After a two week break, Revenge Season 4 Episode 9 came blasting back into our Sunday night line-up with more than a few pieces of new information. 

We were introduced to a man more ruthless than Conrad Grayson and learned where David was for 10 years following his escape from prison. But something tells us he's still not telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The return of David Clarke is turning out to be just what Revenge needed to pump some life into this series, and it's accomplishing this task thanks to the way David has been written and portrayed so far. He's just jumpy and crazy enough to make us think he's not entirely with it while simultaneously making us believe it's possible that HE is the one pulling all the strings.

Tonight we were introduced to the name Malcolm Black. This is, supposedly, a man who held David captive for 10 years after orchestrating his escape from prison. Why did he need David? To launder money, of course. Because there was no one else in all of Canada or the United States capable of doing one of the things David was FRAMED for doing.

Uh huh. Okay.

So that's David's story. Or the part of it to which we were made privy tonight. He was in Canada for 10 years laundering money. He owes this guy some cash – and he just happens to have $5 MILLION in a safe – and that's why Black sent hired thugs after David.

Five MILLION dollars she stole from Conrad Grayson and gave to David for their runaway fund and she's penniless when he finds her and she doesn't think to say "Hey, David, so, about that FIVE MILLION DOLLARS I gave you..." Nope. Nuh-uh. One does not just FORGET about socking away five million dollars.

Absolutely none of that makes any sense, which brings me to the theory that David Clarke is behind it all.

If we learn he's a total madman, an evil genius, and his own daughter be damned – he arranged this entire thing all to get back at Victoria – I will be ZERO percent shocked. And that's not a knock on the season like it would be in years' past, when things were so telegraphed we could figure out from episode 1 that Conrad would get away with whatever it was Conrad would eventually get away with.

I think I actually want David to be the bad guy. That sets up another season for Emily to have to come to terms with the fact that her father isn't the man she remembers and he needs to be stopped. 

Nolan's line about friends being family, sort of, maybe supports my theory. 

She, Nolan, Jack, and maybe even Victoria Grayson herself can team up to do it. Then Charlotte will swoop in being super cray and ruin all their plans and ride off into the sunset with their evil genius father. Fade to black. The End. (Call me, writers. I'm available to flesh out this idea!)

If David is the bad guy, that means he's working with the FBI Agent keeping Jack company at the moment. And if the bad guy really is a guy named Malcolm Black, that means he's working with her. Regardless, Jack has just bedded and bad, bad girl. 

The simultaneous message-sending was a neatly organized array of scenes. David goes to Nolan for help and Nolan just happens to have nanotech trackers IN the body of the guy Emily was torturing for information while Victoria just knows a guy who knows a guy. Both David and Victoria's messages were sent, but Victoria's arrived first, which means Emily better watch out.

Good thing she's cozying up to Officer Ben! She'll need protecting! (Hahahaha...) 

That date wasn't at all awkward, right? All of the things Takeda taught her and dating just wasn't one of them. I actually felt just a smidge bad for Ben when he leaned in to kiss her, got bear-clawed, and then realized she's just not that into him. Ouch.

I did not, however, feel the least bit sad for Louise who continues to be crazy as a loon. Bless her heart. I have to admire Nolan's unwillingness to burn her by laying bare all the information from her past for the entire world to see just to build up his own reputation. Too bad Margaux ran the story anyway.

Pregnancy hormones, man. They're a bitch.

OH RIGHT! Margaux is pregnant! Daniel Grayson IS going to be a father! For real! She's probably not faking it.

Too bad she was included in the preview wrap-up of people who might DIE next week. We'll have to watch Revenge online to see who bites the dust.

What did you think of "Intel"? Do you think David Clarke is the bad guy? Will Daniel Grayson make a good dad?

Here your first look at Revenge Season 4 Episode 10, "Atonement."

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.