Revolution: Loads of Potential

Creator(s): Eric Kripke


Network/Writer(s): NBC/Eric Kripke

 Director: Jon Favreau

Actors: Billy Burke, Tracy Spiridakos, Zak Orth, David Lyons, Anna Lise Phillips

Tagline: 15 years after the blackout…they will light the way.

***

[NOTE: This review may contain spoilers, so please watch the show before reading, or don't.]

Post-apocalyptic stories are always fascinating to humans because it is natural to wonder how our world will look if we lost all of the technological advantages we take for granted. But there is a fine line between an interesting story and insulting your audience, and "Revolution" walks it as well as a Wallenda.

"Revolution" takes place 15 years after the world has gone dark, and the world has gone back to the dark ages. Our story takes place somewhere outside of Chicago, where villages have formed and the ruling power is a local militia. The population is still struggling with what happened when the world lost all of it's technology  in one quick moment, like a switch was flipped. The only clue we get is that it may have been military induced, and two brother hold the key to the blackout.

Our heroine is Charlotte "Charlie" Matheson (Spiridakos), the daughter one of the aforementioned brothers, and her adventure begins after her father is murdered and brother is kidnapped. In his dying words, her father tell her to find his brother in Chicago. Thus, begins the epic part of the story.

The sets look like they are straight out of the History Channel's "Life After People". Where they did use CG you couldn't tell, and the real exteriors were gorgeous and set the tone. There was just enough left over from the pre-blackout world to make the areas feel familiar and recognizable. This allows the audience to get emotionally invested and buy into the shows premise.

The most natural comparison is CBS' cult classic "Jericho", but this show does post-apocalyptia in a grander, more epic way. This will definitely help it find a wider audience. It also has a less complex story (so far at least), which allows it to not go off the rails like "Jericho". "Revolution" will probably fall some where between ABC's short lived "FlashForward" and NBC's flop from last season, "The Event". But it definitely has the potential to get close the the cult following level of "Lost".

If a show can have an Achilles heel, Tracy Spiridakos could be "Revolution's". As the lead in this series, she needs to be strong and vulnerable at the same time because she is still a teenager, but Spiridakos falls just short of her character's requirements. For now, the blame will be placed on lack of experience, but if she doesn't grow into the role, her and the show could be a one-and-done. The good thing is that they both are bursting with potential and will need to fulfill it quickly if they want to get the proper end to the fiction.

Rating: 7.5/10

Rewatchability: Moderately High