REVOLUTION: “The Stand” – and the Fall [Recap]

Wow, what a return! Last night we watched the Revolution midseason premiere on NBC, and for most of the episode I was on the edge of my seat. By the way thank you NBC, I now have no nails left at all.

The Story

The Stand picked up exactly where we left off in “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”. Monroe, now powered with one of the pendants, sends one of his choppers after Miles and the group. They have rescued Rachel and Danny and Charlie have been reunited. To review, the group consists of Miles, Charlie, Rachel, Danny, Aaron and Nora. The group take cover in an abandoned restaurant but the chopper fires missiles on it. Thinking they have killed Miles Matheson & Co. the chopper leaves.

Photo: NBC.com

Inside the building the group have taken cover in the storage room which is what saved their lives. They know, however, that Monroe’s men will be back to look for bodies. As the group flees the area, they watch as  more shoppers fly overhead toward a rebel base nearby. They kill everyone inside. Monroe has given the order to take out the resistance and completely wipe them off the map as he plans to take over the entire nation and make it the Monroe Republic.

This is when we have the group splitting up again as Miles and Rachel head to where Rachel says she can get some power to be able to combat Monroe’s men. Charlie and the rest head off toward the next big rebel base to warn them of what’s about to hit them.

As the rebels prepare to make a stand against certain heroic death, Miles and Rachel find John Something-or-other who apparently was a colleague of Rachel’s back in the day. One of the people working on the device that shut off the power, along with Grace. In John’s basement is an entire arsenal. John tells Rachel that Grace is under Randall’s authority right now. He also reveals to her that Randell had gotten to him too and now John is working for Randall. Then he blasts Miles and Rachel with a supersonic sound blaster which renders them unconscious.

Photo: NBC.com

Back in Randall’s lair, Grace is being forced to work on powering up the elevator in the building they are currently in. As Randall leaves her under the watchful eye of a brute who looks like he’d enjoy torturing her, he takes off to deal with something that has just come up. The next time we see Randall he is paying Monroe a visit and offers him aid. Dang! The two of them teaming up? This is terrifying folks, because they are both nuts and both power-hungry. At this point, my nails are gone and I’m working on my cuticles.

At John’s place, while Rachel distracts John with entreaties to not follow Randall’s orders, Miles is working on cutting them loose. He finally does and they overcome John, grab weapons and hightail it out of there before Randall or his men get there.

The rebels are gearing up for the inevitable attack when the sound of chopper blades rumble through the compound. The attack begins and it looks so very bad for this small David against the giant Goliath. But in rolls Miles and Rachel with a weapon that when powered up with another pendant, can take out the choppers. Miles takes aim but just as he’s about to fire the second chopper moves in parallel to him and fires. Miles is not killed but he’s knocked out and the two choppers are getting ready to finish their mission.

In a scene that at one had us cheering and gasping in shock and disbelief, Danny runs out to pick up the weapon and he fires, taking down the chopper that has the machine holding the power to keep both choppers in the air and functioning. This sends the other chopper in a tailspin but the guns are still shooting and pepper Danny with killing shots. They don’t even give him a dying-in-his-mother’s-arms scene. He’s dead when he hits the ground. At the same time the second chopper goes down and explodes.

REVOLUTION — Episode 111 — Pictured: Graham Rogers as Danny Matheson — (Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

After spending half of a season with Charlie, Miles, Aaron and Nora traveling 1000 miles to rescue Danny, he’s shot down right before their eyes. Unfortunately I knew this was coming because I was spoiled on a press conference call that took place last week. But I still felt the full emotional effects of this scene and I cried. I didn’t have any emotional attachment to Danny, but all that Charlie had gone through to save him, she couldn’t save him from this. My attachment was to her and Rachel.

But wait, there’s more! Charlie tells Rachel that they must now go after Monroe and kill him. Rachel knows that there is a Tower where, if she can get to it, she will be able to turn all the power back on. Charlie will of course go with her in this new quest. What else is she going to do now?

In the final scene, Rachel cuts a small opening in Danny’s side and retrieves a small capsule that starts to light up. Power!

Side Servings

Jason has finally had enough of his father’s bloody attacks and faces up to him, after they spot Charlie at the rebel base. I’ve been waiting for a fight scene between Neville and his son for a long time, so when it finally happened I was cheering. Jason got in some great punches before Tom knocks him down, then tells him to never come home again. Father of the Year everyone! This guy is dangerously crazy too!

Jason finds Charlie and warns her that Neville is heading for Monroe’s office to tell him that Charlie and most likely Miles and the others are still alive. He also tells her that Tom Neville is his father, but that he’s finished with Monroe’s reign as well as his father’s. He wants to join the resistance.

Monroe gives the order to shoot to kill Miles when they catch him. I’m thinking that it’s because he can’t do it himself, as was proven in “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”.

Questions Remain

Why did Randall need Grace?

What was it that Rachel took out of Danny and why was it there? We got a flashback scene with Danny going into some kind of surgery. Rachel and Ben are talking about the fact that “nothing else has worked”. What was wrong with Danny? It’s more than just the asthma.

Why would Randall need to ally himself with Monroe when Randall clearly has way more power than Monroe does? Why not just take Monroe out?

Next Week

On the next episode of Revolution, heroism, heavy hearts and heavy weaponry drive the rebels onward. Ghosts airs Monday, April 1, at 10/9c on NBC.