A young woman named Emily Thorne (VanCamp) comes to the Hamptons and rents a beach house (previously her childhood home) next door to the mansion of a wealthy family, the Graysons. Emily is actually Amanda Clarke, whose father was framed by the Graysons for treason when she was a little girl. After a lengthy trial, he was imprisoned for life, and was murdered in prison by associates of the people who framed him. Meanwhile, Amanda was separated from him and spent most of her time in a Juvenile correctional facility, only to find out her father was killed six weeks before she was released on her 18th birthday. She now returns to the Hamptons as an adult to get revenge on those who wronged her father and her. Her primary target is Victoria Grayson (Stowe), matriarch of the Grayson family, who loved and betrayed Amanda's father. The show focuses on Emily's plot to destroy every individual who played a role in her father's imprisonment. Along the way, she discovers various facts about her father's past which change her plans many times. As the series progresses, Emily brings in other individuals as allies for her plan.