Revolution: A Slow-Moving Show...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Before I go into specifics, I want to point out three things. First, why don't the trains run? It would be the only way to move anything, and they'd have coal, wouldn't they? Second, this is not a movie. After twenty minutes, you should not be still rolling the credits! And, third, U-Verse had Charlie's name spelled as C-H-A-R-I-L-E on the description for "No Quarter." That's a #fail, major. 

Now, about the show. It's getting worse. I initially thought that the premise would never work. But, I thought that the pilot had potential for a good show. Now, NBC has gone ahead and picked it up for a full first season, so some people are clearly enjoying the post-doomsday drama. But... I'm not. And my husband isn't (and he held much greater hopes for it than I). I'm over the Danny storyline, and I could care less about Miles (his past or in the present). Maggie is annoying, Charlie isn't a strong character, and I don't really see a direction for this show. I am interested as to why Charlie and Danny's mother is secretly alive, and I'd like to hear about how Grace has power when nobody else does, but those could be things I read about on the internet after they're resolved on the show. I need a reason to actually watch the show itself... and I'm not really getting one. I'll try to give it another episode or two, but this might be the first new show I cut this season. What about you? Have you been watching? Are you intrigued? Think it will get better?

Revolution "Chained Heart" (S01E02): First, the flashback. One week after the blackout, looting is a big problem, and as Ben and his family walk through Chicago pulling wagons, Charlie is told to always take care of her brother. [parents. thinking that we'd do anything for our siblings when we're young. I don't know about you, but I wasn't really into sticking up for my younger brother and sister until I was out of college, LoL.] A man comes up to the family and threatens to hurt Charlie if Rachel doesn't hand over all of their food. Dad won't shoot to save the food, but Mom will. [okay, Ben's a bit of a coward. got it.] 

Into the present, Miles sword-fights with a bounty hunter, then finds an old acquaintance, hoping to find out where Nora is. Miles takes off to find Nora and asks the others to meet him in Lowell, IN in two weeks... only Charlie, of course, goes after him. She traps Nate along the way, catches up to Miles, and they soon see Nora as an imprisoned worker. [I hate Charlie's character. that speech abuot how it's her fault that Danny got taken was too mature for her.] They break out Nora, though she doesn't want to go, as she was on a mission to steal a rifle. Charlie volunteers to go through with the plan, acting like a lost hunter and shooting some important people. Only afterward do Charlie and Miles learn that Nora is now a Rebel/Patriot, who is trying to reinstate the USA. [not sure how I feel about this, but I would like more about how the nation fell apart.] 

Meanwhile, Aaron shares with Maggie that he has something from Ben that they need to bring to Grace Bomont in Grant Park, IL. [if Ben knew Grace had power, why didn't he bring it there sooner? because he's a coward? or is this new news?] Aaron thinks that there's a possibility that the power problem is man-made.

(Photo by: Michael Tackett/NBC)

Elsewhere, the militia who have Danny hear some gunshots and find a man who has guns in his home, as well as an American flag (which they burn). At Grace's, Randall arrives with a cattle prod. And, in a new location, we find out that Rachel is alive. [whaaat?] 

Revolution "No Quarter" (S01E03): The flashback: Six months after the power went out, Miles' friend, Sebastian, goes with him to help his family. They keep coming across dead bodies along the way, and after they witness a brutal beating, Miles decides that "somebody's gotta do something," and starts killing bullies. One of their wounded victims is Jeremy, who joins Miles and Sebastian on their crusade of sorts. 

Present: Miles can't get past the fact that Nora is fighting for the Rebels, even though she takes them to their base, which is overrun with wounded people. [by the way, Charlie later learns fro Nora that she joined the Rebels because she was five months pregnant once, and if she ever carries a child again, she wants him to be born in a world of reason.] Miles and Nora believe that everyone needs to move immediately, in case they're given up by a prisoner, but as soon as a plan is announced to split up and rendezvous in two months, the attackers arrive. Some men fight (though they'll eventually run out of bullets and fight with pipes and swords) while others dig a tunnel, and Miles captures the Commanding Officer. Except, that's Jeremy, who explains that Miles used to be Sebastian Monroe's second-in-command. [I'm curious as to how Sebastian became the ruler rather than Miles. It certainly seems like things were Miles' ideas in the beginning.] Because he trained the militia and know how brutal they are, Miles offers himself as a captive in exchange for the others' freedom. Except, Nora and Charlie set a tripwire and free miles anyway, before blowing a bob to slow the militia from following them. [um, this was very Falling Skies, I thought.]

Meanwhile, Aaron and Maggie go to Grace's, but she's not there. Aaron finds pieces of a computer and tries to put it back together. The next morning, they hear music, and it seems that appliances can all run (including Maggie's iPhone, which she keeps because it has photos of her children) for just a moment. [for all intents and purposes, the phone read Monday, September 17th, 6:23.]

Elsewhere, a guy in the militia tells Danny that he killed a friend of his, Templeton. He wants revenge and starts beating the teen. The next morning, Danny claims he's having an asthma attack in order to get the guy close and threaten him. [whatever.]