Television Review: 'Revolution' offers promise after pilot episode

“Revolution”
NBC
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“Revolution” transports viewers 15 years into the future after a seemingly permanent “blackout” reverts human civilization to its frontier roots, swapping cars and electronics for horse-drawn carriages and crossbows.

While this end-of-world driven plot may seem tried and and a little tired (“Falling Skies,” “The Walking Dead”), director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), writer Eric Kripke (“Supernatural”) and executive producer and sci-fi mastermind J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Fringe”) take this stale premise and offer an original approach by focusing on civilization’s reconstruction rather than its initial decline and fallout.

This different perspective and the series’ strong television pedigree make for an entertaining pilot that gets even stronger after the initial plot is revealed.

Living in a peaceful community is headstrong Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos), her asthma-afflicted brother Danny (Graham Rogers) and their father, who may know more than he’s letting on about the worldwide power outage. The Militia, a self-entitled military force, unexpectedly pays him a visit, during which Militia Captain Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito, “Breaking Bad”) abducts Danny. It’s up to Charlie to save her brother and find her uncle, Miles (Billy Burke, “Twilight”), who may share in his brother’s knowledge of the blackout.

“Revolution” seems to be more of a non-stop journey for the viewer rather than an emotional ride for the characters. While there are a few instances of sincerity, such as in a flashback scene detailing Charlie’s last taste of ice cream before freezers go out of commission, the pilot doesn’t give those watching much time to piece together the many questions it leaves behind, or even to reflect upon what’s happening on screen.

Contributing to this fast pace are the series’ many action shots. From a swashbuckling sword fight between Miles and multiple enemies, to a 747 commercial airliner falling out of the sky after the initial power outage, it’s clear Favreau injected his fondness for the genre into “Revolution.” Although these scenes sometimes detract from the plot, they should in no way be removed in future episodes, just toned down so the mystery of the show is allowed to breathe.

At the center of this mystery is Charlie, and her father’s involvement in the blackout. Spiridakos believably captures Charlie’s sense of desperation after certain events force her to leave her home; she channels a determination to match that of the crossbow-wielding heroine. As a result, viewers will leave with a note of compassion for Charlie, rooting for her success over the Militia.

The supporting characters are more mixed in likeability by pilot’s end. Where Esposito easily delivers the best performance of the show as former insurance adjustor, now villainous Militia leader, Captain Neville, Charlie’s potential love interest Nate, played by JD Pardo, is less impressive. An interesting story arc and good aim with a bow can’t overshadow the actor’s stilted performance.

Accompanying Charlie on her quest to rescue her brother is village physician Maggie, and Google-millionaire-turned-broke teacher Aaron, played by Anna Lise Phillips and Zak Orth, respectively. Maggie is a resourceful and therefore appealing character, who demonstrates her usefulness during a bandit attack. Aaron is more along for comic relief than helpfulness, and makes a few flat quips like how he would trade his former millions for a roll of Charmin Ultra Soft.

What most of these characters really need is time to flesh out their back stories so fans and skeptics alike can find a more relatable foothold. When the credits finally roll, so much has happened in the nearly 45-minute premiere that character personalities are sometimes established and at other times passed over.

It’s also interesting to note that the show contains an underlying message of technological overload in today’s world, and how civilization can continue even after technology’s departure. It’s the children who grew up after the blackout, such as Charlie and Danny, who seem more comfortable in a world without electricity, whereas the adults are uneasy and wish for a return to their more contained lifestyles.

That is not to say “Revolution” is solely for the thinking man ““ the show is still more action than mystery. But this theme and a short scene at the end of the pilot hint at a possible turning point in the future of the series, suggesting a healthy balance between the two.

And after its premiere, “Revolution” can only benefit from a clearer plot, before there are more questions than answers left to ponder in true Abrams fashion.

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