The pilot of NBC’s new show Revolution was indeed the thrilling ride I hoped it would be. Smartly directed by someone with plenty of geek cred, Jon Favreau, the pilot delivered a lot of story in one short hour. It quickly moved from introducing the basic premise of the show, a worldwide blackout, to meeting our main characters, to setting up the catalyst for our adventure to begin. It wasn’t all exposition though. For example, the fight scenes at the hotel were exciting and really quite different than anything I’ve seen lately on television. As a bonus we learned:
- Miles really is good at killing people.
- Monroe’s men need a refresher course on “bring him back alive”.
- Crossbows aren’t so great in hand-to-hand combat.
This episode left us with lots of juicy details, hints, and questions to noodle over while we anxiously await next Monday. I thought I would take a deeper look into three of the most enigmatic characters we met.
Maggie
What we know
As doctor of a bucolic and seemingly ideal community that has developed fifteen year post-blackout, Maggie seems to have mastered the art of natural medicines (and poisons). She is also dating Ben, now a widower raising his almost-adult children Charlie and Danny. After Ben is killed, she insists on accompanying Charlie on a quest to find Danny, who has been kidnapped by the militia.
What I suspect
Maggie might be putting on her best “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”, but she is definitely hiding something. I’ve watched enough TV and movies to know that when a character tells you not to trust anyone (as she warns Charlie about hunky Nate) they are actually talking about themselves. That way, when their inevitable betrayal comes, they can throw out the zinger “I told you not to trust anyone.” Ouch.
Burning Question
What is Maggie’s real agenda? Maybe she is a spy, but for whom? It’s probably not forMonroe, or he would have found Ben before now. Regardless, I don’t think she’s tagging along with Charlie just out of obligation to her boyfriend’s dying wishes.
Miles
What we know
Miles and his buddy Bass (that’s General Monroe to you), were Marines stationed together in South Carolina when the blackout occurred. Fifteen years later, Charlie keeps her promise to her dying father and finds Miles attempting to keep a low profile in Chicago. After a teary plea, plus the fact that she has soundly blown his cover, he agrees to help find Danny.
What I suspect
Miles was in Monroe’s militia for a time, but was turned off by Monroe’s increasing thirst for power and domination. I think he left Monroe and found his brother Ben, who divulged his knowledge about the blackout to Miles. Now that Ben is dead, this is Miles’ cross to bear, and this weighty secret may explain why he originally planned to drink himself to death.
Burning Question
What exactly does Miles know about the blackout? The fact that Charlie doesn’t even know or recognize her uncle hints that Ben and Miles did not split amicably. Is the truth behind Ben’s advance knowledge of the blackout and the mysterious “fob of power” the reason they were estranged?
Monroe
What we know
Sebastian “Bass” Monroe is now General Monroe, in charge of a vast militia and leader of the Monroe Republic, an area of the former United States that includes Chicago. He has ordered his men to find and bring back Ben and Miles alive, a job that has been thoroughly bungled by the death of Ben and the escape of Miles. Captain Neville has managed to arrest Ben’s son, Danny, although keeping him in custody seems to be an equally vexing task for this crew.
What I suspect
Don’t be too quick to paint Monroe as a power-hungry bad guy. Remember that he has first-hand knowledge of an individual who knew in advance that the blackout was going to occur. The people responsible for the blackout (assuming that individuals caused this, which I realize is still up for debate) are, in effect, mass murderers on a global scale. Perhaps he feels it’s his duty to find who caused this event and bring them to justice. I’m simply not convinced that Monroe’s actions are entirely self-motivated.
Burning Question
Like his buddy Miles, Bass likes a good stiff drink. But how the heck did he get ice cubes? Rewind your DVR to that last scene if you missed it, but the camera very deliberately focused on Monroe putting a couple of ice cubes in his glass. I’m sure someone clever will point out several ways to make or store ice without refrigeration or cold weather, but I still think it’s a clue.
Question of the Week
What is your most burning question after watching the pilot?
Sound off in the comments section below!
My burning question–how come none of the diesel engines are still running? Older diesel engines (and there are still plenty of these around–they are in countless tractors and old trucks) do NOT require a spark, or electrical components of any type. As long as you can hand crank the engine, it will start and run.
Which also brings up a similar issue–what about all of the propane powered refrigerators? Again, no electricity needed! The motor home they entered most likely had one–most motor homes utilize a combination electric/propane unit (especially older models).
@Jason; It may be that the means of getting the fuel for the above mentioned power sources is itself dependent on the power source that is affected. But your point is well taken. Makes me think of Mad Max and other scify shows that fought over dwindling fossil fuels.
Jason, good point. My take on it was that we’re viewing life 15 years later when all the alternative power options (diesel fuel, propane) have been completely consumed over those first few years. Like Yogabon said, I think those resources were heavily fought over until they were exhausted. In the case of the RV, it looked as if it’d been pillaged a few times until nothing useful was left of it. I’m glad you brought up those points though. Thinking about these things makes the show all the more enjoyable!
Hi! I really enjoyed the pilot.
Here are some thoughts on Sebastian “Bass” Monroe. OK the tattoo strikes me as an odd thing to have, especially pre-balckout. It looks like a corporate logo or family emblem, maybe even a cattle ranch mark given the way his subordinates are branded with it. I suspect he comes from a powerful family with a well known name.
He is addressed as General Monroe. Not Commander, Governor, President, King , etc. A general answers to someone. I suspect that the “Monroe Republic” is named not for Sebastian, but maybe his father or his family. Perhaps daddy was a high ranking officer at the base, did the guards recognize the tattoo as his trademark? Family or not, I think there is a bigger bad than Sebastian.
So are there still lightning storms in this world?
Wow, great theory about Bass not being the real one in charge. I love it! A family “dynasty” of power makes a lot of sense, and I agree that the tattoo could be a big hint in that direction.
I think lightening storms probably still occur, unless the “physics went crazy” comment by Aaron means that more than just the lights stopped working.
No mention of the computer at the end of the episode? How does it work? Who is this woman? etc.
I’m wondering that too.
Agreed GFish! There are lots of burning questions I did not cover in this article. Top two perhaps: What/who is responsible for the power going out? Who are the people with these “fobs of power” and what is their agenda? Listen live to the Revolution Podcast tonight, Sept. 18 at 8pm Eastern (7pm Central) for a lively discussion on these topics and more! Or, download the podcast once it becomes available online.
I am worried about a Lost/Alcatraz situation.
There were so many unanswered questions in Lost/Alcatraz that I am skittish of falling for another time.
I liked the ending of this episode.
I liked how we saw the General and we say that some people still have electric.
That is a nice conspircy story.
I hope we see more.
The best quote I ever heard about lost was , Lost was a ponsy scheme of lies that they could never pay off. There were so many lost questions on top of lost questions that the writers intentionally never answered anything real. I don’t want revoluation to go down that same road.
M. Night Shamalan (sp?) first movie sixth sense was amazing and now he is a joke cause people can only go down the same road so many times. I hope Revolution learns from lost and alcatraz, get to the point. Tell the story.
If the lady can use the chip to operate a CP at the end of the episode, and communicate with someone else who obviously has power, I don’t have a problem with a general having access to ice cubes.