Revolution, Season 1, Episode 16: “The Love Boat”
Written by Melissa Glenn
Directed by Charles Beeson
Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC
Revolution is not so much about bad guy-of-the-week as it is weapon of mass destruction-of-the-week. Following a nuclear threat a couple of weeks ago, the big bad facing the rebels is that of anthrax.
Needless to say, they snuff it out, but fail to advance anything in the process beyond showing that Miles Matheson is still a ruthless bastard at heart and will do whatever it takes for the greater good after threatening the anthrax manufacturer’s family.
It takes us on yet another minor sidequest to the main plot, which is some kind of struggle between the rebels and the Monroe Republic. Probably. There’s too much stuffing to really push forward the thrust of the show, and beyond the very brief heist sequence where the gang liberated the anthrax cook the action didn’t really make up for that for once.
We do get some actual plot in the Rachel and Aaron storyline. After last week’s rescue of his wife, Aaron steps up to the plate to take out one of the guys coming for him and Rachel. At this point, he seems to have the broadest, most overt character arch of everyone: where once he was a coward afraid he’d be unable to protect his wife, he’s now a man of action, willing to risk his own life to save others. At least there’s a definite story on that side of the show; Miles et al are just spinning wheels.
The climactic scene is about as Lost-ish as this show has gotten to date. The seemingly supernatural element thrown in for no good reason other than a shocking cliffhanger doesn’t really work. For sure, the Tower is an important place in this world, but to excommunicate a random henchman in a messy fashion adds only confusion, not intrigue.
This is yet another messy episode on Revolution‘s path to the inevitable showdown between the rebels (and Georgia) and the Monroe Republic. At least Giancarlo Esposito was back hissing hatred as only he can this time around.