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Absolution
Season 1, Episode 19
Absolution
Air date May 2, 2012
Written by Nikki Toscano and Ryan Scott
Directed by Sanford Bookstaver
Episode Guide
Transcript
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"Justice"
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"Legacy"

Absolution is the 19th episode of Season 1 and the 19th episode overall.

Summary

The impending release of Daniel has everyone on edge as the press grows more and more hostile; the SEC begin their investigation on Grayson Global; and Emily discovers a photo taken of her father on the day of his death, leading her to more clues about how he died — and also to a mystery woman and an ominous new target.

Recap

SPOILERS AHEAD!
Absolution is the most powerful form of forgiveness. A full pardon from suspicion and accountability. It's the liberation of a stolen future. A future my father never lived to see. Absolution is a mercy the people who killed him will never know.

Emily Thorne

Emily wipes away the snow from her father's grave marker to place a rose atop it. She makes a list of all the prisoners who were in David Clarke's cell block the day he was stabbed. Charlotte shows Emily a photo of her father she found hidden in her mother's jewelry box. It's dated the day he was killed. Emily notices that her dad is holding a journal. It's one that wasn't in the Infinity Box. That's because Nolan kept it from her.

Nolan was trying to protect David Clarke's legacy, as the journal is filled with seemingly paranoid thoughts. It also contains an entry claiming that "CM" will come with the truth. Emily realizes that the initials stand for Conrad Grayson's secretary, Carole Miller. An Internet search reveals that the woman died a few days after David Clarke. Emily does a little digging to learn that Carole Miller is actually very much alive. She's living under the name Carole Thomas in Lancaster, PA. Looks like Emily is taking a road trip. Emily poses as Homeland Security official to gain access to Carole's rural farmhouse. She's caught off guard when she sees a picture of the woman with Nolan. This is moments before Carole points a shotgun at her. Nolan comes barreling down the stairs to tell his Aunt Carole to lower her weapon. You heard us. Nolan is the nephew of Conrad Grayson's ex-secretary. Carole is the person who introduced him to David Clarke.

Nolan explains that Carole believed David Clarke was innocent, so she started digging around Grayson Global. This search led her to a senior accountant named Roger Halsted, who had discovered enough evidence to hang Conrad Grayson and exonerate David Clarke, who was murdered before anything like that could happen. Nolan faked his aunt's death to assure her safety. Carole says that Conrad dealt with a scary, white-haired man. However, she can't provide a name.

Declan knows Charlotte is headed down a bad path. After he catches her sharing pills with Adam on campus, he rats her out to the school's headmaster. Charlotte vows to have her dad pull Dec's tuition checks. Fortunately, Nolan offers to pay all school bills. Victoria later brings Charlotte to David Clarke's grave to help give her some comfort. They see by the fresh rose on the headstone that someone else has recently come to pay their respects. We can tell by the look on Victoria's face that she's wondering just who that might be.

Jack wants Emily to make sure she knows what she's getting by marrying into the Grayson family. He has more to say, but their chat is interrupted by a phone call announcing that Daniel is being released from prison. Emily's car is vandalized when she arrives to pick him up. Someone spray-painted the word "murderer" across the windshield. Emily suggests Daniel do a TV interview to tell his side of the story.

Jack tells Daniel about the part he played the night Tyler was killed, as well as the role his family may have played in Lee Moran's death. He says Daniel owes it to Emily to not ignore this. In other news, Victoria meets with SEC man John McGowen to ask for immunity after she provides him with information about her husband. A short time later, Conrad gets word that the feds are seizing information from his offices. This looks to be the beginning of the end for him.

Daniel asks his father to tell him the truth, so Conrad does just that. He now knows that Lee Moran's suicide note was bogus. He also knows that his father had this man killed. Before Conrad says anymore, he makes Daniel promise to take care of the company and Charlotte after they come for him. He then proceeds to reveal the details about David Clarke. Father and son believe they are chatting in private, but Emily had previously bugged the office. She hears every word.

Daniel tells his story during the TV interview. He talks about the night of the murder as well as how anyone who commits a crime should pay for it no matter who they are. This leads the reporter to her next line of questions involving the SEC investigation at Grayson Global. Emily beams with pride as she believes Daniel is about to come clean. Instead, he claims his father is the victim of a witch hunt. Conrad is grateful for this, Victoria is livid and Emily now knows that Daniel has somehow been turned. He truly is a Grayson.

Now that the charges against Daniel have been dropped, Ashley gives Victoria her notice. She's been offered a media relations position at the law firm of the Grayson's lawyer, Benjamin Brooks. The job is gone before it starts thanks to Victoria's influence. That's fine. Conrad prefers working with people who like to get their hands dirty. That's why he offers Ash a job with him, along with the understanding that the two of them are intertwined from this day forward.

Emily knows that Daniel could have ended everything if he'd only told the truth. He didn't. So she's still going to marry him. She's also going to track down the man who murdered her father. Once she finds him, she intends to kill him. Old video footage shows a white-haired man meeting with Conrad Grayson. He's the same man who was wearing a guard's uniform in the prison photo. Emily now knows this is the man who murdered her father.

Absolution is the washing away of sin. The promise of rebirth. And the chance to escape the transgressions of those who came before us. The best among us will learn from the mistakes of the past, while the rest seem doomed to repeat them. And then there are those who operate on the fringes of society, unburdened by the confines of morality and conscience. A ruthless breed of monsters whose deadliest weapon is their ability to hide in plain sight. If the people I've come to bring justice to cannot be bound by the quest for absolution, then neither will I.

Emily Thorne

Cast

Main Cast

Guest Cast

Co-Starring Cast

Quotes

Emily: The best among us will learn from the mistakes of the past, while the rest of us are doomed to repeat them.

Charlotte: I guess we can add teen pill popper to the Grayson book of shame.

Conrad (to Daniel): You've been a pawn in our decrepit marriage far too long.

Daniel: My parents raised me to be a Grayson. To put my name above everything including the truth.

Daniel (to Jack): So much for your stand up image. Were you just going to let them fry me?

Nolan: This is bigger to me than your revenge against the Graysons. This is my...
Emily: ...family.

Victoria (to Ashley): The Hamptons are filthy with ambitious young girls like yourself.

Daniel: The press were practically handing out pitchforks at the gate.

Nolan: Declan is barely a blip on the Grayson's radar right now.

Emily: Absolution is the most powerful form of forgiveness. It's the liberation of stolen futur.

Soundtrack

Check out Season 2 Soundtrack's main article: Season 1 Soundtrack

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