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Revolution: The Song Remains The Same

"No one's a good guy."

Ever since Revolution returned from its four month hiatus, I've been consistently amazed by how impressively the show has reshuffled its status quo. After all, that's what makes a serialized story so exciting and gripping.

First they kill off Danny - a move I never expected in a million years - and now: Neville and Julia are on the run? Not bad at all! The commander and his wife are definite wild cards who'll be escalating things moving into the finale. Even their son Jason has improved remarkably. He began the show as nothing more than a useless love interest for Charlie, but now he's part of the rebellion and quite effective in manipulating the most ruthless of soldiers (his dad in this case). Suffice to say, this family is even more messed up than Charlie and her kin.

They've really worked a lot on making Charlie a lot less whiny which makes the character infinitely more likeable. The fact that she's also training to be a warrior is a definite plus. I'm not totally convinced of her relationship with Rachel though; sometimes it feels like Spiridakos and Mitchell are missing something in the chemistry department.

Speaking of Rachel, on her own, she continues to be one of the show's standouts. It was a bit jarring to see her ditch her daughter so swiftly after swearing she'd never leave her, but I guess the quest for The Tower is vital to the rest of the season.

Which brings us to the episode's biggest moment (which kind of felt like an afterthought shoehorned in at the beginning of the hour): they just answered the show's biggest mystery! Apparently something went wrong in The Tower and little computers with the power to absorb electricity (and replicate) caused the blackout by spiraling out of control! It's obviously a bunch of scientific techno-babble but hey, that's a pretty bold step from a serialized television show. Lost might have had a ton more finesse in its first year, but it never attempted to even try and answer it's main mystery. So props for Revolution; maybe answering this question will give the show the opportunity to focus on its strengths. I'm undeniably intrigued...

Revolutionary Bits

- God, I love Kim Raver. She's even better than Elizabeth Mitchell if that's possible.

- Love Neville listening to Lionel Richie just as his truck explodes and flips. Awesome action moment culminating with Charlie finishing him off!

- Neville sure turned the tables on Miles. I'd forgotten that the latter had killed "hundreds". Antihero indeed.

- Something felt very awkward in the scene with Charlie trying to stop Rachel from killing Neville. I did like momma crying into Miles' arms afterwards though.

- How could anyone like Neville after he sliced the priest so brutally?

- Julia calmly telling the "ladies" to get out of her house cracked me up.

- Why have they made Nora so superfluous to the proceedings? Do I care?

- Brilliant scene with Miles passionately kissing Rachel before she heads off on her journey.

- Monroe has a nuke? Hmm...

- The ending with Rachel leaving Charlie and telling her she'll never see her again really depressed me. I loved how Charlie looked like she was holding herself together better than Miles was!

Dystopic Digs

Miles: If you go anywhere near him, I will bash your little boy-band face in.
Jason: (to Charlie) What's a boy-band?

Rachel: (to Miles) In what world does it turn out that you're better for Charlie than I am?

Rachel: (To Miles) You need to take better care of her than you ever took of me!

- A thoroughly exciting and compelling hour of Revolution.

4 out of 5 Lionel Richie songs.

Previously posted on Nad's Reviews.

9 comments:

  1. So let me get this straight: Rachel and Aaron are going to something something called The Tower, deep in the heart of Mordor (or some local equivalent thereof), to repair the world, and none of the rebels think this is important? I understand that they have some more immediately pressing concerns, but they couldn't even spare a couple of soldiers for this? Really? Nobody even brings it up?

    OK, rant over. Otherwise I'm really enjoying this second half of the season, but this was such a bizarre moment for me.

    BTW "You need to take better care of her than you ever took of me"? Does anyone else think that Rachel was with Miles before she was with Ben, and that Charlie is maybe Miles' daughter?

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  2. Hahah it did feel very Lord of the Rings and especially bizarre how come nobody joined them on their supposed suicide mission!

    And I definitely agree that Charlie could very well be Miles' daughter and that they'll probably reveal this soon! Rachel and Miles obviously have a very heated past!

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  3. Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. This episode was all about the primary relationship of our lives. I loved it!

    Jason getting over his father was fantastic to watch. I was shocked he was falling for all the nonsense and kept shouting "Don't listen to him!" at the television. I cheered when I saw Miles on the other side of the door.

    I agree that Rachel's leaving Charlie felt odd after all her talk about never leaving. I'm not convinced she's going to the Tower; something tells me she's on some kind of suicide mission back to Philadelphia. I can see her story and Neville's story coming together somehow.

    My final thought about parents, I am now convinced that Miles is Charlie's father. I've suspected it for quite some time, but it was pretty clearly telegraphed this episode. That kiss was HOT!

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  4. Absolutely, totally, agree. The show is getting better and better, now Tracy Spiridakos just has to stop doing the "stary-eyes" so often, and Elisabeth Mitchel has to cut down on the duck-face-thingy.

    Btw, I think Julia will sell out Tom.

    And yes, Miles is probably Charlie's father. I wonder if they'll do what would be most awesome: "No. I am your father.

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  5. So glad to hear you're all loving the show more and more :D It really is turning into a great one!

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  6. I'm happy to agree. The show is improving. It's like they looked at what wasn't working during the fall, and started fixing it. A sci-fi answer to the blackout that makes sense was something I didn't expect. And I'm so pleased that there is an increased emphasis on the better actors in the series. You know who they are. :)

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  7. Is it better enough that I should start watching it again? I gave up just before the episode with the child-army, or whatever it was.

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  8. Josie, I'm not obsessing about it yet or anything, but it's obvious that they're making some good decisions. One of the best is that Charlie has been de-emphasized to some extent, and this episode was carried by Elizabeth Mitchell, Billy Burke, Colm Feore, Giancarlo Esposito and Kim Raver. The grown-ups with the acting talent, I want to say. :) And the story is speeding up, too. It rather dragged before. I was thinking before that it wasn't ever going to grab me, but now it's a possibility.

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