Revolution

It’s clearer than ever that Revolution wants to be The Walking Dead. While it can match the apocalyptic AMC series on the maudlin interpersonal drama stakes, it will never be quite as pulpy or as gore-filled as the zombie show. It feels like NBC’s pushing the limits on what some may perceive an acceptable level of viscera for a network series, between the somewhat graphic mending of Rachel’s leg in “The Longest Day” and the blood splattering everywhere when someone is hit with the electromagnetic grenades this time around.

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 18: “Clue” Written by Paul Grellong and Oanh Ly Directed by Helen Shaver Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Off the bat, we can probably discount Nora as the Militia’s mole. Director Shaver goes a little further in depicting torture in times of war than you might expect from …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 17: “The Longest Day” Written by Anne Cofell Saunders Directed by Steve Boyum Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC “The Longest Day” is about seeing a different side to some of our main characters. Rachel, Miles, and Tom all have moments when we saw a part of them we …

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.

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 15: “Home” Written by David Rambo Directed by Jon Cassar Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC At its heart, Revolution is a show about coping with loss. The loss of power. The loss of comrades. The loss of loved ones. “Home” deals most broadly with the latter across its …

If there is one thing human beings have mastered, it’s thinking about the future. Theologians, affianced lovers, political theorists, social revolutionaries, TV franchise creators, actuaries and bankers all have that fundamental activity in common. Whether we are entertaining sweeping changes on a global scale, or merely wondering about our own prospects for retirement, we cannot help but beam mental images onto the blank screen of what’s to come.

While Revolution’s entire run to date has focused on the Monroe Republic, details have indicated that the collapse of the government following the loss of power led to numerous rogue factions taking control of various parts of the former United States, with Monroe and Miles only getting one part of it. The prospect of seeing how the other areas were ruled, and how the people in other parts of the country had coped with the loss of power, has thus been a very intriguing one, and it is this idea that the show explores this week, in an episode that opens up some intriguing new avenues for the show to explore.

Every now and then, Revolution offers a reminder that this is a world unfamiliar to us. Miles, Rachel, and Aaron may know our existence in 2013, but the world has changed immeasurably.

This is the future, one where tiny robots with devastating power permeate the air. Yet for all the science-fiction elements, the plot is still very much driven by the oldest of dramatic tensions, that within and between families.

Basic storytelling aside, Randall’s place in this Duracell-free world is now defined. In two brief scenes, we understand both his role in the blackout and his motivation for bringing the might of the U.S. Government’s thunderous power down on electricity. Really effective use of the flashback here.

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 11: “The Stand” Written by Anne Cofell Saunders and Paul Grellong Directed by Steve Boyum Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Coming back from a four-month hiatus is not easy for any show, and is doubly difficult for a first-season show that has yet to develop a strong loyal …

One of the breakout hits of the fall 2012 television season was the NBC drama Revolution. Boasting the backing of television juggernaut JJ Abrams and Supernatural creator and ex-showrunner Eric Kripke’s creative input, the show examining an America where the power seems to have permanently died out, the show soon revealed there was more to …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 10: “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” Written by Monic Owusu-Breen and Matt Pitts Directed by Frederick E.O. Toye Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Midseason finales are always tricky for a show to pull off. If there’s too much of a reveal, audiences may not be motivated to return when …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 9: “Kashmir” Written by Charles Beeson Directed by Jim Barnes Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC There’s a massive problem in “Kashmir” which derails the main premise of the train-tunnel-set episode. Having the central characters hallucinate over a lack of air is one thing, but to do it in …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 8: “Ties That Bind” Written by David Rambo and Melissa Glenn Directed by Guy Norman Bee Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Since Rachel told Monroe about the pendants that turn the power back on, the latter has been on an active hunt to find them. With his seemingly …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 7: “The Children’s Crusade” Written by Charles Beeson Directed by Matt Pitts Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC An oddly subdued episode, “The Children’s Crusade” feels like a placeholder episode despite some big revelations and moments. The flash-forward sequence in the teaser seems out of place, yet there are …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 6: “Sex and Drugs” Written by David Rambo Directed by Steve Boyum Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC While some people like to view what kind of scenarios would trigger an apocalypse and the collapse of civilization, others find the ensuing breakdown and re-adjustment of society, and how particular …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 5: “Soul Train” Written by Paul Grellong Directed by Jon Cassar Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC The strongest episode yet of Revolution isn’t perfect, yet it walks the line between action and exposition more deftly than its predecessors. The action is exciting and engaging, the story moves forward …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 4: “The Plague Dogs” Written by Anne Cofell Saunders Directed by Felix Alcala Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Lawless anarchy in the world that Revolution has established is to be expected, and the show hasn’t hesitated on that front, as every episode has seen at least one death. Most of the …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 3: “No Quarter” Written by Monica Owusu-Breen Directed by Sanford Bookstaver Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC Revolution is a show that began life with a lot of expectations. Built on a premise that was highly intriguing, yet could turn faulty very quickly, it had the added weight of …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 2: “Chained Heat” Written by Eric Kripke Directed by Charles Beeson Airs Mondays at 10pm ET on NBC After a too-busy pilot that shrunk six hours’ worth of plot into 42 minutes, Revolution slows things down for its second episode. If the first outing was designed to lure in hesitant viewers …

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot” Written by Eric Kripke Directed by Jon Favreau Airs Mondays at 10pm ET on NBC (starting 9/17) Revolution’s first episode is a must-see introduction to a well-crafted post-apocalyptic world.  Many critics and San Diego ComicCon attendees have ranked it as one of the best of this year’s television crop …