REVOLUTION Mid-Season Recap

In my opinion, this fall’s new dramas have been the best crop in years, , and one of the best of the bunch is definitely NBC’s REVOLUTION.  The show has been a big hit, averaging 8 million live viewers and a share of around 3.0, helping propel NBC to their first November sweeps victory in years. The series has also been nominated for a People’s Choice Award in the category of Favorite New TV Drama. Even more impressively, it’s consistently gotten me to stay up until after 11pm every Monday (I wake up every Tuesday morning before 6 am, cursing NBC and myself for not just waiting to watch it on my DVR).

Part of what makes REVOLUTION so intriguing is all of the “what-if” scenarios that the viewer encounters. What if the power really did go out and stay out? How far would I be willing to go to protect my family? Could I sacrifice my life or the lives of those I love to save others?

Another big draw of the show is Billy Burke, who plays Miles Matheson. Having seen Burke only in the [easyazon-link asin=”B001P5HRMI”]Twilight[/easyazon-link] movies and having not been very impressed, I’ll admit that I really wasn’t thrilled with him having such a big role in REVOLUTION. Much to my surprise, I’ve ended up very intrigued and impressed by how well Burke has portrayed Miles’ constant internal conflict as he battles the force that he was instrumental in creating. There’s no doubt that Burke, along with Giancarlo Esposito as Captain Neville, the meek insurance-salesman-turned-Militia-boss, carry the show.

Episode 10, which aired November 26, was the last episode of the show that will air this fall/winter, as the show will be on hiatus until March, when it returns with 9 straight new episodes. While those of us already hooked on the show would rather not have to wait that long, the break gives newbies plenty of time to catch up with the series and for fans to rewatch the first 10 episodes already aired. Back in October, I summarized the first five episodes, so I’ll give episodes 1.06-1.10 similar treatment here and get everyone all caught up.

1.06 Sex and Drugs

Pictured: (l-r) Tracy Spiridakos as Charlie Matheson, Daniella Alonso as Nora — (Brownie Harris/NBC)

Nora’s slowly dying from the stab wound she sustained at the hand of a member of the Resistance after she had second thoughts about her train bombing plan. Fortunately, Miles happens to know someone in the area who can help. Unfortunately, like many of Miles’ acquaintances, the guy, Drexel, is a rather unsavory character who deals in opium and young girls. Drexel treats Nora, but he takes them all prisoner and agrees not kill them all only if Charlie will go kill the patriarch of the neighboring estate, who keeps ticking him off by interfering with his despicable way of making a living.

Charlie doesn’t see a way out, so she goes to do it, dressed up like a prostitute that has escaped from Drexel (complete with the bruises he gave her). She realizes pretty quickly that the man she has been sent to kill is a good person, but she doesn’t think she has a choice. Thankfully, Miles escapes Drexel and shows up just in time to keep her from killing him (and from his family’s certain retaliation against her).

We learn in flashbacks that Aaron was once happily married and left his wife after the blackout because he didn’t think that he could keep her safe compared to the other men in their group.  He’s not willing to feel that helpless again, though, and he comes up with a rather daring plan that saves both him and Nora from Drexel. The team reunites and continues on their trip to Philadelphia to rescue Danny.

Meanwhile, in Philly, Danny and Rachel are reunited.

1.07 The Children’s Crusade 

Pictured: (l-r) Zak Orth as Aaron, Daniella Alonso as Nora — (Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

The crew comes upon a community of heavily armed orphans. One of the older boys has just been kidnapped by the Milita and is being taken to a training facility.  His younger brother is desparate to get him back and Miles wants nothing to do with the situation until he finds out that the Militia killed the kids’ parents. Feeling responsible, he and Charlie  develop a plan to rescue the boy. Charlie goes undercover as a new recruit and ends up aboard a militia training ship. She identifies the boy but causes some trouble along the way (including being branded with the militia symbol on the inside of her wrist) and is unable to escape the ship by herself. Miles and Nora rescue Charlie and the orphan while a bunch of kids and Aaron hide from the militia in an old lighthouse. While there, Aaron’s pendant gets activated, turning on the lighthouse momentarily, which doesn’t escape notice. Aaron is forced to show Miles the pendant.

In Philly, Rachel tries to explain to Danny what her life has been like in Philly. One of Rachel’s former colleagues has been caught by the Militia (thanks to her leads) and tortured unsuccessfully for the whereabouts of his pendant.  In a flashback, we find out that Ben Matheson invented a device that was intended to produce environmentally friendly electricity but instead it actually inhibited electricity. A shadowy official from the Department of Defense, Randall, coerces the Mathesons into selling their technology. When Rachel is unable to convince her old friend to tell her the location of his pendant, Neville captures his daughter to use as leverage.

We see Grace Beaumont, one of the Ben Matheson’s coworkers, the woman who tried to help Danny, and the one to whom Aaron was supposed to take the pendant. She’s been imprisoned by Randall but seems to be healthy and well otherwise.

1.08 Ties that Bind

Pictured: (l-r) Kim Raver as Julia, Giancarlo Esposito as Captain Tom Neville — (Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

Miles, Charlie, Nora, and Aaron have finally made it to Pennsylvania. They need to cross the Allegheny River, but the Militia has blown up all the other bridges within 100 miles and shoots boats on sight. The bridge is secured by the Militia, but seeing few other options, they try to cross. Miles quickly realizes it is a trap and they manage to retreat and escape the Militia, or so they think. As they hide nearby, Stausser, Monroe’s most depraved deputy, yells for Nora that he has her sister and she will die if they don’t turn themselves in. Nora and her sister, Mia, haven’t seen each other in years; their mother was killed after the blackout and Nora had to basically raise her sister alone.

Miles realizes that Monroe has a source that knows a lot about them. He suspects Nate/Jason must have told Monroe. Miles tries to destroy the pendant but is unsuccessful. They manage to rescue Mia and she convinces Nora to go off with her and meet up with their father in Texas. Nora finally agrees but quickly learns that her sister is in cahoots with the Militia and her father is actually dead. Mia had made a deal with Strausser to save them both in exchange for stealing the pendant. Nora leaves her sister and rejoins Miles and Charlie but the damage is done – the pendant is on it’s way to Monroe.

Jason/Nate bribes a stable hand to find out where Strausser was going because he worried about Charlie. He is exposed, beaten and then assigned to leave on a mission to California. Neville and his wife are distraught and find out that another of Monroe’s senior aides has a son in the Resistance. They turn in the son to keep Jason from being sent away, leading to the torture and death of both the man and his son, and Neville’s promotion to Major.

Monroe presents Rachel with the pendant. He is forcing her to build an amplifier for him that will allow the pendant to power bigger electronic devices.

Randall shows Grace a huge map of the US with the locations of all of the pendants blinking on it (they clearly have power, wherever they are underground). Ben’s pendant has moved quickly to Philadelphia.

1.09 Kashmir

Pictured: Billy Burke as Miles Matheson — (Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

Charlie, Nora, Aaron, and Miles finally make it to Philly. Miles makes a deal with the Resistance for their help getting into the city – he’ll give them Monroe in exchange for help rescuing Danny.  The city has been walled off and so they use an old subway tunnel to gain access. The place is fortified with mines and they accidentally set one off which blocks the way out and closes off the air supply, leading to lots of hallucinations and near death experiences as they find out the tunnel they expected to use as an exit has been sealed when their oxygen is nearly gone.  They find an exit just in time and quickly learn that the “Resistance” leader is actually paid by Monroe. He shoots Charlie when she protects Miles. Luckily, it only grazes her, but it scares the crap out of Miles who realizes how much he’s come to love her.

Monroe is checking on Rachel’s work on the amplifier. Neville is suspicious of her, so he has her old friend called in to look at the amplifier she is building. He tells Monroe that Rachel is actually building a time bomb (Monroe still has his daughter). Rachel denies it, but Monroe is pissed. He tells her he will kill her and Danny as he doesn’t need her anymore now that he has her friend and his pendant. Before they can take her off, though, Rachel lunges at her friend and kills him with a knife – “Now you need me”, she tells Monroe.

1.10 Nobody’s Fault But Mine

Pictured: Billy Burke as Miles Matheson — (Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

In a bunch of flashbacks, we learn more about the relationship between Miles and Monroe – Monroe has risked his life to save Miles and he has done the same. Monroe lost his sister and both parents in a car accident before the power went out and was going to kill himself, but Miles intervened. As children, they considered themselves to be brothers.

Miles takes Charlie and the crew to hide with a friend of his in Philly that works for the Militia. He takes them in mostly because Miles gives him no choice. Miles leaves them there and goes to reconnoiter the city. Neville tracks down the friend and takes the group hostage while Miles is gone. Charlie is thrown into a prison cell with Rachel and the two get some time to get reacquainted  Charlie and Danny are also reunited. Strausser shows Rachel the real amplifier that the friend she killed was making for Monroe. She has to finish it or they will kill one of her kids. Charlie tries to get Rachel to stand her ground, but she can’t stand the idea of losing one of her children.

Strausser is guarding Rachel while she works and acting very lecherous, suggesting that he may have assaulted her in the past. They struggle and Rachel stabs him in the chest, killing him (and doing the world a favor).

Miles retaliates against Neville by taking his wife hostage and forcing him to release Aaron and Nora and tell him where Danny and Charlie are being held captive. Neville tells them that Monroe has them at a powerplant outside the city. Miles, Nora, and Aaron go there. Miles and Nora rescue Danny and  Charlie and Miles is surprised to hear that  Rachel is still alive. Miles finds her right after she kills Strausser and the Militia arrive. The two run for it and Miles comes face-to-face with Monroe.

The two are in a stand-off and neither can shoot. Monroe drops his gun first, and finally Miles lowers his as well. He realizes that Monroe isn’t the man he once knew, though, and tells him so. They then get into a major fight, first without weapons and then with swords. Aaron blows a hole in a wall with a bomb and Charlie, Danny, Nora, and Rachel escape, followed closely by Miles who runs from the fight when Monroe’s reinforcements arrive.

They all run from the plant but soon hear an ominous noise – a helicopter. Monroe has managed to get the amplifier working and is now the only man in the world with heavy weaponry. The guns of the helicopter swivel in the direction of Miles and company as they run away across a field.

***

It will be very interesting to see where the show heads in the second half of the season now that the initial objective – to rescue Danny – has been accomplished and Monroe is looking bigger and badder than ever. From the photos, interviews and other spoilers out there, it seems that we’re in for a little revolution…