Emily and Nolan (Image courtesy of ABC)

Emily, Daniel, Nolan, Jack, Declan, Charlotte, Ashley, Amanda. They are all BACK, and "Revenge" fans couldn't be more excited. What ended last spring in a series of cliffhangers picked back up right where it left off with Emily Thorne as brave as ever.

The season premiere of "Revenge" began underwater with Emily tied to a stump in Japan. It was unclear at first whether she was being held captive, but once freed we understand that she was forcing the act upon herself as a method of trying to remember buried memories of her childhood. 

13 minutes in and Emily and Nolan are reunited in a New York gym. Nolan is training in all things physical and looks like a million bucks. He's witty and calculating as ever! And it looks like he may be living with Emily in her beach house for awhile, as he decided to sell his glass Hamptons house due to "bad mojo". Bad mojo meaning that time the white-haired man messed with Nolan's camera monitoring system, popped out of nowhere, kidnapped and attempted to kill him. Remember that? Yes, maybe Emily and Nolan would be safer if they stayed together! 

As last season's finale foreshadowed, Emily is now fully on the hunt to find out what happened to her mother. As such, Emily and Nolan go spying around a boarded-up psychiatric ward after Emily remembers a scene from her childhood where her mother was strapped to a hospital bed. Brave as ever they sneak around the creepy, abandoned building with flash lights attempting to find some clues. The visit helps trigger more memories for Emily, and she eventually finds her way to the room where her mother was locked up. We know it is her room because the "Revenge" symbol is carved into the leather strap that held down Emily's mothers arms. Based on their digging around, they conclude that her mother was likely removed from the psych ward by Victoria. It is unclear to me how she got declared insane in the first place. 

The Grayson father, Conrad, has become more deceitful and creepy as the show has evolved, and the season premiere is no exception. He is angling to steal his kids' inheritance and is keeping Charlotte locked up in rehab as part of his schemes. Poor Charlotte. Drug addiction, the loss of her mother in a violent plane crash. This girl just can't get a break. 

Amanda is around, of course causing trouble, and seriously pregnant. She and Jack know she is having a boy and have already picked out a name for him, though questions are raised in the episode about whether Jack is really the baby's father. After a tense conversation that Jack inadvertently walks in on, Emily announces that Amanda has just named her the godmother. It was a curious declaration, thought surely Emily has something up her sleeve. 

Ashley and Daniel are dating now, which is annoying. He is "drinking and brooding" for much of the episode, presumably because he is still bruised from his split with Emily, his mother's death and his family's general psychotic obsession with lies, murder and deceit.

Emily's Japanese sensei has decided the mysterious hot British man can attempt to "bring Emily back", but warns that if he fails, the mission is over for them. Strange, but surely this Brit will appear at some point in the Hamptons.

Charlotte tells Emily a shocking secret (Image courtesy of ABC)

An art auction on a yacht in tribute to Victoria Grayson (may she rest in peace) was a throwback to the show's pilot episode when Emily first met the Grayson family. At the close of this party scene, Charlotte is dragged off the boat by her caretaker from the rehab clinic where she is being treated for drug addiction after her test comes back positive for Hydrocodone, and insists she must be taken back to the hospital immediately. As she is being dragged off the boat, she runs to Emily whispering a secret frantically in her ear.

Within seconds the scene jumps and we see Emily showing up to what looks like a dark cabin in the woods, and the door is opened by… Victoria who asks Emily, "what in the hell are you doing here?!" SHOCK!!!! Minute 41 my mouth is agape. 

She's Baaaaaack! We missed you Victoria!... Well, kinda. (Image courtesy of ABC)

It turns out Conrad brought down the plane taking Victoria to DC at the end of last season- no huge shocker there. But amazingly, Victoria somehow survived and is being held in government hiding until they can build a case against Conrad. At first it seems like she and Emily might actually be able to work amiably together, but once Emily has a camera installed to watch Victoria in her hide-out, it becomes instantly clear Victoria is just as sneaky and calculating as ever and no friend of Emily's.

Minute 48 my heart is racing. The music, the plot twists, the incredible death stares. This show gets me on the EDGE of my seat.

All in all, I declare a rousing "Welcome Back!!!" to ABC's "Revenge".

This show is SO damn good. Can't wait for next week!

To check out the show's webpage and watch episodes for free online, click here.  

Check out all the drama to come in next week's episode, Resurrection, below.

Reach staff reporter Ashley Riegle by email. Follow her on Twitter here.