Revolution S1, Ep10 – “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”

We’ve been waiting for this – Miles v. Monroe.

Episode 10 – the last episode before a hiatus that lasts until March – titled “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” is a mostly action-oriented romp, setting up the next part of the season. It falls a little flat in overall execution (even with the long-awaited Miles versus Monroe face-off) and I think it would have worked better as the first episode back after hiatus. Why not end it with the emotional confusion of last week, the walk into the sunlight of Philadelphia, and the anticipation of what was ahead? But alas, we have guns to shoot and scowls to share, so let’s get started.

Flashback! The Trenton Campaign is in full swing; Miles and Monroe are darting through rubble as the bullets fly. As they rest, Miles reveals he’s shot – and he wants Monroe to lead the men out of here. Nope, says Sebastian. If Miles dies, Sebastian is dying right beside him.

Side note: I’m not supposed to think Miles and Monroe were lovers, right? Right. Sorry.

In present day Philadelphia, Miles and the gang seek refuge with the only person he’s fairly certain won’t shoot him: his old friend Kipling. Kipling doesn’t shoot, but he isn’t exactly breaking out the snacks and wine; associating with Miles is a death sentence.

Neville wakes up Monroe with news: the mole who messaged he was bringing Miles in has turned up dead. Perhaps Monroe wants to head to the safe house in Boston… Nope, says Sebastian (it’s a theme). He’s staying.

Kipling and Miles share a quiet moment – why the heck is Miles back in literally the most dangerous place in the world for him? Things have changed, he’s changed, and this time? He’s going to have to kill Sebastian Monroe. For now he’s going to recon the city, to see if he can find Danny’s location. A few hours later, the Militia kick the door down, rounding up Aaron, Charlie, and Nora under the heavy hand of Tom Neville. Kipling didn’t give them up, but it wasn’t brain surgery figuring out Miles’ limited options. Neville sticks in a needle in Charlie’s neck and she falls to the floor.

Hi Mom! Awk-ward.

Charlie wakes up in a strange room – with a familiar stranger. Someone calls her name and that someone is Rachel. Charlie is shocked to see her mother alive after all this time – and very quickly does not want to get too close. She’s skittish, and Rachel’s crumbles with joy and sadness and pain. This is the moment she’s been dreaming of, and now the young woman in front of her views her as a potential threat.

Her daughter goes back to her touchstone – where’s Danny?

In a separate room, Neville is getting his jerk-interrogator pants on, by verbally abusing Aaron. Not so much the rich wizard of Google anymore. Remember, Tom Neville doesn’t really like being someone’s employee, and he clearly enjoys Aaron’s lack of power at the moment. Oh, and no surprise – Aaron, Nora, and Charlie are bait for Miles.

Miles returns to Kipling’s house and realizes what’s going on. At the same time, Charlie and Rachel are loosening a screw to try and escape. Interruption time – it’s crazy-ass Strausser, who is clearly yearning to torture someone.

Back at Home Sweet Home, Neville is enjoying a drink in his study when he realizes he’s not alone. It’s Miles, with a blade to Julia’s neck – he wants his people back or Julia gets it. She tells Tom that Miles is bluffing, but you know, I don’t think he his. And neither does Tom. He leaves, agreeing to the hostage exchange.

Danny finally gets his wish – his sister is going to save his butt.

In Rachel’s lab, Danny is finally reunited with Charlie! Things aren’t cozy for long – Monroe enters and starts discussing Rachel’s invention. Either she finishes it, or else. The “or else”? Strausser pulls a gun and trains it on Danny. Pick a kid. One of them is doing to die if she doesn’t make the amplifier work. Charlie begs her mother not to do it. She’ll willingly die so that other people won’t suffer the fate of a fully-armed Militia. But Rachel can’t do it. She breaks down and agrees. Satisfied, Monroe leaves – giving Strausser his favorite orders ever. Shoot both of the kids if Rachel makes one false move.

Neville returns home with Aaron and Nora in tow. Okay. Now Miles wants their shackles unlocked and for Tom to scoot out to get the kids. No, sorry. Danny and Charlie are being kept at a power plant on the edge of the city. Miles is going to have to go get them himself. He and Nora lock Tom and Julia in a closet, barricading it with a heavy cabinet.

The next morning, everyone is at the power plant. Miles, Aaron, and Nora are circling, looking for a way in. Strausser is playing with Rachel like he’s a hungry lion and she’s a tiny mouse – he can’t wait for her to mess up so he can shoot someone. And Captain Baker is talking to Monroe; no word from Neville thus far, which means he might very well be dead. And Miles might be alive. Baker’s wondering why the orders are to bring Miles in alive, and Monroe is having none of that – doesn’t Baker think Monroe could kill him?

Flashback to before the blackout…Sebastian Monroe sits in a dark cemetery, drunk and crying over the graves of his parents and two little sisters. He survived two tours in Iraq, but his family didn’t even manage a night out at the movies thanks to a drunk driver. Miles arrives and talks his best friend out of killing himself. He swears that he is Sebastian’s brother and that they need each other – they will take care of one another. Miles escorts his best friend out of the cemetery, the two of them side by side.

Through some fancy fiddling with a vent cover, Charlie manages to get an escape route for her and Danny. Before they can make it out, a guard enters and grabs Danny. But never fear – Charlie whacks the snot out of the guard with the vent cover and steals his machine gun. Impressive! They run through the power plant, trying to find their mom.

Meanwhile, after leaving Aaron with a sack of pipe bombs (with instructions to blow a hole through the gate if they need a new escape route), Nora and Miles enter the power plan through the intake pipe.

Rachel finishes the amplifier and puts the pendant in place. She’s saddened as the thing kicks to life – it’s finished. She’s saved her children, but killed who knows how many others? In a hallway outside, Danny and Charlie end up in a gunfight with some guards, only to be rescued by Miles (and his stabbing abilities) and Nora. Miles, Danny. Danny, Miles. Oh by the way, says Charlie, Rachel’s alive, we have to find her.

It never ends, thinks Miles.

Monroe finally has the amplifier. And Miles.

In the workshop, Rachel tries to kill Strausser with a hammer, but the crazy killer is much stronger.  They struggle until Rachel can get the psychological upper hand, and then she stabs him to death with a mother’s fury. Note to self: Don’t piss off Rachel. Ever. Miles arrives to “save” her and all he gets is a slap. As they flee Baker and his men, they run right into a bigger danger. More Militia – and Monroe. As Miles and Sebastian lock eyes, Miles tells Rachel to go find her kids. A flashback to a moment of childhood: Miles and Sebastian, running carefree through a field. In the present Miles pulls out a gun and shoots all the guards, leaving just him and Sebastian, guns pointed at one another.

Sebastian pleads his case – he and Miles are brothers. Family. Rachel, Charlie, Danny? They’re not what Sebastian is to him. And if Miles wants to come back? All is forgiven. This is the most human we’ve seen Sebastian; he’s pleading with Miles to come back, reassuring their bond. But Miles can’t. He says he’s sorry he didn’t kill Sebastian when he had the chance – the man who was his brother and best friend is gone. Charlie and Danny are his real family. Utterly betrayed, Sebastian attacks.

It’s a fight to the death as the two grapple with fists and swords. This isn’t going to end until one of them is dead. All the emotion behind their relationship explodes in anger and betrayal. As they struggle, Aaron tries to set off the pipe bombs.

Nora and the Matheson family run towards safety. Aaron blows the wall and they escape, even as Charlie looks behind her – where is Miles?

As Miles and Sebastian fight, reinforcements arrive. Monroe coldly tells them to kill Miles, but Miles jumps out a window. He emerges from the smoke to join his family as they run away from the power plant. Suddenly a sound fills the air. As our heroes look on in horror, a Black Hawk helicopter rises from the roof of the power plant. From a balcony, Monroe looks down on them, revenge and hatred written on his face. The guns of the Black Hawk are trained on our heroes, exposed and vulnerable in the middle of the field…

To be continued next year!

Well, that was exciting! And a little bit of a let down. I felt like there was way too much action-y stuff, when what I really wanted was more of the Miles/Sebastian dynamic. Neville and Julia disappeared early, and where the heck is Jason? And Grace and the Department of Defense guy?

Hopefully the continuation will focus on the set-up for what’s next. Monroe chasing Miles and our heroes? Them trying to shut him down? Neville trying to overthrow Monroe? We shall see…