I haven't been writing about Revolution since the pilot because I watch each episode a day or two after it airs. Also, I haven't had very strong feelings about the show so far. It's definitely not the best show on TV, but I do enjoy it very much. That said, it still has a few kinks to work out, especially in the dialogue writing, but it has proven itself to be a success since it has gotten very strong ratings and decent critic reviews.
I did watch last night's episode live, and it was the show's midseason finale. This means we will not see the second half of the season until March. Therefore, I decided to write a review of the episode. I don't usually do this, but I am going to give a SPOILER ALERT because I want to address the episode's ending. So please, if you haven't seen the episode and would not like it to be spoiled, do not read this review until after you have watched it.
Knowing that this was the midseason finale, I was expecting an intense showdown between Miles (Billy Burke) and Monroe (David Lyons). The show has been building up to this moment ever since we found out that Miles used to be a commanding general in the Monroe militia, and the scene did not disappoint. After Miles takes out Monroe's soldiers, the two point guns at each other and have an intense face-off. In a scene of great acting by both Burke and Lyons, Monroe puts down his weapon and reminds Miles how they are like brothers and invites Miles to rejoin the militia. Miles puts down his weapon, but tells Monroe, "You're no the same person. ... We aren't brothers." He also says he's sorry he didn't kill Monroe the first time. The two then have sword fight which was great while it lasted. More soldiers come and Monroe tells them to kill Miles, but Miles is able to jump out of a window just in time. At first I was disappointed that nothing happened in the fight, but upon looking back, I realized that this was only the midseason finale, and we still have a whole half of a season for a resolution in the Miles-Monroe conflict. With that in mind, I think this scene was handled very well, and it provided a look into how each of them feels about their relationship.
Another great scene was when Charlie (Tracy Spiradakos) is reunited with her mother, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), after being thrown into the same cell. There wasn't much dialogue between the two, but through her facial expressions and body language, Spiradakos was able to portray the confusion, anger, and joy that Charlie must have been experiencing all at once. Spiradakos, in my opinion, has proven herself to be the right choice for this show. She still has a little farther to go to become a great actress, but she is doing a fine job so far.
As I mentioned in my introduction to this review, the writing needs a little work. Overall, I think the writers have been doing a great job in how they are progressing the plot, but some of the dialogue has been cheesy. For example, in this episode, when Rachel is being taunted by one of Monroe's henchmen, he says something along the lines of, "That daughter of yours is quite the little peach, and I could eat peaches all day." My friends and I immediately started laughing at how ridiculous that line was, so hopefully they can work on some of the dialogue. But like I said, the plot development has been good, and I still like the flashbacks. This episode didn't have many flashbacks, but the few that it did have provided insight into the relationship between Miles and Monroe. I especially liked the flashbacks to their childhood that were placed among their scenes together in the present. Given that there are fifteen years of untold story, I hope the writers can continue to make good use of the flashbacks to tell that story.
The last thing I want to address is the ending and where the show goes from here. I am very glad that the showrunners decided to have the gang rescue Danny and Rachel. This half of the season was all about them trying to rescue Danny, and while it was a fine first half, I wouldn't have wanted to see that plot in the second half. It seems that the rest of the season will focus on Monroe using the amplifier that Rachel built to power-up his army and "flex his muscles," showing everyone who has the power. What I would like to see more of is the other republics. They have been mentioned a few times so far, but I think a whole story arc involving the interactions between republics would be very interesting. Also, I am interested in how Charlie and Danny will interact with their mother, whom they believed was dead. We have already seen Rachel kill two people, so I wonder how that will affect her relationship with her children. In any case, I look forward to the second half of the season, as there is potential for a new beginning for both the show and its characters.
As always, feel free to leave your thoughts on the episode, the show as a whole, or where you would like to see it go from here.
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