Revolution (NBC) : News/Speculation/General Discussion SPOILERS S2

[LtColCarter]

Spoiler:

I don't know anything about how power plants or electricity works, but I can't believe you would just flip a switch and everything just starts working again-wouldn't the infrastructure be so damaged after 15 years(never mind power lines being down,ect after15 years) that it would take weeks,months,years for people to get their power back?
And it looks like Atlanta and Philadelphia? are toast? Plus major character death this time, with no going back.

disappointed, but I did really like the Miles/Monroe exchange. their relationship is complicated to say the least.

Yes, and it wouldn't take but a few months for the degradation to start.

[ZRFTS]

Children of Men

Spoiler:

You know when an episode takes charge and finally does something to merit being on the air, just grabs you in the moment and never lets you go. For weeks Revolution has not had that episode; until now. It seems like being the penultimate episode has finally motivated the show to step it's game up.

For one, you get the massive revelation the second half of the season has built up for this point. It is finally worth it when we see the insides of the one thing the show has kept a lid on and many of us have thought in our heads for weeks at a time. The interior is filled with such gadgets and little tidies that it'll keep geeks entertained for hours; just look at that room, it couldn't scream sci-fi if it were close to your face. The monitors, the dank government looks, the circuitry... And it serves as the perfect setting for our heroes, not one area is like the others and even though there may be more halls then actual rooms, the fact that the rooms are designed to be almost like the government built them and not obviously designed for action makes up for it.

Rachel and Monroe.

This episode also contains some above-average action that defines the genre the show is in. You have people trying to make it before they close the gates, you have an unknown group of people with weapons way beyond our comprehension, you even have the patented escape and there actually seems to be a threat for the first time in Revolution's history, one which makes us fear those guys and root for our heroes and have finally seems to have the tables turned providing an adrenaline rush for those watching. Good action is when something manages to pay off the investment whether it's in a single episode or an entire arc; everything has to be "worth it" when a person watches because if he or she is bored by the action than what is the viewer left with, disappointment and sorrow. This right here is what we call good action, heroes being faced by odds that may be better than them, unexpected surprises that help to spice up the night and most importantly, a smile on the person watching it.

It also continues the character development introduced a few episodes back as we have decent interaction between Rachel and Monroe; he has been seeming especially dynamic as of late introducing to us a side we've never seen before, a caring confused side that seems more human than anything Darth Vader would of done. His performance works as a reflection of what power can do to a guy, all of the mistakes that he's made, the true personality that lies beneath his hard exterior. Audiences would greatly appreciate that he's not a one dimensional being and possesses what we call a soul; of course, Rachel is in this scene as well and while she does not fare as good as Monroe, she at least holds her own and provides some emotion to back up that state; we can truly feel that she cares as she unleashes her bottled up emotions at Monroe, blaming him for killing his son, making a metaphor that every action that he had done is an excuse.

There's also flashbacks that happen throughout the episode that gives us a rare glimpse into the past and it definitely shows the contrast between Rachel and her husband; her husband is adamant in his belief that what he's going to do will work and she just wants nothing to do with the DOD and in fact, thinks that turning off the power is wrong. The character acting in these flashbacks are top-notch and in fact, succeed in portraying their world which isn't as closely knit-tight as they think; they have the focus on their family, they have the desire to make sure that their kids survives but the breaking point is that they have separate viewpoints, one of which would come to drive Rachel for miles to come. I just wish they were more of these flashbacks throughout the episode.

Gun fight in progress.

Despite the majority of good things with the episode, there are also some weak things about it as well. I felt Nevil and Jason's scenes were disappointing in that while they had Nevil acting good, they felt somewhat rehashed with the hints of Nevil being a potential leader of the Monroe militia being sprinkled throughout, something that they did last season; note to writers, scenes are supposed to be original, not as a reminder of what's to come. Additionally, several things felt like a bad Stargate episode; it is true that they explore the sci-fi aspect of things but Aaron sprouting out what they need the power on for ruined it for me. It was kind of like pandering to the audience, the writers are afraid that the audience wouldn't know what they're fighting for (when it's the opposite) so they just have someone say it. People watching sci-fi should not have ideologies explained to them unless it is absolutely required in the script.

This episode turned out surprisingly good. With this being the penultimate episode of the season, everything is stepped up to a considerable degree with acting, action and exploration all being in the high marks. Of course, some of it feels like a 3rd rate Stargate episode and there are some times where the momentum can be lost but still, this is a good episode for Revolution and for the series being as bad as it is, that's quite an accomplishment.

7.5/10

[Ian-S]

You're supposed to suspend logical thinking remember

An interesting cliffhanger going into Season 2 (I presume that's it now, 20 episodes wasn't it?).


Why did he:

Spoiler:

only want to blow up Atlanta and Philadelphia, what about Texas, Great Plains etc.?

From a technical standpoint, batteries may not break down at all, especially Lipo based, they can theoretically keep their charge for years, but it would indeed take "time" to get Power Plants back up and running, it's not like the technicians are going to be sitting there ready to stoke the coal in the furnace.

I so knew Randall was going to off himself though, at least wait until the ICBM's have arrived at their destination before doing the deed though, now the lady can get in there and blow the warheads and save the day.

I'm glad most of my predictions didn't work out, I don't like it when I can predict where the storyline is going weeks in advance, shows a lack of storytelling imho

[Skydiver]

Just a few plot holes. But it sets things up for next season.

[Perelandra]

You're supposed to suspend logical thinking remember

An interesting cliffhanger going into Season 2 (I presume that's it now, 20 episodes wasn't it?).


Why did he:

Spoiler:

only want to blow up Atlanta and Philadelphia, what about Texas, Great Plains etc.?

From a technical standpoint, batteries may not break down at all, especially Lipo based, they can theoretically keep their charge for years, but it would indeed take "time" to get Power Plants back up and running, it's not like the technicians are going to be sitting there ready to stoke the coal in the furnace.

I so knew Randall was going to off himself though, at least wait until the ICBM's have arrived at their destination before doing the deed though, now the lady can get in there and blow the warheads and save the day.

I'm glad most of my predictions didn't work out, I don't like it when I can predict where the storyline is going weeks in advance, shows a lack of storytelling imho

Makes Sense!

[ZRFTS]

The Dark Tower

Spoiler:

Well it's Season Finale time for Revolution and as we all know. Season Finales are these big budgeted throw everything at once experiences that you can only have once in a season. The last episode Revolution stepped their game up, surely they can up it once again to match the brevity that's been the last few episodes right? Read on to find out.

Firstly, I was disappointed that it wasn't as intense. We got our few moments such as Monroe and Miles walking through the field and Nevil taking command that just felt like any other average Revolution episode; because of that the episode is dragged down significantly and it makes us feel less than our heroes than before. Surely they would add some character development in order to give the scenes any meaning and they somewhat do, having flashbacks with Monroe and Miles being the best of friends helped and I finally got some explanation as to why Miles and Monroe are enemies; the fact that Monroe would do anything for Miles is kind of like a reflection of the soulful personality that emerged in the past few episodes. I never knew he was the protecting type or type to bow down at a whim from what I've seen of him; glad to know I was proven wrong and Nevil (while regressing a bit) brings his game back to the days of Season 1 when he was known as the second best character of the show; the way he takes command, the way he utilizes his timber voice, it all screams classic Nevil. However, it's all a bit schmaltzy as they pull out the "brothers" card and try to utilize it as a roundabout way of justifying their relationship. We still haven't been described why Monroe is blamed while Miles walks away free and at this point in time we deserve to know why? Instead we're forced to assume that people have forgotten about this issue. Pity.

Miles in bed.

But when there is action, it's intense and to have the Tower people plus Monroe's army felt like a nice way to give them a bit of antagonism. They're different techniques and feelings are not lost here and whether it's brute forcing to being clever and sly, they mostly provide a challenge for our heroes. It makes us wish they would get down to Level 12 and turn the power on already. The eerie vibes presented by the best character in Revolution Grace really help to provide a feeling of ease but a feeling of restlessness at the same time, it makes the tower all the more dank and for that I commend them; without those eerie vibes their mission wouldn't of had much engagement and it would of just felt like another episode of Revolution rather than the season finale it's supposed to be. Of course, there are times where the action feels route and forced. The Nevil soldiers felt nothing more than cannon fodder to our heroes as they easily shoot them down with ridiculous ease; it didn't engage me as much as the previous guys and made me bored to the point where I just wish they would be done with it. Sure, Nevil tries hard to provide the sense of ruthlessness that was a trademark of his predecessor but he just feels like the guy who seems to avoid getting shot and who always seems to be getting the short side of the stick by our heroes; if there was more of a feeling of our characters being at risk than maybe, maybe I would care but as it stands...

It wouldn't be Revolution without mythology/story related scenes and this episode is chock full of them. We get revelations of just how far the implications of Aarons code go, to the point where it's the base of the entire Tower itself. It's just nice seeing Aaron gain a new purpose in life; think about it, he's the master of the code right and the entire world has just been thrusted upon his shoulders, that to me makes him a great character because it shows that a person as niche as him can become marvelous things though it doesn't excuse how he was used earlier in the season. The scope of the tower being attributed to their parents also makes them feel important, it makes us think that the people who we used to know as protagonist have contributed a lot to the incident and seeing the results of what the tower is definitely enforces that. In fact I'd go so far to say as it's a continuation of the themes of the last episode, how they were originally desiring to do something good but instead coming up with this; definitely sets the impact. Lastly, no review would be complete without a mention of the ending, this definitely sets up the next season and it puts much of the season into perspective; all of the alliances, all of the battles and all of the motivations. I wouldn't go so far to say it redefines the season but it puts everything into perspective. I will be disappointed if they manage to negate everything the ending has done.

Nevil in charge.

Well... This episode was successful in ending it in a bang. It had a great look into the mythology of the series, it had above average action and most importantly, it took the momentum of the past few episodes and applied it to effective strengths. There are points in time where the series has not gotten past it's own flaws but for the most part, it's pretty good; in fact entertainable to say the least. Now if only the rest of the season were up to par.

7.0/10

[Perelandra]

You're supposed to suspend logical thinking remember

An interesting cliffhanger going into Season 2 (I presume that's it now, 20 episodes wasn't it?).


Why did he:

Spoiler:

only want to blow up Atlanta and Philadelphia, what about Texas, Great Plains etc.?

From a technical standpoint, batteries may not break down at all, especially Lipo based, they can theoretically keep their charge for years, but it would indeed take "time" to get Power Plants back up and running, it's not like the technicians are going to be sitting there ready to stoke the coal in the furnace.

I so knew Randall was going to off himself though, at least wait until the ICBM's have arrived at their destination before doing the deed though, now the lady can get in there and blow the warheads and save the day.

I'm glad most of my predictions didn't work out, I don't like it when I can predict where the storyline is going weeks in advance, shows a lack of storytelling imho

Spoiler:

Maybe Texas and Plain States weren't perceived as the threat that Atlanta and Georgia were, i.e. they didn't have much in way of tech or manpower Plain states seemed poor and unorganized when Aaron and Rachel were passing through although we haven't seen anything of Texas this season- maybe will be explored next season?

[Ian-S]

True

[escyos]

Spoiler:

Maybe Texas and Plain States weren't perceived as the threat that Atlanta and Georgia were, i.e. they didn't have much in way of tech or manpower Plain states seemed poor and unorganized when Aaron and Rachel were passing through although we haven't seen anything of Texas this season- maybe will be explored next season?

Yes the Plains Nation is ran by a bunch of nomadic tribes, but they do appear to have military clashes with the Monroe Militia in St. Louis, but they may be like the rebels in comparison for military strength. Texas is apparently a large enough threat as Monroe tried to have a general there killed. Miles also remarked that it would be a bad idea to give them power.

[LtColCarter]

Now that the enter button has been pressed (since there wasn't a switch to flip)...I wonder what's going to happen in season two?

[garhkal]

Spoiler:

I don't know anything about how power plants or electricity works, but I can't believe you would just flip a switch and everything just starts working again-wouldn't the infrastructure be so damaged after 15 years(never mind power lines being down,ect after15 years) that it would take weeks,months,years for people to get their power back?
And it looks like Atlanta and Philadelphia? are toast? Plus major character death this time, with no going back.

disappointed, but I did really like the Miles/Monroe exchange. their relationship is complicated to say the least.

Very true for all the stuff in the spoiler text.
My inputs for that.

Spoiler:

1)I would love to also know how it is, fuel is readily available for all these helo uses. From my time in the mil, fuel left sitting around gets stagnent and useless after a while. 15 yrs is a long time. Also what of all the hoses, etc?
2) Ok so monro/miles think of each other as brothers.. No real biggy there.
3) Wtf was up with the missile launch> Where was the 'football (the brief case the president's staff carries) with all the launch codes in, wouldn't he have needed them to input into the launch computer?
4) When the heck is charlie going to realize mommy dearest doesn't seem to give a flying spagetti monster about anyone else but her damn self, and kick her for it?

[Kayzersoze]

Very true for all the stuff in the spoiler text.
My inputs for that.

Spoiler:

1)I would love to also know how it is, fuel is readily available for all these helo uses. From my time in the mil, fuel left sitting around gets stagnent and useless after a while. 15 yrs is a long time. Also what of all the hoses, etc?
2) Ok so monro/miles think of each other as brothers.. No real biggy there.
3) Wtf was up with the missile launch> Where was the 'football (the brief case the president's staff carries) with all the launch codes in, wouldn't he have needed them to input into the launch computer?
4) When the heck is charlie going to realize mommy dearest doesn't seem to give a flying spagetti monster about anyone else but her damn self, and kick her for it?

I too find a lot of plotholes in this show. But I still love it ....

Spoiler:

... maybe slightly less now Nora is gone. She was, simply, beautiful.

And on the missile launch .... those missiles managed to achieve orbital velocities WAY to fast.

In any case ... assuming I lived in the "Revolution" universe, and had children under 15 - first thing I'd do with the power now back on: wait till they do something naughty, drag my feet on the carpet without them seeing, walk up and zap them with static electricity and say in a god-like voice "THOU SHALL NOT BE NAUGHTY OR THOU SHALL BE SHOCKED!!"

[ZRFTS]

Revolution: Season 1

Spoiler:

Who knows what situation NBC was in when they commissioned this series but I do know this, they must of been really desperate to have ordered this series. Who could blame them, this series was commissioned by J.J. Abrams and Jon Farveau, it has A-list casting, it even has a concept that could be considered science-fiction gold; alas, it seemed like what NBC got wasn't what they expected at all, in fact it could be considered the exact opposite of what anybody could think was possible.

Let's get this fact out of the way, the show is wholly inaccurate from the science used to the methods our survivor use. Looking at this series, it's clear that they did not do their research as stuff such as the sudden deceleration of planes to the inability to use other forms of energy such as steam and propultion and it even extends to the second half of the season where the excuse they used to describe the energy loss is both improbable and stupid. I don't know how the writers could of missed out on a couple of simple facts, maybe they needed to make the world they wanted to make, maybe they thought said realism could ruin the shows purpose and it's definitely a fantasy world, just look at the way anybody fights; even for the people who haven't thought before it seems like they've been trained in the mystical art of kung-fu. Anyways, the research they didn't do makes this show look wholey unprofessional and as a result, makes it hard to take it seriously at times.

Surely the characters can buoy the show and they definitely have some good characters. You have the man who's history more than meets the eye, (Miles) you have the vulnerable female who's just stepping out into the world (Charlie); you even have a villian who's ruthless in his actions. (Monroe) but the unfortunate truth is they can't carry the show. Many of the characters are archetypes of other better characters. Miles is a Han Solo-type person who can kill anything that he shoots, Charlie is a charater who focuses on beauty, weapons and hard-edged behavior and Monroe is like Darth Vader, condescending with his tone and lacking the fine art of subtly. The show tries to inject character into them as evident with character based episodes such as "Kashmir" but more often than not the action takes president over the characters and this leads to some awkward moments such as painting Monroe as a villain or neglecting to focus on certain aspects such as Miles evil side. Additionally, some characters can even be a pain to watch; Charlie for one who always tries to be vulnerable and emotional, she ruins mostly every episode she's in with some pitiful attempts to provoke emotion and her voice which always seems to be trying a bit too hard. When her role is lessened, her character works well and many episodes of the second half prove this.

This show is about action and many episodes showcase that from "The Longest Day" to "Nobody's Fault But Mine", action fans will surly love the amount of gun and sword action that is in Revolution as this seems to be catered for them, nobody can deny that the action is well portrayed but the action could definitely be described as excessive and flashy. Everywhere they go characters do finely complicated stylized moves that could be considered unnecessary and impractical; every person that is thrown at them have the features of a grunt, designed to move towards our heroes vicinity and designed to be taken out like cake. This makes the action feel boring and generic, without a tough foe to combat them, we don't feel much reason to care about our heroes since we know they're going to make it out in one piece all of the time. I usually go against excess in action because I feel that just shooting guns is style over substance, there are a few cases such as in "The Dark Tower" where they can actually provide a challenge thus making the action exciting but those times don't come often enough, challenge is usually needed in order for an action sequence to work. We must care for the characters, we must make them think that their life is in danger, we must believe they can die. If all they do is shoot down guys like slicing butter than really, what's the purpose of having action at all?

It's first half of the season suffers from a lack of direction, there is nothing in the first half that supports the high-concept of the series often having the characters go from one interesting local to the next that features in episodes such as "The Children's Crusade" and "Sex and Drugs" often featuring the heroes getting into a gunfight or helping out a local someone with very few character development in return, while we do get brief developments such as Charlie or Aaron getting stronger, they often fail to further the growth of the characters thus in turn leaving the episodes feel hollow. The Monroe Militia also goes underutilized as they barely get a chance to showcase how ruthless and evil they are, and even then they squander the possibility by acting as route and uptight as possible, showcasing themselves rather than this republic that they've so claimed to built. It almost makes you not care about the journey ahead and even makes you lose faith in the characters of which this show is trying to build, they do try to amp it up at the end but it doesn't usually work mainly because the moments the characters have to prove themselves are too few and the writers are usually too caught up in worrying whether or not their stuff will land with the audience. (See "Nobody's Fault But Mine")

The second half of the season however is mildly better. Episodes like "The Stand" and "Home" still suffer from some issues but they are watchable instead of being painful to watch, more importantly they seem to be building the mythology by featuring the tiniest hints of technology and featuring characters important to the issue at hand. For those of you who like character growth, threat not for Miles and Aaron come out better than before being shown how important they are to the world and having aspects such as the empathy and the devotion come out; more surprisingly a character named Rachel steps up to take the reign, weaving a personality full of twists and turns as she provides the frail mother who cares about the people she's close to dearly but also carries a mischievous side to her. Her appearance oddly enough causes the characters to act better and every word makes the world feel more interesting from the scientific details to the personal details alone. The last three episodes manage to be entertaining TV by featuring foes who actually pose a threat, sci-fi that is actually thought provoking and a gamechanger ending which is definately needed in a show like this. However, it's not so good that it radically changes the show into must watch TV, it's just watchable good enough entertainment.

For a show like this to succeed, it has to have sufficient logic, a compelling plot, writing that isn't full of itself. A similar show to this caliber Stargate Universe certainly tried when it came to it's concept, how it's flaw was with the writing staff which wasn't up to par when it came to the concept. This show has a somewhat-lesser concept but it has worse producers, worse writers and worse acting. The main problem is that the show doesn't want to explore; while it does show us another country in "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", it doesn't show us what's going on in Africa, Europe or any other continent, instead it sorely shows us what's going on in those two places only. I understand that it's central to the character's stories but the world is central to the story too; we as an audience would like to know what's going on in the other countries. Additionally, your belief requires a lot of suspending. Think about it, you as a viewer should not be using up all of your whim in order to get enjoyment out of a TV show; you should just sit down on the screen and like it based on it's own merits. You shouldn't have to restrain your inner urge to nitpick every aspect of the show; while that may be true for other shows, this show has a sort of feeling to it that makes you spin your head everytime you watch it.

Revolution's first season is ultimately one that is mixed up in a hot mess. Half of it sucks, half of it is watchable and the inbetween is stuck in limbo. Sure, there are good parts but the good parts don't connect in a manner that is consistent; additionally, the series is badly written with many cliches, plot holes and inconsistencies about and the characters are not up to the par you expect them to be. I can understand why people can be hopeful for the show, it's kind of like NBC's beacon in a sea that's especially cloudy and it's got a good science-fiction concept and J.J. Abrams is behind the show but those reasons aren't enough for me to like the show. I think this will go down as one of J.J. Abrams first flops which is a shame because he's the guy who's done "Lost" and "Fringe". If only it focused on the world and the mythology than maybe, maybe it would of worked. Oh well...

4.0/10

[mr_kennedy]

Spoiler:

So this is what happens when desmond doesnt push the button at all juliet went to push it everything is fine now for season 2

interesting season, they started off in one direction, and moved into a completly different one, 2nd half of the season was better i thought, the first half was decent enough but we knew that storyline wasnt going to be it for revolution, so i guess it had to end somehow

[garhkal]

Mods.. Any idea if/when this will get its own subforums, like Defiance, once upon a time etc have?