The Darkest of Evils: My ‘Revenge’ Theory

Revenge is a show that loves to leave small holes in our knowledge, and distract us from paying attention to them with high emotions and plot twists, only to pull the rug out from under us whenever they like. I believe the show’s whole mythology and backstory, constructed carefully out of incomplete information and hazy memory, is hiding some secrets within our assumptions that what we’ve been told is accurate.

SPOILERS for the whole first season, including the finale.

Consider what we know – and what we don’t know – now that the season is over:

• We know the White-Haired Man intended for Conrad Grayson, not David Clarke, to take the fall.
• The White-Haired Man seemed confused when Emily accused him of murdering her father.
• We know Emily’s mother faked her death.
• We know that the White-Haired Man was in the jail the day that David Clarke was killed.
• We did not see the White Haired Man kill David Clarke. Emily saw the photos and put two and two together.
• The White-Haired Man’s offhand comment about Emily’s mother being able to fight implied some familiarity between them.
• We know practically nothing about Americon Initiative.
• We know practically nothing about David Clarke.
• We know nothing of David Clarke’s motives.
• We’ve only seen David Clarke in rose-coloured memories of those who loved him.
• We do not know why David Clarke joined Grayson Industries.

My theory:

David Clarke was part of Americon Initiative, as is his wife and the White Haired Man. He is exactly the monster the public thinks. 

They intimidated Conrad into laundering their money via the White Haired Man, with David working as an inside man to ensure things went smoothly. The three of them intended for Conrad to take the fall. Conrad, not knowing David was anything but innocent, framed him for the crimes he was actually committing,

And David Clarke is alive.

I think it sets the stage for a rather brilliant endgame: Emily and Victoria against the man who lied to and betrayed them, shaping their lives and rupturing them irreparably. The titular Revenge will be upon the person it was meant to avenge.

What do you think? Insane? Brilliant? Full of holes? Am I missing anything?