Billy Burke

So much for our heroes getting stranded miles away from the scene of a genocide then. Despite our belief that Miles and the gang were far away from the room where Truman is about to pour mustard gas onto unwitting Willoughby residents and the Texas president, the crew uses its cunning (and a steam train, presumably) to make it back and derail Truman’s plan. This gives us one of the best one-two punches of the finale: Miles throwing down the very last spit of swordplay we’ll get from this series, and one more classic, resigned Milesism: “Run, you idiots,” he implores to the masses gathered to hear from the Texas and U.S. presidents, while firing a rifle in the air.

Can we all just take a moment to consider New Vegas as the absolute finest location in Revolution? The meta pop culture jokes are fantastic. The tiny little seeds of David Schwimmer reduced to performing as a cabaret act or Justin Timberlake squaring off against Joey Fatone in a deathmatch are exactly what the show needs more of to really establish its place in a greater context and carve out some glorious black humour at the same time.

This is an episode of two distinct halves, one where we’re largely spinning wheels and another where the action ramps up and we delve into horror movie territory. The chess pieces are starting to move into place for the season’s large arc and yet we seem a long way from getting the band back together.

Revolution, Season 1, Episode 20: “The Dark Tower” Written by Eric Kripke and Paul Grellong Directed by Charles Beeson Airs Mondays at 10 pm (ET) on NBC With the second half of Revolution’s first season focusing on The Tower that could turn on the power for the world at large, the leadup to this week’s …

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 …

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 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 …