Revolution - It's Pretty Thought Provoking

(Check out my website, www.seriesmonitor.com)

When I first saw the trailers for NBC's Revolution a few months ago, I thought that the show would move along the lines of other famous quest based movies and TV shows, such as Legend of the Seeker, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. At this point, I should probably point out that I am not a fan of either of the aforementioned, but Revolution has done a darn good job in captivating my imagination, and providing plenty of things to think about, despite my misguided preconceptions

The best reason that I can come up with to answer the question of what captivates me so much is that the show is moving forward at breakneck speed. None of the shows I've watched over the past few years have moved forward so quickly. To date, we've witnessed meetings between rival characters, seen dozens of people killed - including a lead character, seen plenty of flashbacks to various points in the characters' past, and we've even seen the power come back on for a brief moment. And all of this has taken place in just 5 episodes, and it seems like it's only the tip of the iceberg

Because Revolution is set in such a radically different, yet familiar world, it also prods pretty deeply at my curiosity about what life would really be like without power, let alone 15 years without power. Sure, you have to bear in mind that it's a TV show we are talking about here, but I'm certain I'm not the only viewer to think about this sort of stuff. All power going out is a  pretty radical concept on its own before you add 15 years, but it goes without saying that building a TV show with a story based around such a concept, is a pretty daunting, but interesting challenge.

As a result, a show like this raises numerous questions about a wide variety of topics. Some that I continue to ask myself include what the population of the US/world be after 15 years, would there still be guns and ammunition left after 15 years, and would the types of building materials and clothing still be sustainable with primitive tools and machines after 15 years.

Again, I'd put money on the fact that I'm not the only viewer who thinks about this sort of stuff, and though the answers to the latter two questions seem to be 'YES' from the point of view of the show, the answer to the first question is debatable, though I wouldn't hesitate in suggesting that there wouldn't be any more than 10%, maybe as low as 5% of the population before the blackout, alive and well 15 years later. It goes without saying that I'd love it if the show put their own estimation out there at some point for us to ponder

The realism of the show encompasses all of the things I've discussed above. Sure, with any show you can find a multitude of things wrong with comparisons from Hollywood to real life, but Revolution is slightly different because none of us (I'm hoping) will have faced such a situation in our lifetimes

From my perspective, so far Revolution hasn't disgraced itself at all, because I know I've seen far worse. Though I've been wondering if there would be such a plentiful supply of weapons and ammunition 15 years after the supply stopped, I suppose you could say it isn't entirely impossible. Whether there would be enough food to feed everyone is also debatable, considering society's trend toward ever more convenient and processed foods. However I don't believe there would be a plentiful supply of welding and steel working materials, in particular the blowtorch being used on the train in last nights episode, 15 years later. Going back to the pilot episode though, planes falling vertically while spinning horizontally out of the sky simply wouldn't happen, as the principles of aerodynamics would remain constant whether there was electricity or not. Sure, the planes would almost certainly crash with no form of navigation or guidance whatsoever, but they wouldn't fall from the sky in that fashion. Of all the questionable aspects of realism to date, that has to be the worst for me

I could easily go on, and I'm certain you readers can suggest many more incorrect demonstrations of something happening that isn't quite right, but I reiterate, I have definitely seen worse. To be brutally honest, I don't think I would be watching Revolution had it not performed as well as it has in this area

At the end of the day, I really like a good story, and so far Revolution has delivered in this area. As I mentioned earlier, the show as a whole is very fast moving. Though character development hasn't really occurred, what has occurred in its place is the very rapid buildup of relationships and connections between characters. This alone is a very good sign that the show is in good hands, and it's the perfect way to begin a series, with this many connections so early on

Last nights episode saw a couple of predictable mini-arcs reach a tipping point. One of these was the attempted rescue of Danny. Another was the conflict between Danny and Captain Neville reaching a peak. Though these story arcs will continue for the foreseeable future, there are several others bubbling away nicely, ready to appear at any moment. These include information on the pendants, of which we learned last night that there are 12 in existence, three of which we know who holds them. The relationship between Monroe and Rachel Matheson, and what happened to Grace at the hands of Randall are also interesting, and there are plenty more that myself, and you, the readers, could mention

As if this wasn't enough, we are told that there are five other mini-countries that make up the former USA. It seems that there are politics at play here as well, with the Plains Nation and the Georgia Federation forming an alliance, surrounding the Monroe Republic, where one could possibly assume that the groundwork for a possible invasion is being laid

After having a read of what I've just written myself, it seems as though I'm waffling a bit, with no real point to be made. I suppose now would be a good time to say that Revolution isn't my favorite show, nor is it the most well made or acted, though both of those are definitely respectable enough. The set design is pretty good, but the music is the polar opposite at times. The fight scenes are intense, but the characters are hardly seen to be eating or drinking, which is something that I hope the writers explain, because it is a post-power world, after all. No corner dairy any more!

However I want to wrap things up by saying that Revolution makes you think, but it doesn't make you think sentimentally - well, that's the case for me anyway because I've never lived more than a fortnight without power. What Revolution is, is a show that blends a radical concept, a very strong set of characters, and an impressive storyline, into a fast moving, action packed format, with plenty going on at once. From the five episodes to date, I think it's safe to say that the next 17 will be just as entertaining and thought provoking, and that another season is highly likely. It's a good time to jump on the band wagon and see what you think of the show, because I doubt that there are many people out there who were as skeptical to begin with, but who are enjoying the show and its thought provoking abilities as much as I am

So what do you think of the 5 episodes so far. Are they what you were expecting?? What do you want to see more, or less of?? What's the show missing?? What can be improved?? And finally, where do you think the storyline is heading?? Sure, it's early days, but this show has certainly proved to be more entertaining to speculate on than others I watch. Make yourself heard in the comments below.

If you want to get a better understanding of the relationships between characters, click here to view this post

Thanks for reading, and please check out my website, www.seriesmonitor.com
Jimmy

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