Is This 'Revenge' Guy Gone For Good?

We might be saying goodbye — for good — to Revenge's big bad. According to Deadline, Revenge star Henry Czerny has joined the cast of Atom Egoyan's Remember , a new thriller starring Christopher Plummer. Czerny will play Plummer's son in the film, which, much like his ABC drama, is about a quest for vengeance. Speaking of that ABC drama, the last we saw of Czerny's character, Conrad Grayson, he was laying in a pool of his own blood after being stabbed by the somehow alive David Clarke. Though showrunner Sunil Nayar has not yet confirmed Conrad's death (we did spend a whole three seasons thinking David was gone for good, after all) the word of Czerny's latest project might mean that Conrad really did bite the dust.

If Conrad really is gone for good, is that good for Revenge? I'm thinking... yes. Conrad is a deliciously evil villain, but that's always been a problem with his character: He's always been the most evil guy around. It's easy to see where Conrad's next move will take him — it will be whatever move more greatly benefits himself and his empire. Unlike Victoria, who, though evil, has an emotional depth that sometimes sways her behavior for the better, Conrad is perpetually swayed by his own selfish desires... no matter who he hurts in the process.

At the end of the day, I prefer Victoria as the top villain — she's more complex, and her betrayals and bad behavior are often fueled by her emotional investments. Conrad's behavior is fueled by, well, literal investments — it's all about the money for Conrad, and when it comes to Revenge, money problems are about the least interesting thing going on.

With Conrad gone, and Victoria in a mental institution, Revenge will get a clean slate. Though the war certainly isn't over between Emily and Victoria, Conrad's death will mark the end of an era — no longer will Emily be vying to destroy the Grayson Global empire, which would have brought the downfall of Victoria and Conrad. Now the show will be about retaliation — how will Victoria react to Emily putting her away in the hospital? Without Conrad around, the show can focus on that aspect on the revenge plot. Conrad's battle with his son, Daniel, or Emily's destruction of his business operations won't get in the way of the real point of Season 4: Victoria and Emily's epic battle.

Of course, there's no confirmation yet as to whether or not Czerny will or won't return to Revenge. We didn't see Conrad take his last breath and the end of Season 3, but we didn't see him walk away unscathed, either — the show could take Conrad's stabbing either way, at this point. Let's hope that, whatever happens, the show still makes Victoria Season 4's biggest bad — she totally deserves the title.

I mean, just look at the menacing way she drinks wine while staring out the window.

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