded to know what kind of scam Natalie was trying to pull, and Natalie explained that she and Edward had been married four months earlier.
Victoria accused Natalie of concealing her identity for days, and she threatened to find a judge to declare the will fraudulent. Natalie claimed that she'd arrived in the Hamptons early to see what kind of person Victoria was, and she'd found Victoria to be just as vicious as "Teddy" had made her out to be. Victoria contended that Edward had promised to look after her family, but Natalie countered that his feelings had changed when Victoria had jumped ship when the going had gotten tough, and Victoria flashed back to being held against her will in the sanitarium. Natalie insisted that Edward had been clear-minded to the end, and he'd thought the worst of Victoria, as evidenced by the fact he'd left his two incontinent dogs to Victoria and everything else to Natalie.
At the yacht club, Natalie asked a bartender if he knew of any antique dealers, and David overheard and recommended one. Natalie introduced herself, and she explained that she wanted to find a good home for some things she'd inherited. He glanced at her stack of paperwork and asked if she had any plans for a certain boat, and she decided to give it to him as long as he agreed to take care of it. He insisted on giving her fair market value, but she told him to buy her a drink, and it would be his.
At home, Louise greeted Nolan in Italian, and she proclaimed that the wedding of the century required an equally extravagant honeymoon. She announced that her jet would be ready to go within the hour, but Simone called Nolan about his offer to pay for useful information. Simone divulged that Margaux had footage that she planned to use against Emily, and Nolan instructed Simone to get it for him. Louise practiced her Italian, but she noticed Nolan seemed nervous, and he informed her that he couldn't leave right then. He suggested she go without him, and he'd catch up later, but she seemed disappointed.
Louise sunbathed at the yacht club, and Lyman asked how his "favorite unreal housewife" was doing. A server offered to get something for "Mrs. Ross," and Lyman accused Louise of making a mockery of marriage. Louise asserted that she and Nolan had more affection for one another than most couples she knew, but Lyman countered that everyone knew her marriage was a sham. Louise huffed that she was creating a life for herself, whereas all Lyman had was a sinking campaign. Lyman warned her not to doubt him, since he always found a way to end up on top.
Inside the club, Victoria met with a lawyer about contesting Edward's will, but the attorney doubted Victoria could pay for the billable hours. Lyman approached and volunteered to take on the case, and he mentioned that Victoria knew his sister. He praised Victoria's fundraising efforts at Louise's wedding reception, and Victoria demanded to know why she should believe he could help her. Lyman explained that he knew what it was like to be screwed out of an inheritance, but Victoria countered that she needed a lawyer and not an opportunist. He offered to work for a percentage of the settlement, and she agreed to consider hiring him if he found out anything useful.
Later, Lyman arrived at Victoria's hotel room, and he reported that Natalie had already been married when she'd met Edward, but she had quickly gotten divorced and had wed Edward shortly thereafter. Lyman continued that Natalie had been stripped of her nursing credentials for swindling a patient, and he announced that he'd already filed the paperwork to contest Edward's will. Impressed, Victoria declared that Lyman sounded like a lawyer -- her lawyer.
Natalie socialized with a group of friends at the club, and she promised Edward's Cuban cigars to one of the socialites. They toasted to Teddy, and a man served Natalie with legal papers. Natalie crossed the room to confront Victoria, and she swore she'd loved Edward, but Victoria haughtily questioned whether Natalie had loved that he'd been worth millions or that he'd been on death's doorstep. Natalie admitted her life had been falling apart when she'd met him, but their love had been real. Natalie continued that Edward had saved her life, and she vowed to protect his fortune from Victoria.
Natalie walked down the pier, and David called to her from the boat. She apologized for giving him what appeared to be the first boat ever made, but he was thankful to have a new project. He asked if she was really a Grayson, and she pointed out that it hadn't seemed like a good thing to lead with. He wondered if the boat had a hole in it, and she promised it would only sink if Victoria was on board. She quickly apologized and asked if David and Victoria were still together, and he informed her that he'd moved on. He mentioned that he'd just been watching a Cubs game by himself, and she accepted his invitation to join him.
Lyman chided Victoria for having Natalie served before he'd had time to build a case, but Victoria was pleased that Natalie had publicly declared her love for Edward. Lyman countered that Natalie's reaction had been emotional and sincere, and Victoria sobbed that she'd just wanted to find a way to help. Lyman comforted her, but Victoria icily indicated that emotion could be faked. Victoria intended to dismantle Natalie's sob story, and he wondered if she planned to fabricate information. She told him to talk like a lawyer but think like a politician, and Lyman recognized that honesty didn't get people very far in the Hamptons. They toasted to not breaking that tradition.
Nolan reviewed partial footage that Simone had provided, and he explained to Emily that it had been all the employee had been able to get without being caught. Nolan worried that the video would destroy Jack, and he revealed that Margaux was planning to release it the next day. Emily told him to start hacking, and Jack held the sea glass in his hand as he arrived to see Emily. Jack said they needed to talk, and Emily assured him they'd figure out the extent of Margaux's incriminating footage, but he had no idea what she was talking about. Nolan pulled up the video to show Jack, and Jack quickly pocketed the sea glass.
Jack questioned whether Nolan could get into Margaux's computer system, but Nolan reported that the computer couldn't be hacked. Jack mentioned that he'd just had his first conversation with Margaux since their split, and he insisted on talking to her. Emily protested, but Jack argued that it was his "ass on the line," since he'd killed Kate, and he walked out. Nolan fretted that Margaux would find out they were onto her.
In the park, Jack thanked Margaux for meeting him, and Margaux marveled over how big Carl had gotten. Jack said he'd thought about their breakup after they'd talked at the reception, and he admitted he'd done things that hadn't been fair, but he promised to be there for her as a fellow single parent. She couldn't fathom how much her life would change, and she asked when Jack had last been able to do something spontaneous. He stated that his priorities had changed, and every decision was about setting an example for Carl. Jack called to his son, who ran up and handed Margaux a toy bracelet. She put the bracelet around her wrist and contemplated the things a parent would do for a child, and Jack commented that she'd know soon enough.
Louise told Nolan that she'd seen Italy, but she'd wanted to see it with him. He apologized, and she acknowledged that he'd done her a huge favor by marrying her, but she offered to draw up divorce papers and set him free. Nolan insisted that he loved spending time with her, but something important had happened with Emily. Louise surmised that Nolan and Emily were sleeping together, but Nolan explained that he and Emily were like superheroes in the sense that they did good things for people who deserved them and bad things to those who didn't. Louise asked whether they'd been on a mission of mercy or malice that day, and he termed it one of merciful malice. Louise volunteered to help.
Emily engaged in a vigorous rope-climbing exercise on the beach, and Ben spotted her as he jogged by and asked if she was in training. She quipped that she'd have to kill him if she told him, but she preferred to keep him around. He asked if she'd seen Jack that day, since he'd gotten the sense Jack knew about them, but he figured he'd read too much into it. Ben asked if Emily had plans that night, and she informed him she did. He joked that he'd ask about them, but he didn't want her to have to kill him, and he ran off.
Margaux watched from a distance, and Simone asked her how things had gone with Jack. Margaux replied that she'd played him the same way Simone had played Nolan, and she instructed Simone to call the FBI to spoil Emily's fun. Margaux vowed that Emily would finally get what she deserved that night.
Later that evening, Emily scaled down the side of a building, and Nolan guided her where to go as he deactivated the facility's alarms. Meanwhile, Margaux and a bevy of FBI agents waited inside the server room, and the agents pulled their guns when the door opened. Margaux was shocked when Louise entered, looking for an exercise class. An agent pulled Louise aside to ask her some questions, but Margaux insisted that Louise was working with "them," and the lead agent asked who Margaux meant. Margaux declared that she'd show him, and she logged into the computer that held the incriminating footage, but the computer's contents had been wiped out.
Margaux returned to her office and found Emily waiting for her. Emily scoffed at the idea that trying to nail her for breaking and entering had been the best Margaux could have done, and she advised Margaux to be "a hell of a lot smarter" if she expected to keep going after Emily. Margaux pledged to find Emily's weak spot, and Emily chirped that she didn't have one. Emily made a snide comment about Margaux's bracelet, and Margaux looked down at Carl's toy and realized it had destroyed the computer. Emily stalked out, and Margaux smashed the bracelet with a paperweight and seethed when she found one of Nolan's gizmos inside it.
Louise was impressed when Nolan explained that the bracelet had erased the files on the computer, and she thanked him for trusting her, since it had felt nice to be included. He said he was sorry he hadn't seen sooner just how alike they were, since he'd spent most of his life as an outsider until Emily had shown up. Nolan added that his wedding to Louise had been a strategic move, but he'd promised to be there for her, and he apologized that he hadn't been. He knelt down in front of her and asked if she forgave him, and she affectionately kissed his forehead.
Outside the police station, Ben asked if Margaux was okay, and she handed him a photo of April, his ex-wife. Ben asked if she was looking for April, and Margaux announced that she'd found his ex. Margaux added that there was someone else who wanted to find April for a completely different reason, and she threatened to turn over April's whereabouts to that person unless Ben did as she asked.
Emily informed Jack that the plan had worked, and he was in the clear. They thanked one another, and he revealed that he knew about her and Ben, but he thought there was someone out there who was a better fit for her. Jack handed Emily the sea glass, and he explained that he knew what it was like to lose someone, so he'd been trying to give her space after Aiden's death. He added that there was one certainty in his life, and that was how he felt about her. "It's always been you," he mused.
Emily pointed out that things between her and Jack were messy, but he lovingly touched her face and commented that life was messy. She turned away, and he promised they'd find a way, but she wiped away tears. She acknowledged that he'd done and sacrificed a lot for her, and she thought he knew how much she cared about him, but her voice trailed off. "I can't, Jack. I'm sorry," she stammered. Jack reeled from her reaction, and he told her that he wouldn't wait around before he stalked off.
Previous recap: Kindred (January 25, 2015)
