9.25.2012

Television: Revolution, "Chained Heat"

Straight out, Billy Burke is the best thing about this show. I get the sense the Google guy might be fun and interesting too, if they'd give him more to do. It's clear, though, that the writers' abilities to create compelling female characters is somewhat challenged. Charlie is irritating and over-earnest. Maggie . . . I can't figure out, but so far I haven't been swayed to try very hard, either. Nora came across as a stereotype. And Rachel? Grace? ::shrug::

Too, the youngsters so far have little draw. Besides Charlie, I don't much care about Danny or Nate, either. Especially Nate, who so far is a cardboard cutout for "conflicted."

But I do want to know more about Monroe and his relationship to Miles. And Captain Neville (played so superbly by Giancarlo Esposito) is mesmerizing every time he's on screen.

I can't say I found "Chained Heat" to be nearly as interesting as the pilot. I was not as engaged. I'm hoping it was a sophomore slump, since there is a lot of potential here. I'm waiting for flashbacks from characters other than Charlie, who is one of the least interesting. If she's supposed to be central and sympathetic, they've missed the mark with that particular crossbow shot. Her nagging makes me wish Miles would run her through with his sabre.

I did get Torchwood flashbacks with the whole, "Don't let go of your brother's hand" thing. There's some Firefly and Hunger Games stuff going on in all this as well. With the right blend, Revolution could be amazing. But I don't think the mixture is quite right yet. We'll see.

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