Even though she’s proved countless times that she doesn’t really deserve it, ‘Revenge’ fans have always held on to hope for a happy ending for Emily Thorne. Unfortunately, the Jan. 12 episode ‘Endurance’ crushed that hope to death with one of Victoria Grayson’s stilettos.

Revenge‘s third season is getting dark. Gone are the happy-ish days of yore, when Emily (Emily Van Camp) would gleefully take down a worthy opponent week after week; all while keeping her eye on the prize of a happy ending with the Graysons in jail and Emily finally free of her demons. Nowadays, she’ll be lucky if she makes it out of the Hamptons in one piece.

Emily Thorne Is Basically Victoria, Now

‘Revenge’ Recap: Emily Suffers More Heartbreak In The Hamptons

Emily Thorne loves to begin things with quotes, and therefore so will I. Marcus Aurelius once said “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury,” and last night Emily fully became Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) 2.0 when she openly agreed to stay in a not only loveless, but physically abusive relationship with Daniel (Josh Bowman). (He shot her.)

“I like the lifestyle,” she said with a smirk. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Daniel’s reply?

“Screw you.”

Sound slightly familiar? Like something Victoria would say to Conrad (Henry Czerny), maybe? By continuing to focus only on taking down the Graysons, Emily has not only lost two men who love her — Jack (Nick Wechsler) and Aiden (Barry Sloane) — she’s also completely lost sight of everything her father would have wanted for her — a happy life free of the pain caused by people like the Graysons.

See, I was down with taking down the Graysons when the Graysons were at the top of their game, but that family is now a hollowed out shell of its former self. Over the past three years — while Emily has kept busy losing her soul —Daniel and Charlotte (Christa B. Allen) have lost their innocence, Victoria has arguably lost her mind, and Conrad has completely lost control of Grayson family as he once knew it. I mean, how many political scandals, murders, and illegitimate children can they possibly handle? Emily should probably back off for a hot second, take a vacation somewhere that isn’t the Hamptons, and let that house of cards topple all by its lonesome.

Trust me, Ems — it will.

Now That’s Just Mean

To add insult to injury, not only did Emily have to deal with the death of what was arguably her most honest and open relationship last night, she also received the news that she can never have children. It’s not like Emily would have been the best role model for a child anyway, it’s just kind of surprising that the show has been so damn brutal toward its main character this season. How are we supposed to root for Emily — and feel upbeat about the show’s future — when everything is just so bleak nowadays?

If I wanted to watch a show fully knowing that no happiness or positivity could come from the experience, I’d tune in to AMC, watch The Walking Dead, and cry myself to sleep. Though unfortunately, it looks like that’s what Emily’s become now — her revenge scheme has officially left her rotten to the core, emotionally dead, and tuned out from anything that might possibly bring her a little bit of happiness. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some of that Season 1 “fun in the sun” mojo to return.

What do you think, Revenge fans?

— Shaunna Murphy
Follow @ShaunnaLMurphy

More ‘Revenge’ News:

1. ‘Revenge’ Recap: Emily Suffers More Heartbreak In The Hamptons
2. ‘Revenge’ Recap: Emily Reveals Her True Identity
3. ‘Revenge’ Recap: Emily’s Shooter Revealed On Midseason Finale