REVOLUTION Recap: Dr. Evil

REVOLUTION 2.07: The Patriot Act

Monroe lives! Yeah, even if Rachel digging up his grave didn’t give that one away, the previews showing him alive certainly did. Rachel drugged him because she thought they needed him, and for Charlie. They hide him in a farmhouse outside the town while the drugs work out of his system.

The Patriots are really cracking down on Willoughby – they start dictating what books Aaron and Cynthia can use in school and then bomb a building, killing 3 people, and use it as an excuse to fortify the walls and impose a strict curfew to protect the citizens. Porter tries to talk to the Patriots, but is basically told to keep quiet or else they will hurt Charlie.

We learn in flashbacks that Charlie’s mother, and half the town, died of cholera. Then one day, a handsome stranger showed up with the vaccine and Porter sold his soul to the Patriots (and the devil) to save the town. It didn’t take long before he became very uncomfortable with the torture and murder. He tried to talk to them and to quit his involvement, but he was in too deep by that point and the town needed the drugs and vaccine.

Dr. Horn used to work for the DOD in the same division as Rachel and Ben and takes it personal that she doesn’t remember him. He tells her of fleeing to Cuba with Randal Flynn when D.C. fell. He came to Willoughby because he knows that the nanobots were responsible for burning two of his men alive and he wants Rachel to help him control them. She denies involvement but Horn has also heard about Aaron’s resurrection, so he’s not buying it.

Rachel and Miles warn Aaron and make a plan to smuggle him out to Monroe, despite his misgivings about being anywhere near Monroe. He insists on taking Cynthia with him. Porter overhears the conversation and assures them that he can get Aaron and Cynthia through the gates when he makes his weekly medicine run.

Porter’s later cornered by Horn, who promises to kill everyone he cares about, starting with Charlie, until he admits to that Aaron controls the nanobots and that he is going to try to sneak him out of town. Luckily, Miles is a paranoid sort and suspects Porter, so they don’t show up to meet him, but watch from hiding. This all prompts a huge manhunt for Aaron, Rachel, and Miles.

Aaron and Cynthia narrowly escape through a sewer pipe out of town, but find Patriot soldiers waiting for them. Some rather drunken swordsmanship by Monroe and some nanobot spontaneous combustion and Aaron and Cynthia are free, but she’s a lot more scared of Aaron than Monroe.

Porter promises to find Aaron to prevent Horn from killing Rachel. Rachel, meanwhile, is hiding with Miles and Charlie. She’s taking his deception very badly and Charlie’s facade crumbles a bit as she goes to comfort her mother.

Neville/Jason

So, Jason apparently isn’t too far gone after all as he saves Neville by killing two Patriot soldiers (with a knife, while handcuffed). Neville decides to use Allenford to get to her husband.

My Thoughts:

Last week we were left with the kind of cliffhanger that Porter is a Patriot and that a bigger, badder, evil was headed into town. This week, we got the back story on why Porter made the decision that he did (all noble reasons) and learned that Dr. Horn makes the rest of the Patriots look warm and fuzzy. How could so many people have gotten caught up in a cause so malignant? Potentially out of desperation or initially altruistic motivations.

One of the things that makes Revolution so engaging to watch is the questions that it brings up – what would like be like if the power went out tomorrow? What horrible things are we capable of doing to protect our loved ones? Porter being forced to betray his family to save them is a sad and powerful story.

It’s also interesting how Monroe now seems reasonably upstanding in comparison to the Patriots. Can he actually be redeemed, with as far to the dark side as he traveled, or is it more of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend?”. I suspect the former as it’s already hard for me to remember all of the atrocities that he’s committed and Charlie, Rachel, and Miles have at least settled into acceptance, if not some forgiveness. I’m very intrigued to see where the next episode takes us.

Memorable Quotes:

So what am I, ET now? – Aaron

Oh, so I’m safer with *that* psycho? – Aaron

So, that’s what 15-yr old crap smells like – Aaron

Aaron, you have GOT to tell me how you do that! – Monroe

Catch Revolution on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC!