As the episode opens, we see that Miles (Billy Burke) is getting worse, and soon see that Horn (Zeljko Ivanek) is also much worse. Miles, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), and Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) are preparing to storm the Patriot’s headquarters to rescue Aaron (Zak Orth), Cynthia (Jessica Collins), and Gene (Stephen Collins). As they approach, they see that everyone is unconscious – including the dogs and birds. Heading inside, they find the same thing, but no Aaron, Cynthia or Gene. Charlie is able to track Aaron by his boot impressions which she recognizes, so we know he walked out of there. They find a tunnel in the wall and exit via the tunnel just as the Patriots start to wake up. Of course, now Rachel is worried about Gene and has to be forced to leave. My one biggest disappointment with this season so far has been the characterization of Rachel. Mitchell does a creditable job with what she’s given, but I cannot like this character. She ricochets from one emotion to another almost always endangering everyone around her by doing so.
Meanwhile, we see Tom (Giancarlo Esposito) about to board a train for Washington with Roger Allenford (David Aaron Baker). Allenford doesn’t want to include Jason (JD Pardo) in their deal, but Tom insists that Jason is part of the deal. Not long into the trip, Tom goes to see why the train has stopped and sees Julia (Kim Raver) boarding the train with a strange man. Tom finds her in the dining car. It’s a fantastic moment when their eyes meet and Raver and Esposito nail it. You can see the shock in Julia’s eyes and the worry over betrayal in Tom’s. Then the worry in Julia’s that Tom is about to expose her – which of course, he doesn’t. She follows him to a cloak room where they clearly have “glad to see you’re alive” sex. She tells Tom that she headed south when Atlanta started to fall. She met Victor Doyle and married him because that’s what she needed to do to survive and she reminds him that their motto is “do whatever you have to.” When Tom tells her he was on his way to kill the President for her, she is clearly turned on by it. She urges him not to blow his or her cover and insists there’s a way for them to still get everything they want.
I’m curious to see what exactly it is that Julia wants. I’m also hoping to get more of her backstory. We know that Tom started out as a bit of a wimp – so why was she attracted to him in the first place? Raver does a wonderful job at playing Julia as Lady Macbeth. She is also touching when she asks after Jason – clearly afraid of the answer. I loved that he was clearly used to having to adapt quickly to his parents’ mechanizations. Tom succinctly tells him everything he needs to know by bringing Julia too him, and quickly introducing her as Mrs. Doyle, and asking Jason to take her back to her husband. Tom is obviously ok with this ruse, so Jason just accepts it and plays along. Pardo also does a great job in this scene, keeping his reaction almost entirely to his eyes. I’m hoping we get to see more from him in the second half of the season, but it seems his storyline is taking a backseat – certainly any love interest with Charlie seems to have been dropped.
Charlie, Miles, and Rachel come out of the tunnel outside the town walls and the countryside is blanketed in an unnatural fog, which I’m assuming the nanotech created to hide Aaron and Cynthia’s escape. Miles is creeped out by it. Rachel immediately wants to turn back to find Gene – though we have no indication if he’s back there or what happened to him at all. Miles tells her “This X-Files weirdness? Not my thing.” He needs her to help get Aaron because he’s out of his depth – he’s also in bad shape physically but continues to hide that from her. It looks like they have been captured by Patriot soldiers until Monroe (David Lyons) appears out of the fog, killing them and hilariously declaring, “I’m Batman!” Monroe continues to be my favorite character and Lyons delivers yet another terrific performance. The X-Files and Batman references were only two of the numerous classic Kripke moments in this episode. Monroe referring to Aaron as Stay Puft (from Ghostbusters) and Aaron referring to the kid as Haley Joel (Sixth Sense) and even using a creepy kid – were also classic Kripke. This is the kind of embedded pop culture references that I was looking for when Revolution came on the air. It’s a great touchstone between viewer and writer and a great way to relieve a little of the tension before the story ratchets it up a notch. These kinds of references are also a great way to humanize the characters.
The scene between Monroe and Miles when Miles shows Monroe his arm is one of my favorites from this episode. I felt that Lyons was stronger in the scene than Burke, but it showed the depth of their friendship – it’s still there if very strained. Monroe is clearly concerned about Miles. I loved Monroe telling Miles “You really have gone soft. You’re like a puppy holding a kitten.” Miles gets Monroe to help, but only by refusing to tell him where his son is if he doesn’t. I’m beginning to think that the punchline here is going to be that Miles doesn’t actually know.
While Monroe and Miles are talking, there is more useless angsting over Gene by Rachel. Once again, Charlie is forced to play parent and reassure her mother. Rachel does tell Charlie she loves her, and Charlie reciprocates. Spiridakos also delivers in this episode. They’ve done a much better job developing her into a competent soldier this season. Her slight hesitation in answering Rachel seemed perfect to me – why would you trust anything Rachel said when she so often turns around and says the exact opposite so afterwards?
In a flashback, we have it confirmed that Rachel and Miles did have an affair. Rachel shows up at the train station as soldier Miles (with really badly dyed hair) is about to leave for war. Rachel offers to leave Ben and Miles tells her Ben is better for her and to go have a happy life and family. Rachel is still ready to leave Ben and wait for him until Miles tells her he doesn’t love her. She doesn’t believe him – and frankly I didn’t think Burke sold it at all, so I didn’t believe him either. Naturally, later in the episode, Miles confesses Rachel was always the one for him. If he really wanted to sacrifice for her in the past, he should have sold that he didn’t love her in that scene.
When they come out of hiding, they find the Patriots gone as they’ve already found Aaron and Cynthia. Aaron wakes up in an abandoned school and finds a creepy kid hanging around. Naturally, this ends up being a manifestation of the nanotech – that only Aaron can see and communicate with. Cynthia is healed but weak at first. Aaron doesn’t want to talk to the kid, but Cynthia tells him that “Everything happens for a reason,” so he does. Aaron realizes the kid is using the likeness of his childhood friend Kevin. Clever way for the nanotech to try to put Aaron at ease – though we know that in general, Aaron doesn’t like kids that much. Kevin tells Aaron that he woke them up and that they are trying to help him because of it. Aaron denies that he ever made any Artificial Intelligence, but we see in flashback that whatever he did in the Tower is what woke the nanotech and created them. Kevin keeps referencing Spring City, Oklahoma – where the world’s second biggest ball of twine is. As an aside, this is also classic Kripke, having been referenced by Sam in Supernatural several times too. However, I can’t help but wonder if this isn’t some kind of clue and may become important – or it could just be a red herring. Aaron freaks out, tells Kevin to stop killing people and sends the kid away.
The episode ends as all parties converge on the school. Miles finally passes out and he and Rachel are pinned down in a room. Monroe and Charlie get pinned down and seems that Monroe abandons Charlie, only to come back and rescue her. Is he going soft? Pretty sure he is... And Horn finally catches up with Aaron. He threatens to shoot Cynthia if Aaron doesn’t heal him. Ivanek gives a brilliant performance in his last few minutes – a desperate, dying man, racked with pain – I was almost sad to see him die. Aaron begs for more time, trying to call Kevin back. Cynthia tells Aaron she loves him just before Horn shoots and kills her. Kevin finally arrives and Aaron tells him to kill Horn and everyone else. They all burst into flames, leaving Monroe and Charlie exchanging shocked looks and Rachel looking horrified.
I have to admit that the last few minutes of this episode almost ruined it for me. I’m hoping for some better explanations or reasoning in tonight’s episode. First, why didn’t Aaron want Cynthia saved first? Why did the nanotech pick that precise moment to realize that Aaron didn’t know what he wanted? I’m disappointed that they seem to have killed off Jessica Collins. I thought she did a wonderful job as Cynthia and the character brought something unique to the storyline as well. She’s the only character to have a kind of innocence and a spiritual approach to life.
The episode left us wondering about the fates of Cynthia, Gene, and Miles. Is Aaron going to be able to gain back control over the nanotech? It seemed pretty stupid for someone who is a computer scientist to be that afraid of technology. I would have expected him to embrace it and try to understand it and control it. What a great asset it could be for them! Of course, it also acts as a deus ex machine – quite literally!
Are you excited about the return of Revolution tonight? Did you like the first episodes of this season? Do you think Cynthia is dead for good? Will we see Gene again? Are you worried about Miles? What did you think of the new twist with the nanotech? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
