‘Revenge’ cancelled after 4 seasons

Emily VanCamp appears in a scene from "Revenge." ((ABC/Isabella Vosmikova))

It’s official – ABC’s drama "Revenge" will be ending at the end of this season, with the May 10 Season 4 finale, titled "Two Graves," serving as a series finale. The network is expected to begin airing promos announcing the the series’ pending closing episode.

Speculation had been growing that this would be the final chapter in the revenge drama, which had been clearly building towards an end in the second half of this season, most recently killing off one of its two leading ladies, star Madeleine Stowe. Further fueling rumors was a recent ABC promo, which asked viewers to “be there for the final four episodes.”

ABC topper Paul Lee has been a big supporter of the show, calling it "a critical brand" for the network, so a proper sendoff was fully expected, providing closure for fans who have invested years in its mythology. ABC may have taken time before making the announcement as there is a new project in the vein of "Revenge" that ABC has in the hopper, pilot "The Kingmakers," also about a 20-something assuming a new identity in order to investigate and avenge the death of a loved one.

There was talk about the two being potentially paired together. Early buzz on "The Kingmakers" has been so-so, so it is unclear whether it would be able to figuratively carry the "Revenge" legacy.

"Revenge," a contemporary take on "The Count of Monte Cristo," was a breakout hit when it premiered in the fall of 2011 and drew some awards attention for Stowe. As is the case with a twisty, soapy mystery, the series gradually lost steam as major plot points were resolved and main characters killed off, with its ratings pretty soft in the final stretch.

The series is going full circle, with Amanda Clarke (Emily VanCamp) getting framed for a murder she didn’t commit just like her father once was, triggering her quest for revenge. The producers now have two episodes to resolve that final plot twist before the curtain falls.

Set in the Hamptons, "Revenge" was created by Mike Kelley, who departed after Season 2, with Sunil Nayar taking over as show runner.

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